One amazing thing we learned while in Caesarea was about the Murex marine snail. In Biblical times, they used blue dye, from the Murex snail, for their garments. There was a unique understanding that the fringe of a man's garment had a special significance. The blue coloring on the cord of their garment reminded the people of heaven. The "blue" coloring they used was from a hypobranchial gland of a Murex marine snail that ONLY lives in the deep water of the Mediterranean Sea. The "purple" was obtained from another variety of Murex snail that could be gathered in shallow coastal waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas."Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah" ( Exek. 27:7) " clothes of blue and embroidered work". Recent findings in the Bar Kochba caves by the Dead Sea have explained to many Jewish scholars about the significance of the dyes used on certain types of cloths. The dyed woollen embroidery may be symbolic of the need for a divine infusion of holiness(blue) and royalty( purple) into the prosaic human stock of Israel.
Modern Research-
The production of blue yarn and cloth dyed in the traditional way ceased many centuries ago, when the supply of snails appeared to become extinct. Jews have never been able to accept any other kind of blue dye, so to this day they have no blue cord in their fringes and tassels. A recent discovery about a year or so ago was that the Murex snail was not extinct after all and that it may be possible to resume production of the traditional blue dye. Some Jews have even gone so far as to see the revival of the heavenly blue as a sure sign of the advent of their Messiah.- All I can say folks is that Jesus is coming soon!!!!!
Blessings,
Amy
