The sublittoral zone refers to the area of relatively shallow water permanently covered by seawater that is immediately beyond the intertidal zone (the area between the high and low tidal marks, where the shore is above water at some point in the tidal cycle). The Murex trunculus sea snail lives in the sublittoral waters of most of the Mediterranean’s coastal areas. Ruscillo’s research (see below) found that immersing wool very briefly in a fresh, unheated Murex dye bath resulted in very attractive blues of varying intensity. Recent archaeological discoveries of fabric remnants from Israel’s biblical period indicate that the original tekhelet dye was probably made from one of the Murex family, if not the trunculus, but since the source of the original tekhelet has been uncertain for so long, white has become the preferred color for these tassels. Other varieties of the Murex, particularly brandaris, were also used for dyes, but were considered inferior.Īt present a whole separate debate is ongoing among Jewish traditionalists about whether the blue ( tekhelet) tassels required by the Torah on the corners of Jewish garments should be dyed using Murex trunculus. Depending on the strength of the dye, the time submerged, the dye process, and the type of fabric dyed, the Murex dye could also yield colors ranging from pale shades of blue, green, pink, and violet, as well as the deeper tones. Deciding which of these many colors was intended in a given passage can be difficult.īut historians agree that the priceless near-black “royal purple” dye was made only from a gland of the Murex trunculus (more recently called Hexaplex trunculus) sea snail. The word “purple” in Greco-Roman times, however, was used to refer to a whole range of colors, from pale blue to red to violet to the true royal purple. Apparently it was an almost black violet-red color, said to resemble the color of heart’s blood/clots of heart’s blood. Royal purple was not the color we think of today when we speak of purple. The term “royal purple” originated in the Mediterranean and Ancient Near East, particularly during the days of the Roman Empire, when the wearing of a specific color–royal purple–was a privilege restricted to the aristocracy, if not the emperor alone. Before discussing the Murex dye, I’m delighted to announce the 3rd of the 3 reviews received for Cat Born to the Purple: another 5 stars ★★★★★ - this time from Self-Publishing Review! Go here to read the entire review.

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