When the children of Israel were in the desert, namely at Mt. Sinai, they received laws from the Lord that required them to make articles and materials with blue; thus they needed blue dye. Where did the Israelites get this blue dye in order to fulfill the Lord's commandments while they were in the middle of the desert? For this blue dye was used, at that time, in the tassels, priests' garments and the tabernacle coverings,etc. Did it come from the source in which modern Jewish scholars trust, which was from the gland of unkosher sea snails, as the Talmud says? The Talmud, by the way, was written 2000 years after the fact; or, did it really come from a plant that was indigenous to the Sinai region, commonly called indigo?
Here are some of the commandments that will show you where the blue is needed:
1. Numbers 15:37-40
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them:
'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners
of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these
tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD,
that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts
of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my
commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your
God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your
God.' "
2. Exodus 26:1
Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple
and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.
3. Exodus 28:6
Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely
twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman.
4. Exodus 28:31
And you must make the robe of the ephod all [of] blue.
HISTORY AND INFORMATION ABOUT INDIGO:
First of all, what is indigo? In common usage, the word originally refers to a blue dye obtained from a leguminous (pea family) plant of the same name. Considered the oldest and most durable of dyes, indigo is often labeled the "King of Dyestuffs." Its method of production can be found in ancient Indian Sanskrit. Many mummies from Egyptian and Incan tombs are wrapped in indigo-dyed cloth, and the earliest Persian rug dated around the 2st century B.C.E. contains authenticated hues from indigo.
In powdered or paste form, indigo has been used as a paint and a cosmetic (eye shadow.) So highly prized was the dye that its true nature was a carefully guarded secret for thousands of years. Even as late as 1705, some dyers believed indigo to be a mined mineral.
In 1763, in the United States of America, Louisiana's number one export was indigo, with a value of over $1.2 million. By 1800, however, production was down drastically. Some historians attribute this to exceptionally wet growing seasons and attacks by uncontrollable insects.
Other chroniclers of the time reported that indigo developed a bad reputation because it produced a rust on neighboring wheat crops and because the method of dye production killed most of the laborers.
Plantation production ceased about 1806, although limited plantings to satisfy personal use continued for some time afterward. The dye eventually received a decisive blow in 1878 when a man-made alternative was prepared in Europe. This particular alternative, of that time, was kosher since it did not come from unkosher animals for the purposes of customs, rites and rituals.
Although it was widely agreed that the synthetic was not as intense or as durable as the real indigo, the laboratory version was cheaper and required less time to manufacture. And so, throughout the Louisiana delta, the abundant indigo was replaced by cotton.
Today, synthetic indigo still retains a revered position among textile manufacturers worldwide. With an annual production of 14,000 tons, synthetic indigo is the major industrial dye. Levi Strauss & Company, for example, annually markets over one billion pairs of blue jeans, a universally fashionable denim produced in an indigo dye bath. (Note: Levi Strauss does not sew their clothing as the Torah commands, (ie, according to Leviticus 19 "make your garment of one material," for their seams are made with polyester, not cotton), therefore, a torah observant person must not wear their clothing. For many Orthodox folks interprate Lev. 19 using Deut. thus to only mean wool and linen vs. to include wool and linen, because you also had cotton, leather, silk and other materials used at the time of Moses.)
But in Louisiana's southwest Cameron Parish, the past is not dead history: indigo thrives! To be sure, the great plantations of yesteryear exist no more. However, Indigofera suffruticosa is growing commonly there in the sandy soils of the cheniers, the narrow, oakcovered ridges of dry land that rise above the surrounding marshes.
The plants are particularly abundant along pasture fences bordering the north side of many of the roads between Grand Chenier and Cameron. These plants are easy to recognize: perennial shrubs sprouting in late spring from persistent root stocks; multiple stalks up to six feet in height; green, feathery leaves that shimmer with even the gentlest of breezes; delicate, pea-shaped, pinkish-coppery-colored flowers in late summer followed by green (and later black) bean-like seed pods clustered banana-fashion in October and November.
The indigo plants of Cameron Parish are without doubt relics of a spent era. Interestingly, however, the Cameron Parish residents could not even recognize the indigo plants that were growing there in obvious places.
It is true that the French word indigo is part of the local lore. The term, however, refers to other varieties of weedy leguminous plants common in marshes and in rice fields. And although dove hunters throughout most of the rice-growing parishes frequently refer to the small seeds often found within the stomachs of their quarry as "indigo," upon examination the seeds prove to be those of other legumes.
Indigo dye production is both physically and chemically complex. To be specific, the process involves a multiple-vat steeping system.
First, the cut plants are fermented under warm water. Second, the resulting solution is "beat" to introduce oxygen. Third, ashes or mucilage from plants is added to the aerated fluid to induce precipitation, a process that separates sediment from a solution. Fourth, the rich blue sediment is dried, cut into bars-called cakes-and then marketed.
Amazingly enough, this final product is still not the actual dyestuff. As with most dyes, indigo must be dissolved in water before the pigment can impregnate fiber. The bad thing is that indigo cakes are insoluble in water. To fix this dilemma, yet another processing vat must be engaged.
Although recipes vary, all are based on the premise that if you add something to alter the indigo into a water-soluble form, you will get indigo dye. The list of ingredients that have been used in this "blue vat" includes bran, madder (an herb), iron compounds, potash, lime and soda.
After several days of fermenting in the dark, the solution -- now the color of untarnished copper-has been primed. To dye, a fabric is submerged for a few minutes and then raised into the air. When this is done the fabric begins assuming the characteristic blue color that from this point on is virtually indestructible.
Thus we can see that the dye regarding the commandment comes from plants, not from sea snails. Which also, by the way, would be undoubtedly hard for the Israelites if they had to obey the commandment the moment they heard it, and so also supply enough blue thread for well over 600,000 people. They had to do this, whether or not they "plundered Egypt." For it would take quite a bit of these snails to produce just a small amount of dye. For remember they were in the desert 40 years, not at the Mediterranean Sea...to go deep sea diving!!! However, there is a possiblity, that in their plunder of Egypt, the Israelites could have had enough indigo dye bricks for their needs, because a single brick can go a long way and it does not take that many plants to make a dye brick. Furthermore, if someone wants to understand this even more, as to whether or not this dye actually came from a snail, it can be altogether debunked by a simple scenario in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 8:6-9
And he (YHWH) said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are
doing-the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here,
things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things
that are even more detestable."
Then he (YHWH) brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and
I saw a hole in the wall.
He (YHWH) said to me, "Son of man, now dig into the wall." So I dug
into the wall and saw a doorway there.
And he (YHWH) said to me, "Go in and see the wicked and detestable
things they are doing here."
So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds
of crawling things and detestable animals"
Therefore, if we can see that YHWH is upset over mere pictures of unkosher animals in the Temple, how much more so for making the articles of the Temple and the garments of the holy priests with the actual blood of unclean animals? For, even a scribe is so strict he will make a sefer torah with all kosher ingredients, even the feather he uses to write the torah down on the parchment will be from a kosher bird.
So, we can gather that the people used ingido plants to obtain the blue dye to meet the requirements of YHWH in the desert. However, in today's world, the Temple will soon be built again. For YHWH will raise someone up to destroy the 'Dome of the Rock' and the 'Al Aqsa' Mosque in Jerusalem before the arrival of the Messiah. For according to the prophecy of Malachi, when the Messiah/Moshiach arrives, the Temple will have been built already. Yet many Chasidic sages are deceived by their traditions to think that the Moshiach will build it. For this is what Malachi says:
Malachi 3:1
and the Lord (adon), whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple
Thus when the Temple is built again before the coming of the promised Moshiach, the priests will have to be
doing their service. Thus meaning, in order to fulfill that service they will have to know what blue to use for their
garments and as well as everything else where it is required.
But, the Temple Institute in Jerusalem however, the delightful folks that are preparing for the time when the Temple is built again, are going by the ill-informed sages' comments of the Talmud. These men were never prophets like Moses was. Thus, they will find themselves in grave danger by sinning against YHWH if they do not turn back from this. This article is made mostly for them in mind. I will post any comments they give me on this page.
Thomas Shaler, zealous and humble servant of YHWH and Adonai (the Moshiach according to Malachi).
P.S. Here are some pictures of people farming indigo, to go along with this article:
Indigo plants that are cut in the early morning are placed in outdoor cement tanks. Later, water is added. Heat from the sun initiates fermentation and the release of the dye chemical within 15 hours. The milky fluid is later drained into a lower tank for "beating".
"Beating" the indigo-rich solution (left) for five to six hours introduces oxygen, which causes the chemical to assume its characteristic blue color. The rich blue sediment is placed in the sun to dry. The resulting chalky cakes or (bricks) are eventually sold to weavers. Yarn or fabric dipped into a dye pot turns blue
when exposed to air.
Indigo plants, shown in Cameron Parish, are characterized by pinkish-coppery flowers on short stalks (left) that mature into green banana-like seed pods in late summer (center) when dry pods are brown (right). Indigo plants are common along fencerows between Grand Chenier and Cameron.
Cloth with indigo dye.
