Archaeologists have discovered a potential biblical artifact in a cave in the Judean Desert, shedding light on a practice that dates back more than 3,800 years.

A team of researchers working in the Nahal Hemal (Cave of the Skulls) cave in the Judean Desert discovered a unique red-dyed textile that was made out of some pretty strange materials. according to The analysis showed with “high confidence” that the dye was Kermes Vermiglio, It comes from an insect that feeds on oak trees.

The dye is extracted by drying the female insect's body and crushing it into a powder. according to It's on display at the North Carolina Museum of Art. This is one of the oldest methods of making red cloth, and the fact that it has survived for about 3,800 years is impressive.

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The Bible mentions the kermes as the “scarlet worm” about 25 times, according to the Jewish Press. Reports.

“In ancient times, the dye was made from female scale insects that live on the kermes oak (Quercus coccifera),” Dr Naama Sukenik, curator of organic collections at the Israel Antiquities Authority, told the outlet. “The collection of these kermes took place over a very short period of time, one month out of the year, in the summer, after the females laid their eggs and before the eggs hatched. This is when the amount of dye was greatest.”

Kermes is very difficult to find because it can only be harvested for a short period of time and its small size (about 3 to 8 millimeters) makes it very popular because it can only produce small amounts of dye, he suggested. (Related article: Researchers claim to have deciphered ancient stone tablets that confirm biblical stories)

This study revealed overlaps between the archaeological and biblical records.