Ptil Tekhelet

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I’ve gotten mixed answers to how long after the death of the murex it takes for the dye to start to lose its effectiveness.
I’ve gotten mixed answers to how long after the death of the murex it takes for the dye to start to lose its effectiveness. 150 150 rhecht

It starts within minutes. We did a test where we looked at the dye in 15 minute intervals after removing the glands. All along the way one sees a degradation in dye making capacity, and after an hour it is impossible to produce dye. – Mois Navon

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Why do we assume tekhelet came from this snail opposed to the other dye producing snails?
Why do we assume tekhelet came from this snail opposed to the other dye producing snails? 150 150 rhecht

There are only 3 dye producing snails in the Mediterranean: Murex trunculus, Murex brandaris (almost identical to trunculus), and Thaïs haemastoma (a distant relative). Technically speaking one can produce blues and purples from any of them and it seems that they are all “kosher” for tekhelet production. One piece of evidence which points in the direction of different snails being used…

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I recently was discussing murex specimens with my friend, and he mentioned the existence of blue murex shells. I know that pink shells are common; how common are blue or green shells? Is the murex always covered with growth that resembles the sand of the sea bed? From what I remember of the snorkling tour I took thirteen years ago, the shells I saw were a green-yellow that resembled the sand beneath them.
I recently was discussing murex specimens with my friend, and he mentioned the existence of blue murex shells. I know that pink shells are common; how common are blue or green shells? Is the murex always covered with growth that resembles the sand of the sea bed? From what I remember of the snorkling tour I took thirteen years ago, the shells I saw were a green-yellow that resembled the sand beneath them. 150 150 rhecht

The shells, when dried and cleaned are neither pink, blue or green – they are “sandy” colored, with brown stripes. When they are in the sea, whatever grows along the sea floor, grows on them. The snails in Dor are covered in algae which ranges in colors like beige, green and purple. – Mois Navon

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The Yerushalmi (p. 8a, ch.1 halacha 3) says that the hillazon has bones. The Murex doesn’t have bones, so how do you explain this?
The Yerushalmi (p. 8a, ch.1 halacha 3) says that the hillazon has bones. The Murex doesn’t have bones, so how do you explain this? 150 150 rhecht

The Yerushalmi says that anything without “gidim ve’atzamot” (sinews and bones) cannot live more than 6 months. Now since we know that the Murex trunculus lives for over 7 years this must mean that it has “gidim ve’atzamot” – so presumably the shell which is like it’s skeleton was considered by the Yerushalmi to be…

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Where do you buy the wool? Where is the chilazon from?
Where do you buy the wool? Where is the chilazon from? 150 150 rhecht

For our regular tzitziot we use a company called Vitalgo in Italy; for our niputz lishma tzitiziot we use a company called Summit in Israel. The hillazon lives in the entire Mediterranean sea; it turns out the State of Israel does not allow crustaceans to be fished off its coast and so we get our…

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I was wondering about the three archaeological finds you cite as proof that trunculus was used in ancient times to make blue dye. How can a chemical test prove that they are really dyed from trunculus as opposed to from another – as of now unknown (nignaz, perhaps?) – chilazon?
I was wondering about the three archaeological finds you cite as proof that trunculus was used in ancient times to make blue dye. How can a chemical test prove that they are really dyed from trunculus as opposed to from another – as of now unknown (nignaz, perhaps?) – chilazon? 150 150 rhecht

The dye that comes from murex sea-snails contains three major components, indigo – which is blue – along with monobromoindigo and dibromoindigo – compounds based on the fundamental indigo molecule with one or two bromine atoms respectively. Those brominated indigo molecules have colors which are shades of purple. The mix of the three taken together…

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I have read extensively the writings of ancient historians regarding dying with Murex. They describe in fantastic detail the Royal Tyrian Purple that it produced. The fact that it also produced an indigo dye is mentioned virtually nowhere. (An ambiguous and subtle indication of this in Vitruvius is about all you’ll find.) Why is this so?”
I have read extensively the writings of ancient historians regarding dying with Murex. They describe in fantastic detail the Royal Tyrian Purple that it produced. The fact that it also produced an indigo dye is mentioned virtually nowhere. (An ambiguous and subtle indication of this in Vitruvius is about all you’ll find.) Why is this so?” 150 150 rhecht

R. Tavger explains that in ancient times “purple” referred to all the colors (blues and purples) that come from the snail, and it is only in more modern times when people made a point of differentiating in their speech when talking about the product in general.

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