Biblical Context: Sea Silk
DB Ryen
This sea silk was light, warm, and strong, with a golden color that was said to never fade. It was very costly among ancient Mediterranean civilizations and therefore was worn only by the wealthy.
Length: Very short, 182 words
Now the Pharisees, who loved money, were listening to this and mocking him. So he told them, “You justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts, because the lofty among men is an abomination to God. There was a rich man that dressed in purple and sea silk, happily living every day in luxury...”
— The Story of Jesus 23.5
[adapted from Lk 16:14-15,19]
Pinna nobilis is a type of pen shell, a large saltwater clam, that lives in the Mediterranean Sea. These bivalve creatures produce shells up to a meter (3 feet) long and attach themselves to submerged rocks using strong filaments. These filaments, called byssus or Egyptian flax, are exceptionally fine and can be woven into exquisite silk. This sea silk was light, warm, and strong, with a golden color that was said to never fade. It was very costly among ancient Mediterranean civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and therefore was worn only by the wealthy. Byssus was woven into clothing up until the 20th century, when Pinna nobilis became threatened with extinction from over-harvesting.
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Purple dye was only affordable to royalty and the ultra-wealthy. Scarlet dye was similarly a marker of wealth and prestige. Prior to his crucifixion, which color did Jesus wear?
Moses’ Law dictated that a tenth of all income was holy and dedicated to God, to be given as an act of worship.
