Video from Parable - Religious History Documentaries
"Why is a debate about a colour so intensely important to some Orthodox Jews? How did the recipe for the true Royal Blue become lost? Welcome to part one of Simcha's journey into the mystery of the Hillazon and Royal Blue, Tekhelet. Why did Tekhelet disappear and why is it connected to the end of the world?" from video introduction.
"Tekhelet, the ancient biblical blue dye which adorned the robes of kings, priests, and simple Jews, was lost to the world nearly 1300 years ago. Recent advances in the fields of archeology, marine biology and chemistry in conjunction with intense examination of historical and talmudic sources have identified the source of the dye as the snail Murex trunculus. The mitsva (Commandment) to wear a thread of tekhelet is once again being fulfilled by Jews. This article recounts the rediscovery of tekhelet and examines the meaning of the mitsva of tekhelet in tsitsit (ritual fringes), its purpose and significance, according to various commentators and scholars." from the article: The Meaning of Tekhelet