840 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

of a victorious general with ‘a prey of divers colours, of
divers colours of needlework on both sides*.” Mr. Roberts
states, that in India it is still customary to invest a favourite
child with “a coat of many colours,” consisting of crimson,
purple, and other colours, which are often tastefully sewn
together. Dyeing was thus practised from the earliest times .
entire pieces were dyed, as the robe of the ephod was blue,
“ornamented with purple and scarlet,” Exodus xxviii. ;
thread, for the embroiderer, as in Exodus xxxv.; and the
skins of animals, “ rams’ skins dyed red,” ch. xxv.

In all probability the Hebrews employed the same ma-
terials for dyeing as the Egyptians, whose country they had
just quitted ; but some of the colours found on the mummy-
cloths were perhaps a later discovery than the period of
the Exodus; and with these we have nothing to do, as
they are not named in Scripture. The dlue of Egypt, ac-
cording to the best authorities, was formed by indigo, which
valuable dye is obtained from the Indigofera tinctoria, a
small shrub, native of India; and in the ancient paintings
at Thebes, the blue is supposed to be oxide of copper, a
mineral abounding in Egypt: green, yellow, fawn-colour,
pale brick or red, brown, and black, with many varieties

* Pictorial Bible.