Historical Data
Saffron has been cultivated in Asia Minor for 3,000 years, not just as a dye plant, but rather primarily for use as a spice and in medicines and perfumes. Saffron was cultivated in the Mediterranean region and in parts of Europe. It was mentioned that the foreign name saffron is derived from an Arabic word zaffran. Saffron is an ancient dye as it was known and cultivated for dyeing in ancient periods. Pliny mentioned that it was used in Ancient Palestine in dyeing of textiles. It has been identified in textile from the Bar Kochbah findings in the Judean Desert. However saffron according to Forbes was not produced in ancient Palestine but was grown in neighboring Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Saffron is mentioned frequently in Greek and Roman literature as well as in the Biblical Songs of Solomon. It was the principal yellow dyestuff used by Greeks and Romans.
