▁by ▁the ▁m ure x , ▁har v ested ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Pho en icia . ▁The ▁extra ction ▁and ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁this ▁d ye ▁were ▁labor - int ensive ▁and ▁thus ▁quite ▁cost ly . ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁royal ▁gar ments ▁in ▁many ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁region , ▁and ▁in ▁Israel ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁priest ly ▁gar ments ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁cloth ▁furn ish ings ▁of ▁the ▁Tab ern acle . ▁Alter ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁ind igo ▁tw ist ▁indicated ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁Israel ▁should ▁become ▁( in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁) ▁a ▁“ king dom ▁of ▁pri ests ▁and ▁a ▁holy ▁nation ” ▁and ▁perhaps ▁also ▁that , ▁as ▁the ▁c oven anted ▁people , ▁met ap hor ically ▁God ' s ▁first born , ▁the ▁nation ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁had ▁royal ▁status . ▁ ▁Mos he ▁Green berg ▁of ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁University ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁wrote ▁that ▁one ▁may ▁see ▁the ▁entire ▁Ex od us ▁story ▁as ▁“ the ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁fier y ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁the ▁divine ▁presence .” ▁Similarly , ▁Professor ▁William ▁Pro pp ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁San ▁Diego , ▁identified ▁fire ▁( , ▁es h ) ▁as ▁the ▁medium ▁in ▁which ▁God ▁appears ▁on ▁the ▁terrest rial ▁plane ▁— ▁in ▁the ▁Burn ing ▁Bush ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁cloud ▁pill ar ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁at op ▁Mount ▁S ina i ▁in ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁and ▁upon ▁the ▁Tab ern acle ▁in ▁▁ ▁Professor ▁Ever ett