The dyer's craft is compared in three countries of Eastern Mediterranea: Nubia, Palestine and Egypt, by analyzing textiles which are mostly dated between 0 and 600 A.D. The metallic mordants are determined by x-ray fluorescence, the dyes by thin-layer chromatography, UVV and IR spectroscopy. Local plants seem to have been used in Nubia: a red dye is much like madder but with a higher content in purpurin, a bixin containing dyestuff is found in some yellow samples. Tannins are more often found in Nubian and Hebrew textiles than in the Coptic ones and the same holds true for iron. Coptic textiles are characterized by the frequent presence of zinc, the use of luteolin for the yellow dyeings and by a beautiful red dye often mordanted with tin which is much more like a cochineal than like Kermes.