We may have slightly exceeded the Biblical mollusk list, in that Lydia may
have been dealing with plant-derived purple rather than muricids.  However,
other references to purple (especially older ones) are almost certainly
muricid-derived.  Also, I've seen speculation that one of the kinds of
cloth used in building the Tabernacle could have been the golden cloth made
from Pinna byssal threads.  Although the correct translation is unknown, so
anything is possible, this does not sound likely.
 
Art is partly right in that the Biblical trumpets were rams' horns (not
planorbids:), but other Mediterranean people used shell trumpets.  Neptune
and Triton are traditionally associated with them, for example.
 
Shells have been popular for ornamental purposes since prehistory, so there
are a lot of references to their cerimonial use in the religions of various
peoples.  I especially enjoyed finding a Mesoamerican legend about a
dastardly ruler who, on top of other evil deeds, deprived the people of
shells.  With the help of the gods, he was overthrown.  Served him right!
 
Gary Rosenberg's Encyclopedia of Seashells has a section on religious roles
of mollusks.  As might be expected, coastal people frequently gave them an
important role.
 
David Campbell
 
"Old Seashells"
 
Department of Geological Sciences
CB 3315 Mitchell Hall
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC 27599-3315
USA
 
919-962-0685
FAX 919-966-4519
 
"He had discovered an unknown bivalve, forming a new genus"-E. A. Poe, The
Gold Bug