I was reading a book a while ago that stated that it is believed that the Tartans of Scotland could have come about from the Twelve Tribes of Israel. They used various colors to identify that they belonged to a certain Tribe. They would carry these ahead of them when they went into battle. There is also a book out that believes that the unaccounted for Tribes of Israel ended up in Scotland. I don't know how much credibility we can accord these various stories, but they do give rise to thought. The Tartans had to start sometime from some concept. Remember Joseph's Coat of Many Colors? Who Knows ????