It’s an
ASSUMPTION
that twill was not used earlier.
Twill is not that complicated. Certainly 4 harnesses would easily do it.
IF we had 99% confidence that we
HAD DISCOVERED 99% of ALL the weavings of that area of the first 1-3 centuries . . .
THEN you might have a point.
Shoot. It’s quite conceivable that a wealthy person—as was involved in Christ’s burial—MIGH WELL HAVE had a single very rare, for that era, twill fabric from any number of other regions of the world reserved for his own burial—and given to Christ out of reverence and respect.
The Romans had silks from China, after all.
IF the Celts were using this pattern centuries earlier, then Joseph of Arimathea could have easily come by it during his trips to his Glastonbury tin mines in Britain...and could afford it.