Thank you Oblio, I have read the site you provided, but really didn't see that it gave anything about what inspired them besides rosary beads, so I see that there is no connection what so ever, also the use is not the same as well.
Here is a site that explains where they came from as well as the many places in both the Old and New testaments where referrences to the tzitzit can be found. A woman was once healed by touching those worn by Yeshua
http://www.jewishgates.com/file.asp?File_ID=842
As well this explains a little about the gematria of the knots on the tzitzit:
In Hebrew there are no numbers but each letter has a numerical value. This is called gematria (Jewish numerology). Therefore each word has a numerical value. For example, on each tzitzit (tassel) there were 39 windings (7+8+11+13 separated by double knots). 26 is the numerical value of YHWH. 13 is the numerical value of Echad (one). Therefore these windings on each tzitzit equals the numerical value of the Hebrew words "YHWH Echad" YHVH is One .
[font=Arial,Helvetica] This is the fundamental axiom of the Jewish faith known as the "Shema".
Deut. 6:4[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] In addition we also realize that Jesus suffered the same number of stripes for our healing.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica]
(Isaiah 53:5 and I Pet. 2:24)[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] They were also commanded to "give to them" (the fringes) a blue strand called the "Shamash" or servant. This is the same word as the center candle in the Menorah.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] Each tzitzit have seven white strands, the number of perfection, surrounded by the blue "servant" depicting royalty. It now adds up to eight, the number of new beginnings[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] In addition, if you add 600 which is the value of tzitzit and the 5 knots and 8 strands, they equal 613 that are the number of mitzvahs (commandments or instructions) in the Tanakh (Old Testament). All 613 do not apply to everyone but to the nation, Israel, as a whole. This represents theTorah.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] Today when we see a tallit we rarely see the blue "shamash" in the tzitzit. Most modern talliot have eight white strands. This has to do with tradition and the ancient source of the blue dye.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] In ancient times the only permanent blue dye was available from a the glands of a snail called the hillazon (spelled a variety of ways.) Vegetable dyes would eventually fade. The dye was extracted from the snail through a process that was known by only one family from the time of the Exodus to the destruction of the Second Temple. The cost of obtaining enough dye to create four strands would today cost thousands of dollars. It may be one of the reasons that the tzitzit with the "techelet" (blue dye) were removed from the tallit before it was used to wrap the head of the dead.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] At the death of Y'shua, we are told that the snail disappeared and was thought to be extinct. In addition, the Romans, in order to stamp out the knowledge of Temple service, separated father and sons so that the knowledge of the blue dye would be lost. Later the Muslims killed all who had this knowledge in order to eradicate its use.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] Many men have sought to restore the use of the techelet and have used many items from the ocean, including the ink from a squid, to recreate the dye.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] About ten years ago the chillazon snail reappeared and the process to obtain the blue dye has been re-established. Its use has not been widespread since the cost of a set of tzitziot cost as much as the tallit itself.[/font]
[font=Arial,Helvetica] Think of the implications!
The snail disappears at the death of Y'shua and reappears today with the rest of the signs of His imminent return.[/font]
http://www.shofars.org/tallit.html
