Suzanne Rogers<\/b><\/p>\n
What is the First Specific Mention of a Plant in the Bible?<\/b><\/p>\n
There is an oblique reference to bdellium (bedolach<\/i>) in Genesis 2:12. The word is used once more in Numbers 11:7 where manna is described as having the same color as bdellium. Its use and source is not clear although it appears to have been a resinous gum of an eastern shrub that was used for aromatic purposes.<\/p>\n
The first certain reference to a plant in the Bible that of the fig tree (teenah<\/i>) in Gensis 3:7. There are at least 60 more references in the Bible to the fig tree. This beautiful tree, with its spreading branches that provide ample shade (Jn 1:48, 50) is still ubiquitous in the Near East and its sweet fruit is a favorite of those who live there. The prevalence of the tree in the Bible suggests that the tree\u2019s fruit was also popular in ancient times. It was to the fig tree that Jesus went to get a snack on his way to Jerusalem (Mt 21:18, 19; Mk 11:12. 13).<\/p>\n
What Other Plants from the Pre-Flood World are Specifically Mentioned in the Bible?<\/b><\/p>\n
Gopher wood (gopher<\/i>) is the only other direct reference to a plant before the Flood. Mentioned once (Gn 6:14), God commanded Noah to build the Ark out of gopher wood. While this wood\u2019s exact nature and modern name is unknown, there have been suggestions it may have been acacia, pine, cedar, cypress, ebony, juniper, deal or fir, wicker and even bulrushes covered in pitch. It has even been suggested that gopher wood was not a species of wood, but a special kind of wood preparation. Most scholars, however, would argue that the cypress, or a variant of that tree, was the gopher wood mentioned in Genesis. For a more detailed discussion of gopher wood, see the discussion at www.christian answers.net\/.<\/p>\n
Bdellium. In Hebefw, \u201cbedolach.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 14:4 (Fall 2001) p. 124<\/p>\n
What was Special About the Trees in the Garden of Eden?<\/b><\/p>\n
The Bible reports the trees of the garden \u201cwere pleasing to the eye and good for food\u201d (Gn 2:9). Common food bearing trees known to the ancient Near Eastern world include the fig, olive, date, pomegranate, almond, carob, mulberry, pistachio and apple. Thus, these may have been among the trees in the Garden. The Tree of Life (Gn 3:6) was also pleasing to the eye and good for food. Although popularly depicted as an apple tree, the exact nature of the Tree of Life\u2019s fruit is not known.<\/p>\n
What Were the Different Types of Plants in the Pre-Flood World?<\/b><\/p>\n
The book of Genesis mentions four different types of plants in the Garden of Eden\u2014grasses (1:11\u201313; 2:5). herbs (1:11\u201313, 29, 30; 2:5; 3:17, 18), fruit tress (1:11\u201313, 2; 2:9, 16; 3:2), and following the Fall, thorns and thistles (3:17). By command of God, each was cared for (or tamed) by Adam and Eve (Gn 2:15). The antediluvian, Cain, also worked the soil, an apparent reference to his being a fanner (Gn 4:2), and Noah planted a vineyard following the Flood (Gn 9:20).<\/p>\n
Interesting Details About Plants Mentioned in the Bible<\/b><\/p>\n
The lily (shushan<\/i>) is referred to 19 times in the Bible making it the Bible\u2019s most mentioned plant. Lilies were raised in gardens as well as grown wild. The image of the lily was incorporated into the capitals of Solomon\u2019s Temple (1 Kgs 7:19). The names Susan and Suzanne come from the Hebrew for lily.<\/p>\n
Cedars (erez<\/i>) are mentioned in Bible over 70 times. The most famous are the Cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani<\/i>) grown on that country\u2019s mountains. While few cedars in Lebanon survived in Lebanon, those that have are protected in special groves. Today, some of those cedars are believed to be over 1, 000 years old. Growing up to 120 feet high, cedars can have a girth of 30 to 40 feet. Cedars were used in the construction of David\u2019s palace (1 Sm 7), Solomon\u2019s palace and temple (1 Kgs 5).<\/p>\n
Although onions (basal<\/i>) are frequently referred to in extra-Biblical literature, they are only once in Bible (Nm 11:5). Probably a type of scallion, they apparently had a sweet flavor and undoubtedly eaten raw, boiled, roasted, or made into soup. The Bible implies the Israelites learned to enjoy onions during their sojourn in Egypt. During the time of the OT, onions, also known as \u201cscallions.\u201d were grown along the Mediterranean coast near the city of Ashkelon from which it is surmised the name \u201cscallion\u201d originated.<\/p>\n
There are at least 12 references in the Bible to the palm (tamar<\/i>), a term which undoubtedly refers to the date palm. A sweetener used in the Biblical world, dates are usually eaten dried. However, dates could also be used to make wine and honey. Because date palms were ubiquitous in the Holy Land, but not specifically listed in Deuteronomy 8:8 as one of the fruits the Israelites would find when they entered the Promised Land, many Bible scholars believe the \u201choney\u201d referred to in Deuteronomy 8:8 was not bee honey, but date honey.<\/p>\n
Date Palm.<\/b> In Hebrew, \u201ctamar.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Further Reading:<\/b><\/p>\n
Walker, W.<\/b><\/p>\n
1979 All the Plants of the Bible. Garden City NY: Doubleday.<\/p>\n
Zohary, M.<\/b><\/p>\n
1982 Plants of the Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Suzanne Rogers What is the First Specific Mention of a Plant in the Bible? There is an oblique reference to bdellium (bedolach) in Genesis 2:12. The word is used once more in Numbers 11:7 where manna is described as having the same color as bdellium. Its use and source is not clear although it appears … Continue reading “FOR
\nYOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS:
\nINTERESTING DETAILS ABOUT PLANTS IN THE BIBLE”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15336\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}