158 THORN. 



Saviour, in order that to the mockery of such a crown might 

 be added the pain of its double thorn. The rhamnus also 

 grows freely in the country ; and this has by some been sup 

 posed to be the bush furnishing the thorn : whence its name, 

 Spina Christ L 



The lijcium has piercing, stinging thorns, tnough the appear 

 ance of the plant is pleasant. This also is a native of Pales 

 tine. 



The solamun spinosum, or mad apple, is supposed to be the 

 thorn of Prov. xv. 19 : &quot; The way of the slothful man is as a 

 hedge of thorns.&quot; The cactus ficus Indica, or enormous prickly 

 pear of Syria, which at present forms the hedges of the country, 

 has been supposed by some to have formed the &quot; hedge of thorns.&quot; 

 But the chief argument against this supposition is that after the 

 discovery of America, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch traders 

 introduced this cactus into the East, for the purpose of raising 

 the cochineal-insect. The plant, finding a suitable soil and 

 climate, has become so general that it has been by some sup 

 posed to be indigenous. Ursini, in his Arboretum Biblicum, 

 so far back as 1699, gives a tolerably correct picture of this 

 cactus and supposes it was a thorn of Scripture. From this 

 source, and from the present luxuriant growth of this thorn, 

 have arisen some mistakes of travellers and even of commen 

 tators. The solanum spinosum (in the Hebrew cliedelt) is sup 

 posed to be the thorn of Micah vii. 4. 



Hasselquist found encumbering the ground everywhere the 

 beautiful thorn called the ononis sjnnosa, or rest-harrow, the 

 latter name given it from the matted state in which its roots 



