PLANTS IN SCRIPTURE 145 



Symphorianus x in his description of the exotic myrtle, 

 makes it folio dens'issimo senis in ordinem versibus. The 

 paschal lamb was to be eaten with bitterness or bitter 

 herbs, not particularly set down in Scripture : but the 

 Jewish writers declare, that they made use of succory, 

 and wild lettuce, which herbs while some conceive 

 they could not get down, as being very bitter, rough, 

 and prickly, they may consider that the time of the 

 passover was in the spring, when these herbs are young 

 and tender, and consequently less unpleasant : besides, 

 according to the Jewish custom, these herbs were dipped 

 in the charoseth, or sauce made of raisins stamped with 

 vinegar, and were also eaten with bread ; and they had 

 four cups of wine allowed unto them ; and it was 

 sufficient to take but a pittance of herbs, or the quantity 

 of an olive. 



48. The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man 

 which sowed good seed in his field, but while men 

 slept, his enemy came and sowed " tares," or as the 

 Greek, zizania, "among the wheat." 



Now, how to render zizania, and to what species of 

 plants to confine it, there is no slender doubt ; for the 



1 D: Hortu. 



