THE CEDAR OF LEBANON 149 
shroud,” referring to the thick leaf canopy, and as 
a tree ‘of high stature and among thick boughs ” 
in allusion to the lateral growth of its topmost boughs 
and its flat, or so-called to-day in a less polished 
lingo, clump-headed appearance, caused by the bend- 
ing down of its topmost shoots. Again, “ that his 
boughs were multiplied, and his branches became 
long,” are points to which in other language modern 
botanists have pertinently and constantly called our 
attention at later times. 
The name, and what it stands for, are associated 
with many scenes from Bible lands, and recall the 
building of the Temple of Solomon, where “ all was 
cedar, there was no stone seen.’”’ The Cedar was 
the greatest, and the Hyssop on the wall the lowliest, 
type of plant life. An old Christmas carol quaintly 
alludes to the two extreme positions they were 
estimated at in the vegetable kingdom in illustration 
of the humble and lowly birth of our Lord : 
The Cedar of Lebanon, 
Plant of renown, ~ 
Has bowed to the Hyssop 
His wide-spreading crown. 
The Hebrew word erez, which was equally applied 
to Larch and Cedar, implied “ firmly rooted,” a 
“ strong tree.” Without wishing to detract from its 
character of mightiness, in all fairness it must be 
said that in its native land it had not formidable 
competition to wrest such fame from. The scenes 
of its triumphs were otherwise treeless regions, com- 
posed of such arboricultural representatives as stunted 
Scrub Oak, Palm, and gnarled Olive trees. The ages 
of the Cedars of the Bsherreh Grove at the head of 
the Kedisha Valley, and other groves in these regions 
that are still extant on the seaward slopes of the 
Syrian Highlands, have been surrounded with every 
