912 



SYRIA, OR EGYPTIAN ASIA. 



Sycamore. 



interest is attached to several shrubs of this region, from their 

 being mentioned in the scriptures, and some of these will now 

 be more particularly noticed. The fig-tree {Ficus carica) 

 abounds in Palestine, and the men, who wei'e sent by Moses to 

 spy out the land of Canaan, brought with them figs and pome- 

 granates. What we commonly esteem the fruit of the fig is not, 

 however, the fruit, but a receptacle containing numerous florets ; 

 in order to ripen this more surely the process of caprification is 

 performed, that is, the receptacle is pu..ctui'ed in order to give 

 the male diist a more ready access to the female flowers. In 

 the East this is effected by collecting a little insect from the wild 

 fig, and bringing them to the cultivated tree, where they pierce 

 tne fruits in order to deposit their eggs. Tlie sycamore tree of Scripture {F. sycamorus) is a 

 sort of wild fig, the fruit of which, although quite bitter, was eaten by the Jews. The pome- 

 granate (Punica granalum) is common in Syria and Aleppo, 

 and is often mentioned in the scriptures. There are several 

 sorts, one being sour, and the others, which are eaten at table, 

 sweet. The husks, " which the swine did eat," and with which 

 the prodigal was fain to fill himself, are supposed to be those of 

 the fruit of the carob or locust-tree (Ccratonia siliqua ., a mid- 

 dle-sized tree with the seeds contained in large pods ; these 

 husks are still employed in Palestine for feeding cattle. The 

 locust tree is also called St. John's bread, from an idea that its 

 fruit was the locust spoken of as the food of John the Baptist ; 

 but others think, that the word in that passage means the insect, 

 which is still eaten in the East. The palm-tree of the Bible is 

 the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) , the fruit of which is eaten fresh or dried. Jericho was 

 called the city of palms from the abundance of these trees in its vicinity, and on the Roman 



coins they were emblematic of Judea. At the feast of the ta- 

 bernacles, " goodly palm branches" were used in the erection 

 of the tents, and when our Savior entered Jerusalem, "the 

 people took branches of the palm-tree, and went out to meet 

 him." The Jews in the noi^hern countries still procure them 

 for the Passover, at great expense. The olive (olea) attains to 

 a great size in Palestine, which has always been famed for the 

 excellence and abundance of its oil, and is described in Scrip- 

 ture as "A land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig-trees 

 and pomegranates, a land of oil and honey." The cedar of 

 Lebanon (Pinus cedrus) is remarkable for its stately size, and 

 wide -spreading branches, and the timber was highly esteemed by 

 the Jews (see cut on the opposite page) . The temple and the 

 royal palace were built of wood, and it was used by the Tyrians 

 for masts. The Psalmist calls these trees " the cedars of Ood." 

 They are now rare in Palestine. The terebinth tree (Pisfaclda 

 terebinthus) is often mentioned in Scripture, and is called oak, in our translation. Isaiah threat- 

 ens the idolaters, that they shall be as a terebinth-tree, whose 

 leaves fall off; that is, being an evergreen, when the tree dies. 

 It lives to a great age. The plane-tree (Plaianus orientalis) is 

 abundant in Palestine ; the thorns, with which cur Lord was 

 crowned, were the spiny branches of the Spina Christi ; the 

 balm of Gilead was the produce of the vlmyris GiJcadensis, and 

 the Jl. Opobalsanium^ gum ladanum is yielded by the beautiful Cis- 

 tus ladaniferous^ and galbanum, an ingredient of the incense of 

 the sanctuary, was procured from the Bnhon galbanum. What 

 particular plant is the rose of Sharon or the rose of Jericho, is not 

 decided, but what is commonly called the Jericho rose is the 

 Anastatica hierocpuntica, and no rose at all. I'he grapes of 

 Bay-treu Palestine are not less remarkable for tlieir dimensions, than for the 



Puhn-trcc. 



