138 CHE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
ferred that the tree did not grow in Egypt, and that it eon- 
tinued to fruit in Canaan, in spite of the famine. As a symbol 
of the quick approach of death, from its connection with the 
idea of “hastening” already referred to, the almond is jntro- 
duced in Heel. 12 ch., 5, in the description of the coming of 
adversity. 
In the ornamental work of the tabernacle (Exod. 25 checss 
34; 37 ch., 19-20), the golden bowls of the candlesticks are 
modelled on almonds. 
Apple—Citron—Apricot. There has been a good deal of 
difference of opinion regarding the meaning of the Hebrew word 
“tappuak” occurring in several places (Song. Sol. 2 ch., 5; 7 ch., 
8; 8 ch., 5; and in Prov. 25 ch., 11) the latter being—“A word 
_ fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” In all 
of these texts it is rendered “apple” or “apple tree” in both 
Auth. and Revd. Versions. From the nature of the references it 
is plain that a flourishing tree with grateful golden fruit is 
meant, and as the apple does not thrive in Palestine, some other 
fruit is indicated. Canon Tristram suggests the apricot (Armen- 
taca vulgaris) which grows freely in Palestine, but later com- 
mentators challenge this conclusion and suggest the citron, while 
one suggestion is the quince. 
Theophrastus describes the citron as growing in Media three 
centuries before Christ. 
In Lev. 23 ch., 40, the Hebrew etz hador is rendered “boughs 
of goodly trees” and it has been suggested that this should be 
“Doughs of citron trees.” Josephus in his “Antiquities of the 
Jews,” tells us that “the law of the Jews required that at the 
feast of tabernacles every one should have branches of palm 
tree and citron tree,’ and I understand that this is still a rule 
in the faith of that ancient race. 
Whether the other references cited should be considered as 
citron or as apricot, is perhaps open to doubt. The preponder- 
ance of evidence'seems to favour the citron, seeing that it had a 
historical and ritual standing with the Jews, prior to the writing 
of the books mentioned, and so was quite likely to be .used in 
allegory. 
Bay. The well known passage (Psa. 37, v., 35), “I have 
seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a 
green bay tree,’ may refer to the sweet bay (Laurus nobilis), 
a native of, Palestine, but Dr. Rendle suggests that as the same 
word “ezrah” is elsewhere translated “native,” as opposed to a 
stranger, the reference may be to any tree flourishing in its 
native soil. 
