140 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST, 
leaves, an incumbrance only fit for being rooted out (Luke 13 ch., 
6-7). In this it was a type of “the boastful pharisaism”’ which 
was so obnoxious to our Lord and “so He made it present the fur- 
ther type of the hypocrites’ doom, the Pharisee’s judgment and 
Jerusalem’s desolation.” Isaiah (Isa. 28 ch., 4) refers to this 
early fig crop thus, “And the glorious beauty, shall be a fading 
flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which, when 
he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth; 
it up.” 
The use of the fruit as a plaister for the boil from which 
Hezekiah was suffering, is related in Isa. 38 ch., 21, while in the: 
same book (34 ch., 4), the falling fig is one of the signs of judg-- 
ment, as also in Rey. 6 ch., 13; Hos. 9 ch., 10; Nahum 3 ch., 12. 
“In Jer. 24 ch., 2, et seq., and 29 ch., 17, powerful illustration 
of the prophesy of renovation of Israel is brought out by com- 
parison of good and bad figs. The parable of the figs and 
thistles (Matt. 7 ch., 16), and the remarks in James 3 ch., 12,. 
in a similar strain, point an impressive moral. Finally in 
Judges 9 ch., 10, the fig-tree in the parable is amongst those- 
which decline to be made ruler of the trees. 
Fir-tree. There is some difference of opinion amongst 
commentators as to the identity of the tree which in Hebrew is 
termed berosh or beroth. Earlier authorities translated these as 
cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) which is not a native of Pales-- 
tine, but more recent students consider that it is really the 
Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) which belongs to Palestine and 
grows freely on Lebanon along with the cedar. The tree is 
constantly associated with the cypress because of its being like: 
the latter, a fine tree. It was largely supplied to Solomon by: 
Hiram for use in building the temple, the floors, ceilings and’ 
doors being made of its timber. Speaking of the glory of As- 
syria, Ezekiel (31 ch., 8), says “The cedars in the garden of 
God could not hide him, the fir-trees were not like his boughs.””’ 
In a_ blasphemous message sent to Hezekiah, Sennacherib. 
boasts:—“With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to: 
the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will’ 
cut down the tall cedar-trees thereof, and the choice fir-trees. 
thereof” ( 2 Kings. 19 ch.,23; Isa. 37 ch., 24). 
Musical instruments on which David and all the house of” 
Israel played, were constructed of fir. The timber was also used! 
for the rafters of houses (Song Sol. 1 ch., 17). In connection: 
with the renovation of the earth foretold by Isaiah (Isa. 41 ch.,. 
19), “TI will set in the desert the fir-tree” and (Isa. 55 ch., 13),, 
