THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 149 
"25 ch., 29, where Esau sold his birthright. When David fied 
from Absalom (2 Sam. 17 ch., 28), he took for provisions “wheat 
and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, 
and parched pulse.” Then as related in Ezek. 4 ch., 9, lentils 
were an ingredient in making bread. 
- Reed. When Jesus spoke of John and asked (Matt. 11 ch., 
7), “What went ye out to see, a reed shaken in the wind,” he 
was referring to Arundo donaz, the reed of Egypt and Palestine, 
and the same plant was put in the Saviour’s hand (Matt. 27 ch., 
29-30). 
Bulrush—Rush. This is the Egyptian Papyrus (Cyperus 
papyrus), (Exod. 2 ch., 3; Isa. 35 ch., 7). Again in Job 8 ch., 
11, “Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow 
without water?” we have an accurate account of the natural 
habit of the plant. 
Flax. (Linum sativum). This very important fibre plant 
was largely grown in Egypt and Palestine for making linen. 
The stalks being dried in the sun on the house top were used 
to conceal Joshua’s spies when at Jericho (Josh. 2 ch., 6). “The 
smoking’ flax shall he not quench” (Isa. 42 ch., 3 and Matt. 12 
ch., 20), refer to the use of flax fibre for lamp wick. Linen 
was used very extensively in Egypt for wrapping mummies 
and in Palestine we have particular mention of it in making 
the garments of the Chief Priest. 
That flax was well known in Samson’s time is evidenced by 
the reference (Judg. 15 ch., 14) when the men of Judah bound 
him with new cords, which “became as flax that is burnt with 
fire’ so that he broke them easily. In the description of the 
virtuous woman (Proy. 31 ch., 13, 24), “She seeketh wool and 
flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.” . . . . “She maketh 
fine linen and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the mer- 
chant.” 
In prophesying the confusion of Egypt, Isaiah 19 ch., 9, says 
“Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave net- 
works” (or white works), “shall be confounded.” There are 
numerous references to linen in clothing and other articles, in 
Exod., Levit., Deut., and Chron. Samuel “ministered before 
the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod” (1 Sam. 2 ch., 
18). The ephod was a short cloak divided into two parts joined 
at the shoulders. When the ark was brought into the city, 
David “girded with a linen ephod” danced before it and thereby 
earned the contempt of Michal, Saul’s daughter, who watched 
him through a window. Solomon imported linen yarn from 
