Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2013 15:43:42 GMT
It is with a garden that the Bible begins....
HERBS OF THE BIBLE
In the Bible
the importance of plants were mention in numerous scriptures. Vegetables
such as: onions, cucumbers and beans. Fruit and nut trees such as:
walnut, apricot, black mulberry and almonds. Ornamental trees such as:
willow, oleander, popular, cypress, cedar, pine, tamarix, acacia and
many, many more, and uses of
herbaceous plants.
in case you are interested starting your own bible
garden. Most of the following plants are the real thing but as always
there is question and much debate among scholars.
People who lived in Jesus' time were wonderful
herbalists. Many herbal plants are mentioned in the bible. They used the
herbs not only for food, but to flavor food and also for medicinal
purposes. They did not visit the doctor around the corner or the
hospital.
We know that biblical people set aside plots specifically for herbs: Kings 21:2
We can start with Adam and Eve. On day three of
creation, we read about the earth bringing forth herbs. Genesis 1:11-12
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Here we read that the Lord says for the earth to bring
forth herbs. The garden is such that nothing needs to be planted because
the Lord has already set everything in motion. On day six, God creates
Adam and Eve and brings them into the garden. The Lord tells Adam that
He has given him every green herb for meat. All Adam has to do is walk
through the garden and pick some herbs and eat. Adam and Eve have it
made in the garden, but it will not last long. In Genesis 3:1-7 we can
read about the temptation and fall.
Hyssop:
The medicinal use of Hyssop can be found in John 19:29.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge
with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and
he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Today we know it has mild germ
killing properties. A poultice of hyssop is said to help heal wounds
and bruises. Teas have been used historically to treat fever, colds,
indigestion and asthma and was most likely used for this back then. In
Medieval monastery gardens all contained hyssop, which was believed to
ward off the evil eye.
Lavender
As an herb, lavender has been documented in use for over
2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and
perfume by the Egyptians and peoples of Arabia. The Greeks and the
Romans bathed in lavender scented water and it was from the Latin word
"lavo" meaning "to wash" that the herb took it's name.
Lavender is
often mentioned in the Bible, not by the name lavender but rather by the
name used at that time, spikenard. In the gospel of Luke the writer
reports: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,
and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and
the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
Another ancient
Christian reference to lavender involves how it got its scent. The
plant is believed to have been taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and
Eve. However, the powerful perfume came later. According to legend the
clothing of baby Jesus when laid upon a bush to dry by Mother Mary
bestowed the scent. This may explain why the plant is also regarded as a
holy safeguard against evil. In many Christian houses a cross of
lavender was hung over the door for protection....
Rosemary
Has a pine-y
aroma and dark green needle-like leaves, very rarely returning after our
long wet springs. For centuries people thought that rosemary plants
would grow no higher than 6 feet in 33 years so as not to stand taller
than Christ. Another Story tells that the flowers were all originally
white but changed to blue when the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on a bush
while fleeing from Herod’s soldiers with the Christ child.
In
medieval times it was burned to cleanse the altar. And was added to love
sachets or place under the bed and above the door to protect from harm.
Besides the historic uses, rosemary is best known for remembrance and
friendship. At one time rosemary was in every wedding, and at funerals
mourners tossed fresh sprigs into the grave as a sign that the dearly
departed would not be forgotten. Even today rosemary signifies love,
friendship and remembrance. ....
BITTER HERBS
Bitter Herbs are often mentioned in the
Bible with sharp tasting bitter leaves. Considering the quality of their
food, these digestive aids were probably very necessary for good
intestinal bacteria and health. It is thought, by the scholars of the
Bible, that many herbs were used in this manner, including dandelion,
sorrel, hawkweed, sow-thistle, wild lettuce, mint, wormwood and chicory,
which grow abundantly in the peninsula of Sinai, in Palestine and in
Egypt.
Ex 12:8 The Israelites were commanded to eat the Paschal lamb "with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs".
Mint (Mentha species)
Mint was well known as being
used for flavoring food as it still is today. Some bible experts say
mint was among the "bitter herbs" mentioned. Mint was valued for its
fresh aroma and sweet taste and often used to flavor meat. Also an
important “strewing” herb, mint stems were hung in doorways and thrown
on dirt floors to mask the effects of inadequate sanitation. Scholars
disagree on which mint was actually the mint of the Bible. There were
probably many mints then, as there are today. It freely crosses
pollenates and produces great differences.
Luke 11:42 “But woe unto
you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and
pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and
not to leave the other undone” . .....
Wormwood (Artemesia absinthum)
Moth repellent and
excellent dried foliage used in herbal wreaths. A very lovely, silvery
shrubby perennial that can be used in a shrub border. Once used to
flavor alcohol; that use is now banned. The active ingredient, can lead
to serious mental disorders if taken internally; do not, under any
terms, use this herb internally!
Wormwood is frequently mentioned in
Scripture, always for its bitterness, sorrow and suffering. According to
legend, wormwood grew up in the trail left by the serpent’s tail as it
slithered out of the Garden of Eden.
Jeremiah 9:13-15 And the LORD
says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them... but
have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after [other
gods]... Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I am
feeding this people with wormwood, and giving them poisonous water to
drink.”
Revelation 8:11
In John’s vision of the end of the world,
a star fell from heaven. “The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of
the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was
made bitter.”
An interesting look at herbs, most of which are still in use today....
In the Bible
the importance of plants were mention in numerous scriptures. Vegetables
such as: onions, cucumbers and beans. Fruit and nut trees such as:
walnut, apricot, black mulberry and almonds. Ornamental trees such as:
willow, oleander, popular, cypress, cedar, pine, tamarix, acacia and
many, many more, and uses of
herbaceous plants.
in case you are interested starting your own bible
garden. Most of the following plants are the real thing but as always
there is question and much debate among scholars.
People who lived in Jesus' time were wonderful
herbalists. Many herbal plants are mentioned in the bible. They used the
herbs not only for food, but to flavor food and also for medicinal
purposes. They did not visit the doctor around the corner or the
hospital.
We know that biblical people set aside plots specifically for herbs: Kings 21:2
We can start with Adam and Eve. On day three of
creation, we read about the earth bringing forth herbs. Genesis 1:11-12
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Here we read that the Lord says for the earth to bring
forth herbs. The garden is such that nothing needs to be planted because
the Lord has already set everything in motion. On day six, God creates
Adam and Eve and brings them into the garden. The Lord tells Adam that
He has given him every green herb for meat. All Adam has to do is walk
through the garden and pick some herbs and eat. Adam and Eve have it
made in the garden, but it will not last long. In Genesis 3:1-7 we can
read about the temptation and fall.
Hyssop:
The medicinal use of Hyssop can be found in John 19:29.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge
with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and
he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Today we know it has mild germ
killing properties. A poultice of hyssop is said to help heal wounds
and bruises. Teas have been used historically to treat fever, colds,
indigestion and asthma and was most likely used for this back then. In
Medieval monastery gardens all contained hyssop, which was believed to
ward off the evil eye.
Lavender
As an herb, lavender has been documented in use for over
2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and
perfume by the Egyptians and peoples of Arabia. The Greeks and the
Romans bathed in lavender scented water and it was from the Latin word
"lavo" meaning "to wash" that the herb took it's name.
Lavender is
often mentioned in the Bible, not by the name lavender but rather by the
name used at that time, spikenard. In the gospel of Luke the writer
reports: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,
and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and
the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
Another ancient
Christian reference to lavender involves how it got its scent. The
plant is believed to have been taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and
Eve. However, the powerful perfume came later. According to legend the
clothing of baby Jesus when laid upon a bush to dry by Mother Mary
bestowed the scent. This may explain why the plant is also regarded as a
holy safeguard against evil. In many Christian houses a cross of
lavender was hung over the door for protection....
Rosemary
Has a pine-y
aroma and dark green needle-like leaves, very rarely returning after our
long wet springs. For centuries people thought that rosemary plants
would grow no higher than 6 feet in 33 years so as not to stand taller
than Christ. Another Story tells that the flowers were all originally
white but changed to blue when the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on a bush
while fleeing from Herod’s soldiers with the Christ child.
In
medieval times it was burned to cleanse the altar. And was added to love
sachets or place under the bed and above the door to protect from harm.
Besides the historic uses, rosemary is best known for remembrance and
friendship. At one time rosemary was in every wedding, and at funerals
mourners tossed fresh sprigs into the grave as a sign that the dearly
departed would not be forgotten. Even today rosemary signifies love,
friendship and remembrance. ....
BITTER HERBS
Bitter Herbs are often mentioned in the
Bible with sharp tasting bitter leaves. Considering the quality of their
food, these digestive aids were probably very necessary for good
intestinal bacteria and health. It is thought, by the scholars of the
Bible, that many herbs were used in this manner, including dandelion,
sorrel, hawkweed, sow-thistle, wild lettuce, mint, wormwood and chicory,
which grow abundantly in the peninsula of Sinai, in Palestine and in
Egypt.
Ex 12:8 The Israelites were commanded to eat the Paschal lamb "with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs".
Mint (Mentha species)
Mint was well known as being
used for flavoring food as it still is today. Some bible experts say
mint was among the "bitter herbs" mentioned. Mint was valued for its
fresh aroma and sweet taste and often used to flavor meat. Also an
important “strewing” herb, mint stems were hung in doorways and thrown
on dirt floors to mask the effects of inadequate sanitation. Scholars
disagree on which mint was actually the mint of the Bible. There were
probably many mints then, as there are today. It freely crosses
pollenates and produces great differences.
Luke 11:42 “But woe unto
you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and
pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and
not to leave the other undone” . .....
Wormwood (Artemesia absinthum)
Moth repellent and
excellent dried foliage used in herbal wreaths. A very lovely, silvery
shrubby perennial that can be used in a shrub border. Once used to
flavor alcohol; that use is now banned. The active ingredient, can lead
to serious mental disorders if taken internally; do not, under any
terms, use this herb internally!
Wormwood is frequently mentioned in
Scripture, always for its bitterness, sorrow and suffering. According to
legend, wormwood grew up in the trail left by the serpent’s tail as it
slithered out of the Garden of Eden.
Jeremiah 9:13-15 And the LORD
says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them... but
have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after [other
gods]... Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I am
feeding this people with wormwood, and giving them poisonous water to
drink.”
Revelation 8:11
In John’s vision of the end of the world,
a star fell from heaven. “The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of
the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was
made bitter.”
An interesting look at herbs, most of which are still in use today....
