The Almond Tree is noted for the beauty of its flower, while its fruit was highly prized in Canaan, and generally in Eastern lands.
The Apple Tree figures the Bridegroom in the Canticles. The fruit was rich, juicy, and beautiful. The "apple" of Scripture must not be confounded with the well-known fruit of that name so familiar to us.
Barley is largely used in the East as food for man and horses; it is even more common than wheat.
Beans are mixed with various kinds of food, and largely partaken of by the poor.
Corn is a cereal as familiar to the inhabitants of the Eastern world as elsewhere.
Cucumber is a well-known Egyptian and Palestinian vegetable; a favorite dish amongst the laboring class.
Fitches produce a pungent condiment, highly valued in Egypt and Palestine.
Garlic, a well-known Egyptian vegetable.
Husks (Luke 15:1616And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. (Luke 15:16)) are the pods of the locust tree, the food of horses and swine. Occasionally the poorest of the people have fed upon them, but only under circumstances approaching to a famine.
Leek is another Egyptian vegetable, also largely cultivated in Palestine.
Mallow is a plant difficult to identify, but was one eaten by the poorest of the people.
Manna was "Angel's Food" divinely supplied to Israel in the wilderness; its taste and color are referred to in Scripture.
Millet is another of the Palestinean cereals, and is eaten both prepared and unprepared.
Mustard is only mentioned in the New Testament, and is found both cultivated and wild in Palestine.
Nuts are well-known fruit, still cultivated in Palestine, although not plentiful.
The Olive Tree lives to a great age, and is a celebrated one in Bible history. Its value commercially is very great, as one tree will yield from 12 to 55 gallons of oil. Its remarkably fine wood was used largely in the construction of the Temple, and is greatly prized in the manufacture of fine articles of furniture. The Gentiles and now Christendom are compared to an "olive tree" (Rom. 11).
Onions are a well-known Egyptian vegetable, used both raw and cooked.
The Palm Tree was formerly very abundant in Palestine, and yielded a rich supply of dates, a highly prized Eastern food and luxury.
Pulse was not any particular vegetable, but simply a vegetable diet, as beans, peas, etc.
The Pomegranate Tree produces an exceedingly rich fruit, and the juice a cooling draft or light wine.
Rye was both an Egyptian and Palestinean cereal.
Saffron is much prized as a condiment; it flavors and enriches soups and food generally.
Sycamore or species of mulberry tree produces a fruit highly prized in Northern Syria, and also a cooling and delightful summer beverage.
The Vine is probably the most valuable in a commercial point of view of any plant cultivated by man; its fruit and wine, and the ease with which it is cultivated in warm countries make it a valuable product.
Wheat is the most useful of all cereals, forming the staple article of food in all lands. The Scripture references to the “Vine" and "Wheat" are numerous, and, in many instances, really interesting.