Biblical flowers, Herbs and Spices in the Bible
In the Bible, there were so many things three of these things are flower, herbs, and spices.
Herb and spices were used to stop food from going bad, to make it taste better, as perfume for the body or the air, and for healing.
We still used the same kinds of herb today, like Mint, Dill, Lumin, coriander, Rue, Cinamon, Saffron.
Flowers were not grown in gardens, so when we read about them in the Bible, they were grown the in the wild = wildflowers.
In spring and summer, the hills and valleys of Galilee were bright with wildflowers (Lilies, Irises, Anemones, Dassies) and so many more.
Word meanings
- Wildflower: A wildflower is a flowering plant that grows spontaneously in natural environments such as meadows, forests, prairies, deserts, and fields, without human intervention.
- Herb: the green, leafy part of the plant.
- Herbalist: Is a person that used edible and medicinal plants for healing people or for other things.
- Spices: come from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower, or bark of the tree or plant.
Different kind of herb and spices
- Myrrh was a sweet-smelling resin collected from the branches of a small thorny tree that grew in Arabia and Africa. It was used to make medicine and an oil. When Nicodemus went to help bury Jesus he brought with him a mixture of Myrrh. see John 19:39-41
- Gall was a name used for the poisonous hemlock plant or pain-killing opium plant. Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall when he was dying on the cross. See Matthew 27:34
- Frankincense is a whitish gum, collected from cuts made in branches of a large tree that grew in Arabia and Africa. It was burned to make a Scented smoked. The wise men who visited the baby Jesus, brought him gifts frankincense, myrrh, and gold. See Matthew 2:11
- Spikenard is in the same family as honeysuckle, and it holds a special place in Biblical history as the key ingredient in the ointment used by Mary Sister of Lazarus to anoint the feet of Jesus, See John 12:3, Mark14:3-9, Matthew 26:6-13
- It is a small spiky plant that grew from in India, Oil collected from the spikes were also used as a perfume.
Different wildflowers in and around Israel, Jerusalem, and Galilee
Baby Sun Rose
- Baby sun rose is primarily planted for ornamental purposes in gardens and urban spaces.
- This species is considered fast-growing and is often planted as ground cover in flower boxes and public areas.
- It can be easily propagated from cuttings and outcompetes weeds when grown in the same area.
- Height: The Baby Sun Rose generally reaches 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall. Some giant cultivars can grow up to about 18 inches (45 cm) tall, while dwarf varieties remain smaller, around 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm).
- Spread: This plant is well-known for its spreading habit, with mature width reaching 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm), forming dense mats that effectively cover ground and suppress weeds
- They like sandy or dry sow and needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for best growth Their blooming season primarily spans early spring through summer.
Poppy Anemones
- It features poppy-like blooms with colors ranging from blue-purple, red, pink, to white, and it has a black dot in the center.
- Poppy anemones thrive in well-drained soil and prefer full sun to partial shade.
- They are often planted in mixed flower beds, pairing beautifully with other spring-flowering bulbs like tulips and Daffodil bulbs
- Growth Size: Poppy Anemone typically grows to a height of 10-16 inches (25-40 cm) and spread of 6-9 inches (15-22 cm), making it an ideal plant for borders, containers, and small garden spaces.
- Blooming Season: This flower usually blooms in the mid of late spring. They usually last up to 4 weeks, providing a burst of color when many other plants have not started coming out
- In warmer climates, they may bloom throughout the winter. Easy to grow, these color bursting garden plants will bloom year after year after planted.
Rose of Sharon
- Rose of Sharon, also called Althaea, is a lovely rose, that color can range to be white, purple, or blue.
- It flowers is about 3 inches (8 centimeters) wide. The flowers appear in September, when a few other shrubs are in bloom.
- The rose of Sharon grows about 12 feet (3.7 meters) high and has three large leaves.
- The Rose of Sharon typically need 6 to 10 feet of space between the plants to allow proper growth
- They like moist, well drained soil and can thrive in full sun or partial shade.
- It gets its name after a biblical passage, Song of Solomon 2:1 which talks about the Rose of Sharon.
Oleander
- In Israel, the Oleander (Nerium oleander) commonly displays pink flowers with five petals. While pink is the most frequent color, oleanders can also be white, red, yellow, and Orange
- Oleander, is a popular flowering shrub. The oleander sometimes grows 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall.
- It has lance-shaped leaves and colorful roselike flowers. The oleander is native to the warm parts of Asia.
- All parts of the oleander are poisonous to eat.
- They like to grow in moist, rich soil.
- Oleanders need 6 to 8 feet of space between each plant to make sure they have each have nutrient and water that they need to have to live.
- Oleander hails from Mediterranean regions where the soil is anything but rich and fluffy. It prefers gritty, poor, even slightly rocky soil that drains fast and stays dry between waterings. Rich, moisture-retentive soil often leads to lush, leafy growth but few flowers.
I hope this will help you in your study of the bible.
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