Described as a short man, Zacchaeus, at Jericho, climbed up a Sycamore Tree so that he might be able to see Jesus as He passed by. When Jesus reached the spot He looked up into the branches, addressed Zacchaeus by name, and told him to come down, for He intended to visit his house. (Luke 19).
Unlike the common Fig-Tree, the Sycamore is a strong hardy evergreen tree that grows up to 14m/45ft tall, very similar to the hight of the Walnut Tree and may live for several hundred years. While its heart-shaped leaves are smaller than those of the Fig-Tree, and fragrant, and also resembling those of the Mulberry-Tree; hence it is called the Fig-Mulberry Tree, the foliage is thick. It has wide-spreading branches that provide a delightful shade.
The Sycamore Tree is easily destroyed by Frost (Psalm 78:47), and it is mentioned as one of the heaviest of Egypt's calamities that her Sycamore Trees that grew abundantly in the Shephelah were destroyed by hailstones. (1Chronicles 27). In addition to growing in the Jordan Valley (Luke 19) and around Tekoa (Amos 7), the Sycamore Trees were especially abundant in the lowlands of the Shephelah (1Kings 10; 2Chronicles 1; 9), frequently planted along the roadsides where the climate is mild. The short, stout trunk soon branches out with its lower limbs close to the ground, and this made it a convenient tree for a small man like Zacchaeus to select as the one he would climb along the roadside to get a clear view of Jesus.
This tree mentioned in the Scripture has no relation to the North American Sycamore (Acer pseudo-platanus), which is a type of maple often called a plane-tree.
The Sycamore, in Egypt and Palestine, is a tree of a very great value and importance because of its wood and of its fruit and has a very extensive use.
The wood is somewhat soft and porous and quite inferior to that of the cedar, but it was very durable and much used in building. (Isaiah 9). Mummy coffins made of Sycamore wood have been found in Egyptian tombs and are still in good condition after some three thousand years.
During the Time of the 10 Plagues, the trees were very abundant and up to today the tree continue to provide a source of food there.
The Fruit grows directly from the trunk itself on little sprigs, and in abundant clusters, like grapes, and are smaller and hard to ripe comparing to the ones of the common Fig-Tree. It is the present practice of Egyptians growers of the Sycamore (Fig-Mulberry) Trees to pierce the premature fruit 3 or 4 days before gathering with a nail or other sharp instrument in order to accelerate the ripening process. If this is not done the fruit will secrete a quantity of watery juice and will not ripen. The Sycamore Fig of Biblical times was fertilized by wasps. The prophets Amos (7) and Jeremiah (42) refers of its Fruit. This sheds light on the occupation of the prophet Amos who was, by profession, a dresser of Sycamore Figs (Amos 7). The original employment of these type of Sycamore Trees, as the prophet Amos mentions, whose fruit King David considered of sufficient value to place the Shephelah groves under the care of an administrative chief, as he did for the Olive Trees (1Chronicles 27).
Modern Sycamores Trees now produce seedless figs and grow only in cultivated form.
Saturday, 19 November 2016
Sunday, 6 November 2016
THE SYMBOLIC POSITION OF DAN IN THE FUTURE.
According to the Book of Genesis, Dan was the 5th of Jacob's 12 sons, born in Paddan-Aram, and the 1st born of the two sons of his mother Bilhah, the maidservant of her barren mistress Rachel, who substituted for her as a secondary wife to Jacob (30:6).
The name 'Dan' derives from 'Dananni', meaning 'God has acted as my judge .. so that He gave me a son', in reference to Rachel's belief that she had gained a child as the result of a judgment from God.
Bilha, Dan's mother is described as Laban's handmaid, who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. Laban was Rachel and Leah's father. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Bilhah gave birth to Jacob 2 sons, who Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali.
By the time Jacob moved down into Egypt, taking along the whole household, Dan himself had a son named Hushim (Genesis 46, called Shusham at Numbers 26). Some 2 centuries later after coming out of slavery the Tribe numbered 62,700 men twenty years old and upward (Numbers1). It was the 2nd most populous Tribe as to 'men of battle age'. Hushim became the forefather of the Shushamites, the only tribal family enrolled for Dan.
In the wilderness Dan's Tribe, with Ahiezer as chieftain (who was with Moses when he numbered the 'assembly' of Israel), was assigned to camp on the 'North' of the 'Tabernacle' alongside the tribes of his full brother Naphtali and of Asher, the 8th son of Jacob and 2nd of two sons and full brothers (Gad) through Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, that occupied adjacent areas (Numbers 2). Asher was not prominent among the 12 sons of Jacob. However, in his father's deathbed prophecy, Asher was promised a life blessed with an abundance of rich foods, and the history of his descendands demonstrates the fulfillment of this prediction. Prior to entry into Canaan, Moses' prophetic blessing again predicted a prosperous portion for Asher.
On the move the Tribe of Dan marched in the 'highly' important position as 'rear guard', a compliment to their courage, loyalty, and dependability (Num.2; 10).
When the Promised land was divided up, the chieftain named Bukki the son of Jogli represented Dan, and as matters turned out, the Tribe got one of the smallest territories despite the fact that it was still the 2nd largest in number. Its lot, however, the 7th, fell on very desirable soil, bordering the Tribes of Judah, Ephraim and Benjamin, a land extending from the fertile Valleys of the Shephelah to the Sea Coast Plains of the Mediterranean. Initially the Danites attempted to settle 'in the South', in the vicinity of Zorah and Eshtaol (Joshua 19). This attempt failed in a region crowded with Amorites (Judges 1) and immigrant Philistines (chapters 13-16). But because of not driving out these squatter nations, as God had commanded, Dan suffered severely (Numbers 26; 34; Joshua 19; Judges 1). As a result, part of the Danites migrated during the period of the Judges to 'the extreme North'(Judges 18) of Palestine.
In the course of this event, 5 Danite spies set out, and by consulting a Levite priest in Mount Ephraim along the way, they discovered Laish, a city both rich in resources and vulnerable to attack. A war party of 600 warriors soon followed and took the city, which they renamed 'Dan' in honor of their tribal ancestor. The Danites forced the Levite priest to accompany them. Then they robbed the man named Micah of his carved image and set it up as their own god, and founded a sanctuary at Dan. Not-with-standing that members of Dan had been chosen years earlier to stand for the 'maledictions' from Mount Ebal, which included, "Cursed is the man who makes a carved image or a molten statue, a thing detestable to God"(Deuteronomy 27). Then the Danite territory was largely confined to this single urban center. Some of the Danites that remained 'in the South', made the core of which Solomon's 2nd administrative district preserved (1 King 4).
Judges 18 tells about the capture and destruction of Laish, and the rebuilt of the new city over the same foundation of the 'old city' and renamed 'Dan' and of its 'sanctuary'. A 'priesthood', which traced its 'roots' to Moses, served at the 'Danite shrine'. After the split of the monarchy, the Israelite king Jeroboam made 'the shrine of Dan' (along with Bethel) one of the 2 sanctuaries for the Northern Kingdom in his effort to divert his subjects from the Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Amos condemned 'these shrines' (chapter 8), in which Jeroboam installed 'images of bull calves' (1Kings12; 2Kings10).
Second-millennium Mesopotamian and Egyptian records mention the 'city of Laish' or 'Leshem' meaning 'the Lion city' to its inhabitants, its real name prior its invasion by the Danites, who renamed it.
(Joshua 19; Judg.18). Four centuries earlier, in the account of Abraham's pursuit of Chedorlaomer and his allies, the extreme place that Abraham reached in the pursuing was "Dan"(Gen.14). A river has its source just below the city and its symbolic position in the narrative signal the coming of the Messiah.
The name "Dan" again appears in Deuteronomy 34, where it is included among the extremities of the territory seen by Moses in his final view of the Promised Land from his position on Mount Nebo.
In many aspects the Danites are unusual. They did not have many clans (only one is listed in Num.26), and sometimes they are referred to as a 'clan'(Judges 13;18) rather than as a 'tribe'.
The Danites were 'the only tribe' who 'failed' to hold (Judg.1; Josh.19) or receive a 'tribal allotment'. They are criticized in the Song of Deborah for conspicuously failing to give support in joining the Israelite coalition against the Canaanites (Judg.5).
In the Scripture, certain individuals of the Tribe of Dan distinguished themselves. There was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, who was given divine wisdom to assist Bezalel; he was a man highly skilled in embroidering and weaving costly materials for the Tabernacle furnishings (Ex.31; 35; 38).
The best known Danite, Samson, the faithful servant of God, was the most uncharacteristic of the Judges (13-15). As 'judge' of Israel for 20 years proved Moses' prediction true: "Dan is a lion cub" (Deut.33; Judg.13; 15). When David became king, 28,600 Danites were numbered among his loyal troops. Later, Azarel the son of Jeroham is mentioned as the chief prince of the Tribe (1Chron.12; 27).
The mother of the "skillful man" that the king of Tyre sent to assist Solomon in building the Temple was of the tribe of Dan (2Chron.2).
Seventeen years later from the time Jacob moved down into Egypt, taking along the whole household, dying Jacob called his sons to his bedside, at this specific moment, Dan had 'full legal' status along with the other 11 as 'family heads' of the 12 tribes of Israel. In blessing him Jacob's deathbed 'words about Dan' were the following: "Dan shall judge his people 'as one' of the tribes of Israel. Let Dan prove to be a serpent by the roadside, a horned snake at the wayside, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward. I shall indeed wait for salvation from You, O God" (Gen.49).
As a frontier post, Dan was memorilized in the common phrase "from Dan to Beersheba"(Judg.20; 1Sam 3) which marked, respectively, the Northern and Southern limits of Israel.
The name 'Dan' derives from 'Dananni', meaning 'God has acted as my judge .. so that He gave me a son', in reference to Rachel's belief that she had gained a child as the result of a judgment from God.
Bilha, Dan's mother is described as Laban's handmaid, who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. Laban was Rachel and Leah's father. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Bilhah gave birth to Jacob 2 sons, who Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali.
By the time Jacob moved down into Egypt, taking along the whole household, Dan himself had a son named Hushim (Genesis 46, called Shusham at Numbers 26). Some 2 centuries later after coming out of slavery the Tribe numbered 62,700 men twenty years old and upward (Numbers1). It was the 2nd most populous Tribe as to 'men of battle age'. Hushim became the forefather of the Shushamites, the only tribal family enrolled for Dan.
In the wilderness Dan's Tribe, with Ahiezer as chieftain (who was with Moses when he numbered the 'assembly' of Israel), was assigned to camp on the 'North' of the 'Tabernacle' alongside the tribes of his full brother Naphtali and of Asher, the 8th son of Jacob and 2nd of two sons and full brothers (Gad) through Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, that occupied adjacent areas (Numbers 2). Asher was not prominent among the 12 sons of Jacob. However, in his father's deathbed prophecy, Asher was promised a life blessed with an abundance of rich foods, and the history of his descendands demonstrates the fulfillment of this prediction. Prior to entry into Canaan, Moses' prophetic blessing again predicted a prosperous portion for Asher.
On the move the Tribe of Dan marched in the 'highly' important position as 'rear guard', a compliment to their courage, loyalty, and dependability (Num.2; 10).
When the Promised land was divided up, the chieftain named Bukki the son of Jogli represented Dan, and as matters turned out, the Tribe got one of the smallest territories despite the fact that it was still the 2nd largest in number. Its lot, however, the 7th, fell on very desirable soil, bordering the Tribes of Judah, Ephraim and Benjamin, a land extending from the fertile Valleys of the Shephelah to the Sea Coast Plains of the Mediterranean. Initially the Danites attempted to settle 'in the South', in the vicinity of Zorah and Eshtaol (Joshua 19). This attempt failed in a region crowded with Amorites (Judges 1) and immigrant Philistines (chapters 13-16). But because of not driving out these squatter nations, as God had commanded, Dan suffered severely (Numbers 26; 34; Joshua 19; Judges 1). As a result, part of the Danites migrated during the period of the Judges to 'the extreme North'(Judges 18) of Palestine.
In the course of this event, 5 Danite spies set out, and by consulting a Levite priest in Mount Ephraim along the way, they discovered Laish, a city both rich in resources and vulnerable to attack. A war party of 600 warriors soon followed and took the city, which they renamed 'Dan' in honor of their tribal ancestor. The Danites forced the Levite priest to accompany them. Then they robbed the man named Micah of his carved image and set it up as their own god, and founded a sanctuary at Dan. Not-with-standing that members of Dan had been chosen years earlier to stand for the 'maledictions' from Mount Ebal, which included, "Cursed is the man who makes a carved image or a molten statue, a thing detestable to God"(Deuteronomy 27). Then the Danite territory was largely confined to this single urban center. Some of the Danites that remained 'in the South', made the core of which Solomon's 2nd administrative district preserved (1 King 4).
Judges 18 tells about the capture and destruction of Laish, and the rebuilt of the new city over the same foundation of the 'old city' and renamed 'Dan' and of its 'sanctuary'. A 'priesthood', which traced its 'roots' to Moses, served at the 'Danite shrine'. After the split of the monarchy, the Israelite king Jeroboam made 'the shrine of Dan' (along with Bethel) one of the 2 sanctuaries for the Northern Kingdom in his effort to divert his subjects from the Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Amos condemned 'these shrines' (chapter 8), in which Jeroboam installed 'images of bull calves' (1Kings12; 2Kings10).
Second-millennium Mesopotamian and Egyptian records mention the 'city of Laish' or 'Leshem' meaning 'the Lion city' to its inhabitants, its real name prior its invasion by the Danites, who renamed it.
(Joshua 19; Judg.18). Four centuries earlier, in the account of Abraham's pursuit of Chedorlaomer and his allies, the extreme place that Abraham reached in the pursuing was "Dan"(Gen.14). A river has its source just below the city and its symbolic position in the narrative signal the coming of the Messiah.
The name "Dan" again appears in Deuteronomy 34, where it is included among the extremities of the territory seen by Moses in his final view of the Promised Land from his position on Mount Nebo.
In many aspects the Danites are unusual. They did not have many clans (only one is listed in Num.26), and sometimes they are referred to as a 'clan'(Judges 13;18) rather than as a 'tribe'.
The Danites were 'the only tribe' who 'failed' to hold (Judg.1; Josh.19) or receive a 'tribal allotment'. They are criticized in the Song of Deborah for conspicuously failing to give support in joining the Israelite coalition against the Canaanites (Judg.5).
In the Scripture, certain individuals of the Tribe of Dan distinguished themselves. There was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, who was given divine wisdom to assist Bezalel; he was a man highly skilled in embroidering and weaving costly materials for the Tabernacle furnishings (Ex.31; 35; 38).
The best known Danite, Samson, the faithful servant of God, was the most uncharacteristic of the Judges (13-15). As 'judge' of Israel for 20 years proved Moses' prediction true: "Dan is a lion cub" (Deut.33; Judg.13; 15). When David became king, 28,600 Danites were numbered among his loyal troops. Later, Azarel the son of Jeroham is mentioned as the chief prince of the Tribe (1Chron.12; 27).
The mother of the "skillful man" that the king of Tyre sent to assist Solomon in building the Temple was of the tribe of Dan (2Chron.2).
Seventeen years later from the time Jacob moved down into Egypt, taking along the whole household, dying Jacob called his sons to his bedside, at this specific moment, Dan had 'full legal' status along with the other 11 as 'family heads' of the 12 tribes of Israel. In blessing him Jacob's deathbed 'words about Dan' were the following: "Dan shall judge his people 'as one' of the tribes of Israel. Let Dan prove to be a serpent by the roadside, a horned snake at the wayside, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward. I shall indeed wait for salvation from You, O God" (Gen.49).
As a frontier post, Dan was memorilized in the common phrase "from Dan to Beersheba"(Judg.20; 1Sam 3) which marked, respectively, the Northern and Southern limits of Israel.
Saturday, 5 November 2016
THE SEVEN ABOMINATIONS OF THE HEART.
Proverbs 6:16-19 'These are 6 things which the Lord hates, 7 which are an abomination to Him: Haughty Eyes, a Lying Tongue, and Hands that shed innocent blood, a Heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that make haste to Run to evil, a False witness who breathes out lies, and a Man who Sows discord among brothers.
To better understanding which are the ones who shed innocent blood, we read the passage at Matthew 26 referring to the Church leaders' plan to kill Jesus.
26:2 "Jesus said to His disciples, 'you know that after 2 days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified'."
In the 26:3 verse we clearly see the vice 'a Heart that devises wicked plans': Then the 'chief' priests and the 'elders' of the people gathered in the 'palace of the high priest', who was called Ca'Iaphas, and took counsel together 'in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him'. But they said, 'not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people'.
Then we can learn, from Psalms 1:1-6, how to deal with the 'Feet that make haste to run to evil' :
"Blessed is the man who 'walks Not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the 'way of sinners', nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. The wicked are not like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, but are like chaff which the 'wind' drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the 'judgment', nor 'sinners' in the 'congregation of the righteous'; for the Lord knows the 'way of the righteous', but the 'way of the wicked' will perish."
The Haughty Eyes can be seen in Psalm 2: "Why do nations conspire, and the 'peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth 'set themselves', and the rulers 'take counsel together', against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 'Let's rebel against them (burst their bonds asunder), Let's break free from them (cast their cords from us)."
Man who sows division is presented in this passage Matthew 26:6 "Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the 'house of Simon the leper', a woman came up to Him with 'an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment', and she poured it on His head, as He sat at the table. But when 'the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, 'Why this waste?' For 'this ointment' might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor." 26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to 'them', "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to Me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me. In pouring this ointment on My Body she has done it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever 'this Gospel' is preached in the 'whole World', what she has done will be told 'in memory of her'."26:14 Then one of the twelve who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the 'chief priests' and said, 'What will you give me if I deliver Him to you'? And 'they paid' him 30 pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought 'an opportunity' to betray Him.
Another example in the Scripture about having the 7 abominations is presented in Proverbs 6"12 "Some people are just trouble makers. They are always thinking up some crooked plan and telling lies. They use secret signals to cheat people; they wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point a finger. They are always planning to do something bad. But they will be punished. Disaster will strike, and they will be destroyed."
The dangers of being a False witness is explained in Proverbs 6:2 "If you are snared in the utterance of your lips, caught in the words of your mouth; then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into 'your neighbor's power' (be caught under the power of other people): you must go and free yourself. Beg them to free you from that debt. Do not wait to rest or sleep. Escape from that trap like a deer running from a hunter. Free yourself like a bird flying from a trap."
Another example presenting the vices, especially the first one that deals with Haughty eyes, are in Jeremiah 26: 2 Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the court of the Lord's House, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the House of the Lord 'All the Words' that 'I command you' to speak to them; 'do not hold back a Word'."
26:3 "It may be they will listen, and every one turn from 'his evil way', that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them 'because of their evil doings'."
26:4-6 You shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord: If you 'will not listen to Me', 'to Walk in My Law' which I have set before you, and 'to heed the Words' of My servants the Prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not heeded, then I will 'make this city a curse' for all the nations of the earth"
26:7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these Words in the House of the Lord. 8)And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, "You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the Name of the Lord, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant?'
26:10-11 When the 'princes of Judah' heard this things, they came up from the king's house to the House of the Lord and took their seat 'in the entry of the New Gate' of the House of the Lord. Then the priests and the prophets said to the 'princes' and to all people, "This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."
26:12-13 Then Jeremiah spoke up to 'all the princes' and 'all the people', saying, "The Lord sent me to prophesy against 'this House' and 'this city' all the Words you have heard. Now therefore 'amend your ways and your doings', and 'obey the Voice of the Lord your God', and the Lord will repent of the evil which He has pronounced against you."
26:14 "But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems 'good and right' to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring 'innocent blood' upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for 'in Truth' the Lord sent me to you to speak all these Words in your ears."
To better understanding which are the ones who shed innocent blood, we read the passage at Matthew 26 referring to the Church leaders' plan to kill Jesus.
26:2 "Jesus said to His disciples, 'you know that after 2 days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified'."
In the 26:3 verse we clearly see the vice 'a Heart that devises wicked plans': Then the 'chief' priests and the 'elders' of the people gathered in the 'palace of the high priest', who was called Ca'Iaphas, and took counsel together 'in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him'. But they said, 'not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people'.
Then we can learn, from Psalms 1:1-6, how to deal with the 'Feet that make haste to run to evil' :
"Blessed is the man who 'walks Not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the 'way of sinners', nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. The wicked are not like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, but are like chaff which the 'wind' drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the 'judgment', nor 'sinners' in the 'congregation of the righteous'; for the Lord knows the 'way of the righteous', but the 'way of the wicked' will perish."
The Haughty Eyes can be seen in Psalm 2: "Why do nations conspire, and the 'peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth 'set themselves', and the rulers 'take counsel together', against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 'Let's rebel against them (burst their bonds asunder), Let's break free from them (cast their cords from us)."
Man who sows division is presented in this passage Matthew 26:6 "Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the 'house of Simon the leper', a woman came up to Him with 'an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment', and she poured it on His head, as He sat at the table. But when 'the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, 'Why this waste?' For 'this ointment' might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor." 26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to 'them', "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to Me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me. In pouring this ointment on My Body she has done it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever 'this Gospel' is preached in the 'whole World', what she has done will be told 'in memory of her'."26:14 Then one of the twelve who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the 'chief priests' and said, 'What will you give me if I deliver Him to you'? And 'they paid' him 30 pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought 'an opportunity' to betray Him.
Another example in the Scripture about having the 7 abominations is presented in Proverbs 6"12 "Some people are just trouble makers. They are always thinking up some crooked plan and telling lies. They use secret signals to cheat people; they wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point a finger. They are always planning to do something bad. But they will be punished. Disaster will strike, and they will be destroyed."
The dangers of being a False witness is explained in Proverbs 6:2 "If you are snared in the utterance of your lips, caught in the words of your mouth; then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into 'your neighbor's power' (be caught under the power of other people): you must go and free yourself. Beg them to free you from that debt. Do not wait to rest or sleep. Escape from that trap like a deer running from a hunter. Free yourself like a bird flying from a trap."
Another example presenting the vices, especially the first one that deals with Haughty eyes, are in Jeremiah 26: 2 Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the court of the Lord's House, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the House of the Lord 'All the Words' that 'I command you' to speak to them; 'do not hold back a Word'."
26:3 "It may be they will listen, and every one turn from 'his evil way', that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them 'because of their evil doings'."
26:4-6 You shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord: If you 'will not listen to Me', 'to Walk in My Law' which I have set before you, and 'to heed the Words' of My servants the Prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not heeded, then I will 'make this city a curse' for all the nations of the earth"
26:7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these Words in the House of the Lord. 8)And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, "You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the Name of the Lord, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant?'
26:10-11 When the 'princes of Judah' heard this things, they came up from the king's house to the House of the Lord and took their seat 'in the entry of the New Gate' of the House of the Lord. Then the priests and the prophets said to the 'princes' and to all people, "This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."
26:12-13 Then Jeremiah spoke up to 'all the princes' and 'all the people', saying, "The Lord sent me to prophesy against 'this House' and 'this city' all the Words you have heard. Now therefore 'amend your ways and your doings', and 'obey the Voice of the Lord your God', and the Lord will repent of the evil which He has pronounced against you."
26:14 "But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems 'good and right' to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring 'innocent blood' upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for 'in Truth' the Lord sent me to you to speak all these Words in your ears."
Thursday, 27 October 2016
UNDERSTANDING EXORCISM. Part 2
In ancient times, holes were drilled into a person who was behaving in what was considered abnormal to let out what they believe were evil spirits. Cave paintings indicate that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures, migraines, and mental disorders. The bone that was trepanned was kept and worn as a symbol or charm to keep the evil spirits away.
The civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, China, and India believed in satyrs, spirits, and goblins. The inhabited the sea with mermaids, the rivers and fountains with nymphs, the air with fairies, the fire with Lares and Penates, and the earth with fauns, dryads, and hamadryads. These Nature spirits were held in high esteem, and propiciatory offerings were made to them. Many of the gods worshiped by them were elementals. The Greeks gave the name 'daemon' to some of these elementals, especially those of higher orders, and worshiped them. The mysterious spirit which instructed Socrates, and whom the great philosopher spoke in the highest terms belonged to the divine ones which overshadow themselves in the heart of human nature and who felt its presence and nurtured them.
The branch of philosophy dealing with spiritual substances, based on the research made by Paracelsus (Theo-Phrastus Bom-Bastus Von Hohenheim) maintain that each of the 4 primary elements -earth, water, fire, air, consists of a subtle, vaporous principle and a gross corporeal substance. Air, a 2-fold in nature-tangible atmosphere and an intangible, volatile substratum termed 'spiritual air.' Fire as a visible and invisible, discernible and indiscernible, a spiritual, ethereal flame manifested through a material, substantial flame. Carrying the analogy further, water consists of a dense fluid and a potential essence of a fluidic nature. Earth has likewise 2 essentials -the lower being fixed, terreous, immobile; the higher, rarefied, mobile, and virtual. Minerals, plants, animals, men live in a world composed by the 4 elements in which the physical image has been applied to the primarily form of them and its corresponding invisible, spiritual constituent has been applied to their elemental essences of them.
Paracelsus divided these entities of the elementals into 4 distinct groups, which he called gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. He believed that they were living entities, many resembling human beings in shape, and inhabiting worlds of their own, unknown to man because of his undeveloped senses that were incapable of functioning beyond the limitation of the 4 physical elements.
Beliefs in spirit possession have remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of civilization and still exist to this day. But the way people understand it have changed due to the lifestyle of our modern world.
UNDERSTANDING EXORCISM. Part one.
In ancient Mesopotamia, it was believed that all forms of sickness came from spirits entering a person's body and attaching to a person.
Assyrian tablets make reference to the use of incantations and prayers to their gods, as well as direct challenges to demons, which were believed to inflict every type of disease, both physical and psychological. Ancient Babylonian priests performed rituals by destroying a clay or wax image of a demon.
In the Hindu religion, the ancient texts known as the Vedas, which were composed around 1000BC, refer to evil beings that interfere in the work of Hindu gods and harm the living.
Accounts from ancient Persia, dating back to around 600BC, offer evidence of exorcism using prayer, ritual, and holy water by the religious leader Zoroaster, who was considered the first magician, and who founded the religion Zoroastrianism.
The Middle Ages (500-1500CE) saw a revival of ancient superstition and demonology and mental illness was seen to be the result of evil possession. The brutal treatment of mental illness was primarily left to the clergy who exorcised patients through a variety of techniques which caused physical pain.
In Christianity, the Gospels, with the exception of John, contain numerous references to demon possession and exorcism and to Jesus performing most of the exorcisms. The ability to cast out evil spirits was very well understood as a sign of a true and genuine disciple, because an attempt to control and cast out evil spirits required an enormous amount of divine spiritual power. Jesus exorcised demons by His commanding Word with no apparent appeal to authority beyond himself. Early Christians received the power and authority from Jesus through the Holy Spirit to do supernatural things.
- Acts 19:1-10 "Paul was visiting some places on his way to Ephesus. In Ephesus he found some other followers of the Lord. Paul asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' These followers said to Jesus, 'We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit!' Paul asked them, "What kind of baptism did you have?' They said, 'It was the baptism that John taught.' Paul said, "John told people to be baptized to show they genuinely wanted to change their lives. John told people to believe in the One who would come after him, and that One is Jesus. When these followers heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. .. There were about 12 men in this group. Paul went into the synagogue and spoke very boldly.. for 3 months. He was trying to persuade the Jews to accept what he was telling them about God's kingdom. But some of them became stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone, they said bad things about the Way. So Paul left these Jews and took the Lord's followers with him."
- Acts 5:12-16 "The apostles were given the power to do miraculous signs and wonders .. and they all had the same purpose. None of the other people dared to stand with the apostles, but everyone was saying wonderful things about them .. so the people brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits .. hoping that Peter's shadow might fall on them as he walked by.. and all of them were healed."
- Acts 19:11-17"God used Paul to do some very special miracles. Some people carried away clothes and handkerchiefs that Paul had used and put them on those who were sick. The sick people were healed, and evil spirits left them. Some Jews also were traveling around forcing evil spirits out of people. The 7 sons of Sceva, one of the leading priests, were doing this. These Jews tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to make the evil spirits go out of people. They all said, 'By the same Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out!' But one time an evil spirit said to these 7 Jews, 'I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit inside him jumped on this Jews. He was much stronger than all of them. He beat them up and tore their clothes off. They all ran away from that house. All the people in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks, learned about this."
Assyrian tablets make reference to the use of incantations and prayers to their gods, as well as direct challenges to demons, which were believed to inflict every type of disease, both physical and psychological. Ancient Babylonian priests performed rituals by destroying a clay or wax image of a demon.
In the Hindu religion, the ancient texts known as the Vedas, which were composed around 1000BC, refer to evil beings that interfere in the work of Hindu gods and harm the living.
Accounts from ancient Persia, dating back to around 600BC, offer evidence of exorcism using prayer, ritual, and holy water by the religious leader Zoroaster, who was considered the first magician, and who founded the religion Zoroastrianism.
The Middle Ages (500-1500CE) saw a revival of ancient superstition and demonology and mental illness was seen to be the result of evil possession. The brutal treatment of mental illness was primarily left to the clergy who exorcised patients through a variety of techniques which caused physical pain.
In Christianity, the Gospels, with the exception of John, contain numerous references to demon possession and exorcism and to Jesus performing most of the exorcisms. The ability to cast out evil spirits was very well understood as a sign of a true and genuine disciple, because an attempt to control and cast out evil spirits required an enormous amount of divine spiritual power. Jesus exorcised demons by His commanding Word with no apparent appeal to authority beyond himself. Early Christians received the power and authority from Jesus through the Holy Spirit to do supernatural things.
- Acts 19:1-10 "Paul was visiting some places on his way to Ephesus. In Ephesus he found some other followers of the Lord. Paul asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' These followers said to Jesus, 'We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit!' Paul asked them, "What kind of baptism did you have?' They said, 'It was the baptism that John taught.' Paul said, "John told people to be baptized to show they genuinely wanted to change their lives. John told people to believe in the One who would come after him, and that One is Jesus. When these followers heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. .. There were about 12 men in this group. Paul went into the synagogue and spoke very boldly.. for 3 months. He was trying to persuade the Jews to accept what he was telling them about God's kingdom. But some of them became stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone, they said bad things about the Way. So Paul left these Jews and took the Lord's followers with him."
- Acts 5:12-16 "The apostles were given the power to do miraculous signs and wonders .. and they all had the same purpose. None of the other people dared to stand with the apostles, but everyone was saying wonderful things about them .. so the people brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits .. hoping that Peter's shadow might fall on them as he walked by.. and all of them were healed."
- Acts 19:11-17"God used Paul to do some very special miracles. Some people carried away clothes and handkerchiefs that Paul had used and put them on those who were sick. The sick people were healed, and evil spirits left them. Some Jews also were traveling around forcing evil spirits out of people. The 7 sons of Sceva, one of the leading priests, were doing this. These Jews tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to make the evil spirits go out of people. They all said, 'By the same Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out!' But one time an evil spirit said to these 7 Jews, 'I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit inside him jumped on this Jews. He was much stronger than all of them. He beat them up and tore their clothes off. They all ran away from that house. All the people in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks, learned about this."
Saturday, 22 October 2016
FRUITS MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURES. Part Three.
POMEGRANATE (Punica Granata) is native to the Southern Caspian belt (Iran) and North East Turkey, and has been cultivated for 5,000 years. The fruit was once known as the fruit of Carthage, hence the latin name 'Punica.'
The pomegranate was introduced into Egypt from Syria around 1600BC and reached Egypt though the inflow of Semitic people (Hyksos). It is widely used in jewish iconography and coins.
Skin color varies from bright red to leathery brown. It was long admired for its medicinal purposes.
- 1Kings 7:13-22 "King Solomon sent for a man named Huram who lived in Tyre and brought him to Jerusalem. Huram's mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. His dead father was from Tyre. Huram made things from bronze. He was a very skilled and experienced builder. SoKing Solomon asked him to come, and Huram accepted. King Solomon put him in charge of all the bronze work, and Huram did all the work he was given to do. Huram made two bronze columns for the porch. Each column was 18 cubits tall and 12 cubits around. The columns were hollow and their metal walls were 3 inches thick. He also made two bronze capitals that were 5 cubits tall. He put these capitals on top of the two columns. Then he made two rows of bronze pomegranates. He put the bronze pomegranates on the nets of each column to cover the capitals at the top of the columns. The capitals on top of the columns were shaped like flowers. The capitals were on top of the columns, above the bowl-shaped net. There were 200 pomegranates in rows all around the capitals. Huram put these two bronze columns at the porch of the Temple. One column was put on the South side of the entrance and one was put on the North side of it. The column on the South was named Jakin. The column on the North was named Boaz. They put the flower-shaped capitals on top of the columns, and the work on the two columns was finished."
- Songs 8:1-2 "If you were a baby, like my little brother nursing at his mother's breast, and if I found you outside, I could kiss you, and no one would say it was wrong. I would lead you into my mother's house, to the room of she who taught me. I would give you spiced wine squeezed from my pomegranate."
ALMOND (Prunus Amydalus) grow wild throughout South West and Central Asia, from Turkey and Syria into the Caucasus and into the deserts of Tian-Shan and the Hindu Cush Mountains.
Based on the Scriptures, almonds were introductions into the Holy Land as early as 2000BC.
There are two principal types: sweet and bitter (amygdalin containing). Domestication involves selection of non-bitterness as a result of a single dominant gene and increased kernel size.
The famous sprouting rod of Aaron, mentioned in the Scripture in the Book of Numbers signifying that he and his descendants could be priests, was an almond.
Numbers 17: 1-8 "The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the Israelites. Get 12 wooden walking sticks from them. Get one from the leader of each of the 12 tribes. Write the name of each man on his walking stick. On the stick from Levi, write Aaron's name. The must be one stick for the head of each of the 12 tribes. Put these walking sticks in the Meeting Tent in front of the Box of the Agreement. This is the place where i meet with you. I will choose one man to be the true priest. You will know which man i choose because his walking stick will begin to grow new leaves. In this way I will stop the people from always complaining against you and Me... The next day Moses entered the Tent to witness; and, behold, the walking stick of Aaron for the House of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossom, and yielded almonds."
- Exodus 37:17-24 "Then he made the lamp stand. He used pure gold and hammered it to make the base and the shaft. Then he made flowers, buds, and petals, and joined everything together into one piece. The lamp stand had 6 branches -3 branches on one side and 3 branches on the other side. Each branch had 3 flowers on it. These flowers were made like almond flowers with buds and petals.
The shaft of the lamp stand had 4 more flowers. They were also made like almond flowers with buds and petals. There were 6 branches -3 branches coming out from each side of the shaft. And there was a flower with buds and petals below each of the 3 places where the branches joined the shaft.
The whole lamp stand, with the flowers and branches, was made from pure gold. Al this gold was hammered and joined together into one piece.
He made 7 lamps for this lamp stand. Then he made lamp snufflers and trays from pure gold. He used 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lamp stand and the things with it."
The pomegranate was introduced into Egypt from Syria around 1600BC and reached Egypt though the inflow of Semitic people (Hyksos). It is widely used in jewish iconography and coins.
Skin color varies from bright red to leathery brown. It was long admired for its medicinal purposes.
- 1Kings 7:13-22 "King Solomon sent for a man named Huram who lived in Tyre and brought him to Jerusalem. Huram's mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. His dead father was from Tyre. Huram made things from bronze. He was a very skilled and experienced builder. SoKing Solomon asked him to come, and Huram accepted. King Solomon put him in charge of all the bronze work, and Huram did all the work he was given to do. Huram made two bronze columns for the porch. Each column was 18 cubits tall and 12 cubits around. The columns were hollow and their metal walls were 3 inches thick. He also made two bronze capitals that were 5 cubits tall. He put these capitals on top of the two columns. Then he made two rows of bronze pomegranates. He put the bronze pomegranates on the nets of each column to cover the capitals at the top of the columns. The capitals on top of the columns were shaped like flowers. The capitals were on top of the columns, above the bowl-shaped net. There were 200 pomegranates in rows all around the capitals. Huram put these two bronze columns at the porch of the Temple. One column was put on the South side of the entrance and one was put on the North side of it. The column on the South was named Jakin. The column on the North was named Boaz. They put the flower-shaped capitals on top of the columns, and the work on the two columns was finished."
- Songs 8:1-2 "If you were a baby, like my little brother nursing at his mother's breast, and if I found you outside, I could kiss you, and no one would say it was wrong. I would lead you into my mother's house, to the room of she who taught me. I would give you spiced wine squeezed from my pomegranate."
ALMOND (Prunus Amydalus) grow wild throughout South West and Central Asia, from Turkey and Syria into the Caucasus and into the deserts of Tian-Shan and the Hindu Cush Mountains.
Based on the Scriptures, almonds were introductions into the Holy Land as early as 2000BC.
There are two principal types: sweet and bitter (amygdalin containing). Domestication involves selection of non-bitterness as a result of a single dominant gene and increased kernel size.
The famous sprouting rod of Aaron, mentioned in the Scripture in the Book of Numbers signifying that he and his descendants could be priests, was an almond.
Numbers 17: 1-8 "The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the Israelites. Get 12 wooden walking sticks from them. Get one from the leader of each of the 12 tribes. Write the name of each man on his walking stick. On the stick from Levi, write Aaron's name. The must be one stick for the head of each of the 12 tribes. Put these walking sticks in the Meeting Tent in front of the Box of the Agreement. This is the place where i meet with you. I will choose one man to be the true priest. You will know which man i choose because his walking stick will begin to grow new leaves. In this way I will stop the people from always complaining against you and Me... The next day Moses entered the Tent to witness; and, behold, the walking stick of Aaron for the House of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossom, and yielded almonds."
- Exodus 37:17-24 "Then he made the lamp stand. He used pure gold and hammered it to make the base and the shaft. Then he made flowers, buds, and petals, and joined everything together into one piece. The lamp stand had 6 branches -3 branches on one side and 3 branches on the other side. Each branch had 3 flowers on it. These flowers were made like almond flowers with buds and petals.
The shaft of the lamp stand had 4 more flowers. They were also made like almond flowers with buds and petals. There were 6 branches -3 branches coming out from each side of the shaft. And there was a flower with buds and petals below each of the 3 places where the branches joined the shaft.
The whole lamp stand, with the flowers and branches, was made from pure gold. Al this gold was hammered and joined together into one piece.
He made 7 lamps for this lamp stand. Then he made lamp snufflers and trays from pure gold. He used 75 pounds of pure gold to make the lamp stand and the things with it."
FRUITS MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURE. Part Two
DATES (Phoenix Dactilifera) is a dioecious, long-lived, palm, indigenous from Northern Africa through the Arabian peninsula to Northern India, esteemed for its sweet fruit and its valuable wood and leaves. It may have been the first cultivated fruit and was well established in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. The plants lacks a deep root system so that irrigation is essential. Because the date is dioecious, production of fruit by pistillate clones requires a source of pollen, and artificial pollination was well illustrated in Assyrian bas reliefs where practice became codified in the laws of Hammurabi 1,750BC and the practice became a religious one.
- Deuteronomy 2 "Then we did what the Lord told me to do. We went back into the desert on the road that leads to the Red Sea. We traveled for so many days to go around the Mountains of Seir. Then the Lord said to me, "You have travelled around these mountains long enough. Turn North. Tell the people this: You will pass through the land of Seir. This land belong to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They will be afraid of you. Be very careful. Do not fight them. I will not give you any of their land -not even a foot of it, because I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau to keep as his own. You must pay the people of Esau for any food you eat or water you drink there.... He knows about everything that happened on the trip through this great desert. The Lord your God has been with you these 40 years. You have always had everything you needed." So we passed by our relatives, living there in Seir.
We left the road that leads from the Jordan Valley (the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees) to the Towns of Elath and Ezion Geber. We turned onto the road that goes to the desert in Moab. The Lord said to me, "Do not bother the Moabites. Do not start a war against them. I will not give you any of their land. They are the descendants of Lot, and I gave them the City of Ar." In the past the Emites lived in Ar. They were strong people, and there were many of them. They were very tall, like the Anakites. The Anakites were part of the Rephaites, but the people of Moab called them Emites."
- Psalms 1:3 "And He shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of Water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither ..."
- Psalm 92:7-8 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree .. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish .. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.
FIG (Ficus carica, Ficus sycomorus). Two species of fig are mentioned in the Scriptures: common fig and sycomore fig. The common fig is a gyno-dioecious species consisting of monoecious inedible wild types (caprifig) and pistillate domesticated.
Borne on small trees, figs are one of the classic Mediterranean fruits. Domestication was generally contemporary with olive and grape in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Pollination is affected by a tiny wasp (Blastophaga psenes) that overwinters in the caprifig. The wasp, after emergence, enters the common fig, which contains only long-styled pistils, not adapted to ovi-position, causing the wasp to perish, but not before pollination has occurred. The tree of Good and Evil in the Genesis story of the first human couple was often depicted as a fig tree.
The sycomore fig originated in the savannas of Eastern Central Africa and was introduced into Egypt in pre-dynastic times. It became an important cultivated plant for its decay resistant wood and its fruit, which although not exceptional, was widely consumed. Because the pollinating wasp seems not to have been introduced, the fruits did not develop normally and ripening was achieved by scraping with a metal tool, an example of an innovating horticultural practice that relied on ethylene release from the wound response.
- Genesis 3:7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."
- Amos 7:14 "I was not a prophet or a prophet's son but i was a herdsman, and a piercer of sycomore fruit."
- Mark 11:12,20 "The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply he find anything thereon: And when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. So Jesus said to the tree, 'People will never eat fruit from you again.' And in the morning as His followers passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."
- Luke13: 6-9 "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser (cultivator) of his vineyard, 'Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none; cut it down; Why should it waste the ground?'
But the dresser answered, 'Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and fertilize it. Maybe the tree will have fruit on it next year. if it still does not produce, then you can cut it down."
- Deuteronomy 2 "Then we did what the Lord told me to do. We went back into the desert on the road that leads to the Red Sea. We traveled for so many days to go around the Mountains of Seir. Then the Lord said to me, "You have travelled around these mountains long enough. Turn North. Tell the people this: You will pass through the land of Seir. This land belong to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They will be afraid of you. Be very careful. Do not fight them. I will not give you any of their land -not even a foot of it, because I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau to keep as his own. You must pay the people of Esau for any food you eat or water you drink there.... He knows about everything that happened on the trip through this great desert. The Lord your God has been with you these 40 years. You have always had everything you needed." So we passed by our relatives, living there in Seir.
We left the road that leads from the Jordan Valley (the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees) to the Towns of Elath and Ezion Geber. We turned onto the road that goes to the desert in Moab. The Lord said to me, "Do not bother the Moabites. Do not start a war against them. I will not give you any of their land. They are the descendants of Lot, and I gave them the City of Ar." In the past the Emites lived in Ar. They were strong people, and there were many of them. They were very tall, like the Anakites. The Anakites were part of the Rephaites, but the people of Moab called them Emites."
- Psalms 1:3 "And He shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of Water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither ..."
- Psalm 92:7-8 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree .. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish .. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.
FIG (Ficus carica, Ficus sycomorus). Two species of fig are mentioned in the Scriptures: common fig and sycomore fig. The common fig is a gyno-dioecious species consisting of monoecious inedible wild types (caprifig) and pistillate domesticated.
Borne on small trees, figs are one of the classic Mediterranean fruits. Domestication was generally contemporary with olive and grape in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Pollination is affected by a tiny wasp (Blastophaga psenes) that overwinters in the caprifig. The wasp, after emergence, enters the common fig, which contains only long-styled pistils, not adapted to ovi-position, causing the wasp to perish, but not before pollination has occurred. The tree of Good and Evil in the Genesis story of the first human couple was often depicted as a fig tree.
The sycomore fig originated in the savannas of Eastern Central Africa and was introduced into Egypt in pre-dynastic times. It became an important cultivated plant for its decay resistant wood and its fruit, which although not exceptional, was widely consumed. Because the pollinating wasp seems not to have been introduced, the fruits did not develop normally and ripening was achieved by scraping with a metal tool, an example of an innovating horticultural practice that relied on ethylene release from the wound response.
- Genesis 3:7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."
- Amos 7:14 "I was not a prophet or a prophet's son but i was a herdsman, and a piercer of sycomore fruit."
- Mark 11:12,20 "The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply he find anything thereon: And when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. So Jesus said to the tree, 'People will never eat fruit from you again.' And in the morning as His followers passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."
- Luke13: 6-9 "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser (cultivator) of his vineyard, 'Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none; cut it down; Why should it waste the ground?'
But the dresser answered, 'Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and fertilize it. Maybe the tree will have fruit on it next year. if it still does not produce, then you can cut it down."
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