The first mention of herbs in the Bible is in Genesis 1:29.

And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

Genesis 2:5, "And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew...".(KJV)

Herb or Spice? Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs offers the following remedies for this age-old question:

Leaves, both fresh and dried, are normally called herbs, while seeds, roots, fruits, flowers or bark are spices.

Herbs are more frequently grown in temperate regions, while spices usually hail from the tropics.

Herbs are green and often impart a subtler flavor; spices tend to be shades of brown, black, or red with a dramatic, pungent flavor.

For example, consider the multi-purpose plant Coriandrum sativum. Its tangy leaves are referred to as the herb cilantro (Chinese parsley), but its round brown seeds are known as coriander, a spice.

What is a Bible Garden?

We know that biblical people set aside plots specifically for herbs: 1 KINGS 21:2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house: and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to you, I will give you the worth of it in money.

Warsaw Biblical Garden – Warsaw, Indiana

Box & Bay LaurelGREEK BAY (Laurel nobilis): "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree."  Psalms 37: 35

Evergreen, sturdy and fragrant; surely these were contributing factors to the greatness bestowed on Bay throughout history.

David assigned the virtue of prosperity to the tree.

This meaning has transferred itself to our present society with the conferring of a BA degree or a Baccalaureate degree. Even so, we no longer value Bay as a headdress or as a symbol.

It is the spicy aroma and pungent flavor we love today.

Bay is hardy only to about 15 degrees, but it is not too difficult to grow it in a pot. 

Even though in the Mediterranean, Bay may grow 40 or 50 feet, it takes a very long time to do so here in the United States, making it a suitable container plant. 

Leave the pot outside during summer

and bring it inside for the winter.  It is well

worth whatever effort it takes to have this

shrub contributing to our herb gardens,

and our kitchen tables.

SYRIAN OREGANO (Origanum maru): “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalms 51:7.

This was a plea from King David to the Lord for forgiveness. He had sinned with Bathsheba and had been called to account for it by Nathan the prophet.

David is asking for deep heart cleansing and uses hyssop to symbolize that since it is a common cleaning agent.

It is interesting that when he says "wash me" he is talking about the way clothes were washed in his time, with beating and pounding. He is so deeply sorry; he wants more than a quick wash up. He wants the very desire for sin to be washed out of him. Do we ever feel this repentant over our own sin?

Common Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is not native to the Mediterranean area

Much debate has ensued over which plant was referred to as Hyssop.

It may have even been several different plants used for different and varied purposes. Syrian Oregano however seems to most adequately fill many of the references to hyssop found in the bible.

 It was often gathered in bunches and used as a brush or sprinkler for purification rituals.

JOHN 19:29-30--A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.

1 KINGS 4:33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.

A bunch of hyssop was used to dip in the basin of blood of the Passover lamb to apply to the lintel and doorpost before the Israelites left Egypt. (Exodus 12:22)

Since hyssop has strong woody stalks it could stand up to being shaken.

Used in cleansing ceremony for a leper in Leviticus 14:1-8. Again, hyssop was the dipping agent into blood of a bird and used to sprinkle over the unclean person.

Hyssop also has uses in the garden; it is said to be a good companion plant to cabbage because it will deter the Cabbage White butterfly.

It has also been found to improve the yield from grapevines if planted along the rows, in particular if the terrain is rocky or sandy, and the soil is not as easy to work as it might be.

It was surely enjoyed, as it is today, for its excellent flavor. It is still widely used in the Middle East as an ingredient in the spice blend Zatar.

It has one of the strongest tastes of all the Oreganos and can be used fresh or dried on pizza, eggs, baked in bread or cooked in sauces.

Some feel the “hyssop” may have also been MARJORAM

CHICORY (Cichorium intybus): "and they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it."  Exodus 12:8 

Bitter Herbs are mentioned often in the Bible. Considering the quality of their food, these digestive aids were probably very necessary for good intestinal bacteria and health.

Also, hyssop, lavender rosemary can be considered “bitter herbs”

It is thought, by the interpreters of the Bible, that many herbs were used in this manner, including dandelion and sorrel.

Chicory,  with its cornflower blue flowers, can be used many ways.

Young leaves are excellent in salad.

They can be steamed or blanched and used as greens by themselves or with other nutritious green leaves. The root can be can be ground and added to coffee.

Lemon Grass and Cinnamon 

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.. [Proverbs 7:17-18]

LEMON GRASS (Cymbopogon citratus):“Take thou also unto thee

principal spices, of pure myrrh

five hundred shekels,

and of sweet cinnamon half so

much, even two hundred and fifty

shekels,

and of sweet calamus two hundred

and fifty shekels,” Exodus 30:23

In this scripture the Lord delivers instructions to Moses for the proper way to make and use Holy Oil. So valued was this oil that perfume was not even to be made in the same way.  (Sweet Flag)

Sweet smelling Calamus (Acorus calamus)refers to the many aromatic grasses found growing in abundance in the Holy Land, of which Lemon Grass is one.

Lemon Grass is an essential ingredient in many Asian dishes. After a good size clump of Lemon Grass has developed, pieces can be broken off at the baseof the clump for cooking.

The white fleshy part at the base of the reed is the part that gives a sharp lemon tang to soups and stir fry. It is a tender plant and should be protected or brought in where winters go below 10.

Calamus has been an item of trade in many cultures for thousands of years.

Calamus has been used medicinally.Small dose Reduce stomach acidityLarge dose increases – too large dose =

vomitingExternally to treat skin eruptions,

rheumatic pains

In antiquity in the Orient and Egypt, the rhizome was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac.

In Europe Acorus calamus was often added to wine, and the root is also one of the possible ingredients of absinthe.

Anise is mentioned in the King James version of the bible in MATTHEW 23:23.

The word anise (derived from greek Anethon). Most modern translators quote this passage as "mint and DILL and cumin”. It may be dill OR anise. Anise was cultivated in Egypt and still grows there today.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Aloe, listed biblically as ahalim, was used in ancient times to prepare a body for burial.

[John 19: 39]

. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

Frankincense

Myrrh

Frankincense, also called olibanum is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra

It is used in incense and perfumes.

There are four main species of Boswellia which produce true frankincense and each type of resin is available in various grades. The grades depend on the time of harvesting, and the resin is hand-sorted for quality

Frankincense trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that they sometimes grow directly out of solid rock.

Means of initial attachment to the stone is not known but is accomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk. This disk-like growth at the base of the tree prevents it from being torn away from the rock during the violent storms that frequent the region they grow in.

The tears from these hardy survivors are considered superior due to their more fragrant aroma.

The trees start producing resin when they are about 8 to 10 years old.

Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic content. Generally speaking, the more opaque resins are the best quality.

Esther 2:12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women

Myrrh is the dried oleo gum resin of a number of Commiphora or dhidin species of trees. The Myrrh trees are small or low thorny shrubs that grow in

rocky terrain

Like frankincense, it is produced by the tree as a reaction to a purposeful wound through the bark and into the sapwood.

The trees are bled in this way on a regular basis.

When at the tree, myrrh is waxy and brittle, but after the resin is collected into large bales it becomes a dry, hard and glossy substance that can be clear or opaque, and vary in color depending on aging from yellowish to almost black, with white streaks.

So valuable has it been at times in ancient history that it has been equal in weight value to gold. During times of scarcity its value rose even higher than that.

Since ancient times myrrh has been valued for its fragrance and its medicinal qualities as an aromatic wound dressing.

It is also one of the primary ingredients in the spices for preparation of the deceased.

The Ishmaelite caravan which carried Joseph to slavery in Egypt also bore myrrh (Gen 37:25). When Israel sent his sons into Egypt for food he told them to take along some myrrh as a gift for the man in charge (Gen 43:11).

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matt 2

Wise Men brought it as a gift to the infant Jesus.

Gold: for a king.

Frankincense: for God.

Why Myrrh?

Myrrh's various medicinal uses this gift represents Christ's human nature, the Suffering Savior, the Great Physician, and the Passion.

It also came to represent mortality, suffering, and sorrow

Although less than one pound was normally used in Israelite funerary preparations, Nicodemus brought "a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds" to prepare Jesus's body for burial (John 19:39). This was to show his respect for Christ.

According to Aquinas, myrrh and aloes, by their bitterness, their pleasant perfume, and their preserving qualities, represent the penance by which we preserve our souls from the corruption of sin and the pleasing odor of a good report rising before God (Aquinas - Summa Theologica v. 5 p. 694).

Song of Solomon 4:6

6 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee,I will go away to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense.”

Because myrrh (which is bitter) and frankincense (which is sweet) were used in the Temple, Mount Moriah (the Temple mount) was poetically referred to as the "mountain of myrrh" and the "hill of frankincense" The Church has also been referred to as a mountain of myrrh and frankincense (Wesley's Notes on the Bible)

Wormwood is often mentioned in instances where "intense bitterness" is the point trying to be made. "But in the end she (an adulteress) is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword", Proverbs 5:4. Southernwood, which is often grown today for its fragrant properties, is a species of wormwood. The term “gall” is often used for wormwood.

WORMWOOD

11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. (Rev 8)

Screwtape’s Nephew

Vegetables & Herbs

Coriander

Cumin

Dill

Coriander - The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31). Coriander remedies involve treating heartburn, impotence, toothache, and acid indigestion.

Isaiah 28:25    Does he not level its surface         And sow dill and scatter cummin         And plant wheat in rows,         Barley in its place and rye within its area?

Garlic

Wild gourd

Onion

Leeks

Garlic was prized by the Israelites . They complained of missing it after they left Egypt.

We remember….the leeks, the onions and the garlic….[Numbers 11:4-6]

“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.”  Luke 11:42.

Mint, listed biblically as menta, was seen as a valuable item in biblical times.

Exodus 12:8 and Numbers 9:11 –references to ‘bitter’ herbs

That Mint was tithed at all shows the value the Pharisees placed upon this herb. Imagine determining what one tenth of your mint crop was!

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 and produces great differences from this wild hybridization.

Textiles and Dyes  

Flax - The priest shall put on his linen vestments after putting on his linen undergarments next to his body; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar; and place them beside the altar (Leviticus 6:10).

Flax is not only used for clothing but also used as a treatment of cancer,

bronchitis, inflammation, and heart disease.

The cultivation of flax appears to have originated in India and spread over the whole continent of Asia at a very early period of antiquity.

History seems to imply that it was grown in Palestine even before the conquest of that country by the Israelites about 1300 B.C.

In the Old Testament it was one of the crops damaged by thunder and hail as the plague against the Egyptians for confining the Israelites to slavery (Exodus 9:13), and Rahab hid the spies Joshua sent out under flax on her roof (Joshua 2:6).

Saffron

Nard     

   Song of Solomon 4    13Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits,henna with nard, 14nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,  with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes,   with all choice spices—.

John 12:3 3Mary therefore took a pound of

expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped

his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."

Matthew 26:6-11

 6Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,7a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9For this could have been sold for a large sum and

given to the poor." 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.

Mark 14:3-8

Jesus Anointed at Bethany 3And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. 6But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8(She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.

SpikenardSpikenard (Nardostachys grandiflora or Nardostachys jatamansi; also called nard, nardin, and muskroot ) is a flowering plant of the Valerian family that grows in the Himalayas of China, also found growing in the northern region of India and Nepal.

The plant grows to about 1 m in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. Spikenard rhizomes (underground stems) can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency.

Nard oil is used as a perfume, an incense, a sedative, and an herbal medicine said to fight insomnia, birth difficulties, and other minor ailments. It was a prized perfume of Rome.

Lavender (genus Lavandula) was also known by the ancient Greeks as naardus, nard, after the Syrian city Naarda.

Spikenard today for a POUND would be approximately:

$1,425.00

Thistle

Milk Thistle - [T]horns and thistles it shall being forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field (Genesis 3:18).

Milk thistle is good for treating liver ailments

Mallow

Mallow was cut up by Job for food. This plant is the saltwort plant, which is a saline plant something like spinach and eaten by the poor.

Job 30:4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.

The Hebrew word for this plant is malluah ("salty"); it denotes a plant that has a salty taste or is raised in salty places. The mallow fits this description. The mallow bush grows abundantly in salt marshes along the Mediterranean and on the shores of the Dead Sea. It reaches about 3 m. (10 ft.) in height and has tiny purple flowers

Genesis 30:14-16   Leah’s son brought in some mandrakes (dudai were aphrodisiac plants, from the verb dod meaning love or beloved, as in Song of Solomon 7:13).   And Rachel so wanted these love potions that she agreed to let  Leah go in to her own husband Jacob that night in exchange for them. 

..The Mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits…[Song of Solomon 7:12-13]

• Mandrake

MandrakeUsed incorrectly, the toxins in the Mandrake can cause dizziness, insanity and even death.

Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus Mandragora belonging to the nightshades family (Solanaceae).

Because mandrake contains deliriant hallucinogenic tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine, hyoscyamine and the roots sometimes contain separations causing them to resemble human figures, their roots have long been used in magic rituals, today also in neopagan religions such as Wicca and Germanic revivalism religions such as Odinism.

All parts of the mandrake plant are poisonous. The plant grows natively in southern and central Europe and in lands around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on Corsica.

Stinging Nettle

Nettle - Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they huddle together (Job 30:7).

Nettle is excellent for treating allergies, arthritis, hay fever, and rheumatism.

Daffodils or Crocus

Isaiah 35

The Ransomed Shall Return

 1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;2it shall blossom abundantlyand rejoice with joy and singing.

Electron Microscope image of Pollen on Hyssop

Magnification x1400

WEB SITESwww. BiblicalGardens.com  - Interesting diverse site

 

http://www.sover.net/~hkfamily/Pages/PlantsInABiblicalGdn.html 

 

http://www.sover.net/~hkfamily/Pages/PlantList.html-  100 Bible Plants you can grow (most with pictures)

 

http://www.warsawbiblicalgardens.org/Info-Bank/oldmap.htm

 

 

BOOKS 

Plants of the Bible and their Uses.  Irene Jacob; Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden; Rodef Shalom Press, Pittsburgh PAhttp://www.wildflowers.co.il/english/spiceIndex.aspWildflowers and herbs of IsraelAllan Swenson's Plants of the Bible and How to Grow Them  -  First published in 1994 and recently republished and made a selection for the Crossings Book Club. 080-651-6151 $12.95, paper, 217 pages.

 Bible Plants for American Gardens by: Eleanor Anthony King

   Herbs & Plants of the Bible, Susan Wittig Albert, Thyme & Seasons Books

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary