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FLOWERS OF THE BIBLE by Peggy Metcalf
Palestine’s climate 3000 years ago made its land profuse with wildflowers and palm
trees. Remarkably, by Biblical times, only the lily, the rose, and the camphire, in addition
to blossoms of shrubs and trees (such as the almond tree), are mentioned in books of the
Bible.
The Song of Solomon (2:1) mentions all three flowers, along with pomegranates, fruits,
camphire, spikenard, and saffron. The spikenard mentioned is nothing like American
spikenard; rather, it is a Himalayan plant whose roots are used to extract a precious
ointment and perfume. Saffron is a product of a species of crocuses native to Greece and
Asia Minor, and was used in curry and as a yellow dye.
Camphire is a shrub, and is a variation of henna. Its small flowers, either yellow or
white, are very fragrant, and its leaves, when dried and crushed, are used as a cosmetic.
Roses are mentioned frequently in the Bible. Botanists now agree that what we call
narcissus, crocus, rock rose, and oleander were variously referred to as “roses” in Biblical
times.
Although Jesus spoke of the vine, the orchard, and the garden, He mentioned only flower
the lilies of the field () by name. The lily, of all the flowers mentioned in the Bible, is the
most famous. There are differences of opinion about the lily. Some scholars believe that
there are five or six kinds of plants of that name. One of them is the yellow flag, an iris
common in the Holy Land. Hebrew botanists are convinced that the “lilies of the field”
were actually chamomile, a white, daisy-like flower. The lilies mentioned in the Song of
Solomon are now regarded as being a deep blue, fragrant hyacinth, a flower native to
Palestine and Lebanon. Also native to northern Palestine is the white Madonna lily, the
one we traditionally associate with Easter.
Resources: From the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois, Nature Bulletins
713 (Flowers of the Bible), 188-A (Plants of the Bible) , and 676-A (Trees of the Bible),
available on-line via NEWTON, an electronic community for educators.