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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.