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Many of the plants mentioned in the Bible don’t quite match up to the flora of the ancient Holy Land. This is due mainly to misinterpretation, plant species having several names or name changes, and authors of versions of the Bible changing a plant name to be more familiar to readers. We know from ancient documents like the Ebers’ papyrus, 1500 BC, and cuneiform clay tablets, 500 BC, that there was a very active trade route of an estimated 2,000 different species of spices and medicinal herbs from Egypt to Mesopotamia and beyond. The linguistics study of botanical names in Hebrew and Akkadian is advancing and uncovering mistranslations. Palynology, the study of ancient grains, dust, and pollen, is discovering more medicinal plants from Old Testament times. From this, we can more accurately figure out what plants are mentioned in the Bible, but it is nowhere near the guarantee of 100% accuracy. It is a general consensus that there are 45 different plants mentioned in the Bible.
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HERBS AND PLANTS MENTIONED IN BIBLE
This section will be a slow build. The goal is to create a list of herbs mentioned in the Bible. I will start with what the current translations of the Bible say. Then, I will add, if possible, what the original untranslated Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek biblical scriptures say, the translation, and what researchers believe are the more accurate possibilities through archaeology research. Honestly, I’m not even sure how this will work completely. I am confident it will change, and mistakes will be made as I research more. I am in no way a Biblical scholar; I just think this is very interesting and would like to know more.
Cinnamon
Exodus 30:23 23 ”Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
Revelation 18:13 13 cargos of cinnamon and spice, of incense , myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of me.
Cinnamon is mentioned several times in the Bible. It often symbolizes divine favor and luxury in biblical texts and is part of sacred rituals and offerings. Flasks dated back to 1000 BC located in Israel have been found containing the compound cinnamaldehyde, a chemical that gives cinnamon its flavor.
Garlic
Numbers 11:5 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost-also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
The mention of garlic refers to bulbs growing in Egypt. Archeology leaves little doubt that garlic was grown in the Holy Land. Garlic is in many ancient writings, specifically Egyptian writings. Its symbolism in biblical contexts represents spirituality, health, and vitality.
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