The Secret Plant Life of an Ancient Judean Garden

The Secret Plant Life of an Ancient Judean Garden
Note and information provided by Shirah Miriam Aumann

Hi George – this is pretty exciting news from Jerusalem about an archaeological dig just on the outskirts on a Moshav Ramat Rachel. I have actually stayed there for a week one time as it is sort of a retreat but close in to Jerusalem, so very handy for a time of refreshing not far from home…

Hope all is well – it is HOT! Just living until Monday when the temps are supposed to become kinder!

I think you will enjoy the article as I did… Take care, Mimi

The Secret Plant Life of an Ancient Judean Garden
Post Bridges for Peace - July 6, 2012
Source by Karin Kloosterman

Ramat Rachel is an ongoing archaeological dig on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem. A 2,500-year-old garden at the site, probably built by local Judeans, holds many secrets about the past waiting to be uncovered. An elaborate network of irrigation channels made it clear that this was a garden, but what was planted in it has been a big mystery.

New research by Tel Aviv University into ancient pollen found embedded in plaster suggests something very exciting for Jewish and natural historians of the region. Among the imported species of trees and plants determined by pollen analysis to have grown in the garden is the citron tree. According to the researchers, this pollen is evidence for the first cultivation of the citron tree, which is not native to Israel.

What makes it interesting for traditional Jews is that the citron, or etrog in Hebrew, is a powerful and mystical symbol used during the Jewish holiday of Succoth [Feast of Tabernacles]. An unusually fragrant citrus fruit, the etrog accompanies a bundle of three other plant species—willow, palm frond and myrtle—used in the week-long festive fall holiday.

Could it be that the trees imported to Ramat Rachel thousands of years ago by foreigners have made such a lasting impact on the land of Israel and the traditions that the people abide by today?

Researchers at the site of Ramat Rachel––Prof. Oded Lipschits, Dr. Yuval Gadot and Dafna Langgut––think so. That’s why they are investing much energy into understanding the pollen deposits located at the ancient garden. The hope is one day to reconstruct it in all its glory.

Read the rest of this interesting and informative article here> http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/news/article/the-secret-life-of-plants-in-an-ancient-royal-judean-garden/