Re: fig tree in Israel?

At 11:48 PM 12/1/2004 -0500, Ralph Matthews wrote: 
Please tell me: Is the Fig tree native to Israel?
Ralph

Hi Ralph -

For a fruit that has been cultivated since before 7000BC, this is likely very difficult to establish with certainty. But many references point to the modern regions of Syria and Afghanistan for the nativity of Ficus carica, the cultivated fig. Other references mention the specific epithet, carica, referring to the ancient region of Caria, which seems to lie in Asia minor between the Mediterranean and Black Seas. I've seen some references mention the city Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, on the South-West Agean coast of Turkey) as the capital of Caria. The fig is the first tree mentioned in the bible. Because of its importance as food, this species has been spread the various other parts of the world since antiquity.

Regards,
Seán O.

h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara sean@support.net
1034A Virginia Street, Berkeley, California 94710-1853, U.S.A.

Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index