Friday, August 6, 2010

Terebinth or Pistacia atlantica. Variously translated as "terebinth", "oak", "balsam" and "mulberry" in English Bible. The Hebrew word for Pistacia is "elâh". Some of these trees can grow upto 1000 years! What we saw is said to be 400-600 years old.

In Israel there are 5 species of Pistacia: 1) P. lentiscus; 2) P. atlantica; 3) P. saportae Burnat; 4) P. palaestina; 5) P. khinjuk Stocks. The Atlantic Pistacia is the larger one and therefore assumed to be the one referred to in the Scriptures.
Famous biblical personalities associated with pistacia are
1) Abraham: The “oaks of Mamre,” where Abraham settled in Hebron (Genesis 13:18).
2) Gideon: He was by a large pistacia when called by God (Judges 6:11).
3) David: He faced Goliath in the Valley of the Pistacias (I Samuel 17:2).
4) Absalom: His head was trapped in a large pistacia (II Samuel 18:9).



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