Few fruits hold the religious and cultural weight of the pomegranate in the Holy Land. Sacred to Jews, Christians and Armenians, woven into Greek myth, and beloved as a winter staple of the Palestinian table , the pomegranate carries layers of meaning that stretch from the Garden of Eden to the icons of village churches. Below is a look at its place in Holy Land tradition.
Background
The vivid red pomegranate has long been a staple of the Holy Land diet and cuisine. The common Punica granatum is a deciduous tree that originated in Persia and has since spread across the world, settling especially well in warm, dry climates.
As with the olive tree, the pomegranate tree can live for a long time, with certain specimens reaching nearly two hundred years of age in ideal conditions.
The first pomegranates usually begin their annual return to the fruit market stalls in late summer, and give fruit through nearly the whole winter. Their relatively long shelf life and tough peel make them ideal for transportation and storage.
Their rounded, orange like shape with rough, sometimes spiky petals once resembled the first hand held bombs used by Europeans , which is how the world came by the word granade, or in English, grenade.
Uses and Benefits
Rich in vitamins, micronutrients and fiber, the pomegranate is an exceptionally healthy fruit. In the Holy Land it is a popular juice, salad ingredient, side dish and dessert fruit all at once, along with serving as the base for molasses and vinegar. The pomegranate has also been a staple of traditional medicine and home remedies since the earliest ages of civilization. While it takes some practice and patience to separate the seeds from the bitter husk, and the red juice can stain linens with ease, those who persevere in the task are deliciously rewarded.
Religious and Cultural Significance
The pomegranate enjoys universal love across the Holy Land and is rich in religious symbolism and cultural meaning.
- The ancient Greeks believed that three pomegranate seeds were what cursed Persephone to the Underworld, bringing on the bitter Mediterranean winter each year.
- In some Abrahamic legends, it was a pomegranate tree, not an apple, that bore the Forbidden Fruit of the Garden of Eden through which Adam and Eve fell from innocence.
- The Jewish people traditionally eat pomegranates on the feast of Rosh Hashanah, in honor of their symbolism of fruitfulness. Some sects regard the pomegranate as a sacred fruit in its own right.
- The Armenian association with the pomegranate is no less profound. Considered the national symbol of Armenia, the fruit is also identified as the symbol of marriage and fertility. The countless ceramic shops of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem brim with crockery, decorative plates and tiles painted with pomegranates, alongside life sized ceramic sculptures of the fruit itself.
- As with Judaism, the Christian faith also recognizes the symbolic sanctity of the pomegranate. The act of breaking the rough peel to gather the sweet seeds within has been read as a metaphor of the Passion of Christ, in which suffering reveals an abundant treasure from within.
- In the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank, the pomegranate (known by its Arabic name Roman) holds a special significance. The village icon of the Virgin Mary depicts the Christ child holding a pomegranate. As pomegranates are also a symbol of fertility, the icon carries layered meaning for those who venerate it.
- The pomegranate seed is also used in Christian burial and memorial rites. A traditional wheat based dish known as koliva is prepared with pomegranate seeds as an edible, decorative and symbolic element, placed prominently atop the dish to represent the renewal and continuation of life through the Passion of Christ. Koliva is brought by grieving families to funerals and memorial services, to be shared in gratitude with those who have come to pay their respects.
- For all peoples of the Holy Land, the pomegranate is also a reminder of the abundance of the land, even in the cold heart of winter.
While those in northern climates may find it harder to come by a fresh pomegranate, do not miss the opportunity to taste a Holy Land pomegranate on your visit , as a fresh fruit, a glass of juice, a savory course or a dessert. You will not be disappointed.
We at Bethlehem Handicrafts are proud to put the Holy Land in your hand by giving you the finest original Bethlehem olive wood carvings, crafted with care in the Holy Land.
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