Show biblical fruit not the apple of modern times the apple Is so common and at the same time so highly esteemed a fruit that the action of the translators of the bible in translating the hebrew word apple need not be wondered at evidently the was a well known cultivated tree in the holy land with a sweet fragrant strengthening fruit song of solomon UI 5 VH 8 VIII 5 and a tree giving shade therefore 0 some size according to joel it was also a tree so well known so useful that its withering was a calamity a curse to the country to our translators the apple would be just such a tree to english speaking people and so we have the word in our bables apple Is often used figuratively by english people as oak apple tor the oak gall the apple of the eye rose apple etc as befitting any round fruit or thing and so might have seemed to the makers of our authorized ver blon a good loosely fitting hame to ap ply to an unknown fruit that it was correctly applied Is not possible the climate of palestine Is too hot for this tree which thrives in more northerly temperatures up north of palestine in syria near damascus it Is found and bears fruit there are a few apple trees here and there in the bioly land but these are usually barren are of late post christian days and are by no means high ly montreal family herald |