October 24, 2013 (Thursday)
We have a pomegranate tree in our back yard. It has several pomegranates on it now.
Pomegranates are mentioned in the Old Testament 25 times. They are significant as fruit in the Holy Land, and have symbolic significance in Judaism.
The natural beauty of the flowers and fruit of the pomegranate were used in the ornamentation of the Tabernacle. The High Priest’s robe was also hemmed with “pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof.”
When King Solomon completed the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, the pillars were topped with cast pomegranates.
The pomegranate fruit retains the outer casing of its flower, and it resembles a crown. It is said that Solomon designed his crown based on the shape of the pomegranate’s calyx.
Each piece of fruit is filled with hundreds of hard seeds. For some, they symbolize the many commandments in the Torah. They are on the menu for Rosh Hashannah (New Year), the many seeds symbolizing fruitfulness.
Many people believe the pomegranate is a miracle fruit, preventing or curing heart problems, arthritis, and other ailments.
The pomegranate has symbolic meaning in other cultures and religions also.
