Ailanthus altissima is an ornamental tree grown mainly for shade and also for its leaves which the silkworm feeds on. Sounds prettier when it is called by its unscientific name: "tree of heaven".
The acacia thrives in the wilderness of Paran (the location of several historic events in the Bible). Because it can flourish in a barren desert, Semitic tribesmen call it: "tree of life".
Frankly, every tree on the planet represents a heavenly gift from a Life-Giving Source. Trees are what make the earth inhabitable, and they should be shown respect. Not worship and adoration. Just respect.
The best ways to show appreciation for these marvelous creations is to plant, paint or photograph them. Being neither a talented photographer, artist or gardener, writing about them is my way of showing gratitude.
Having so many to choose from, the selection - the palm tree and the fig tree - was narrowed down based on two criteria: memories of my youth or plants that grow in a place that would be nice to visit.
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Comments
@DerdriuMarriner - Appreciate your comments. Thanks for visiting! :)
cmoneyspinner, Me, too, I also used to look askance at Nabisco Fig Newtons!
Writing about trees is fascinating, isn't it? There is nothing dull about trees.
Point made. Point taken. :)
The Romans did not care what trees they used to crucify others. Jewish law, however, did care about how trees were used. Jews did not crucify; crucifixion was a Roman punishment.
The sins of Solomon are hardly debatable. He did lots of them,intensely and often
The key point is that trees are worthy of respect.
@frankbeswick - Just wanted to be sure we were on the same page regarding trees. Didn't want to get into a detailed discussion of the law of Moses and a debate over the sins of King Solomon in the comments section of my article. That's all.
No doubt you've had that happen to you. You're having a conversation about a topic and then someone goes off in a related but completely different direction. It's not that you think what they're saying is irrelevant. You just want to maintain the "thread" you've established.
For example, I could go: Hmmm? What kind of trees were used for crucifixions? Fruit trees? Well clearly the Romans didn't care if they violated Deut 20: 19- 20!
So I appreciate your comment. It's food for thought. Because now I really am wondering what kinds of trees were used for crucifixions and how many trees of life became trees of death. You got me thinking.
Where am I coming from? Where you came from: trees deserve respect. God says so.
@frankbeswick - Don't know where you're coming from with the scriptural application but I stand by what I say. Trees Deserve Respect. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
Deuteronomy, chapter 20, verses 19-20: The Bible forbids the gratuitous felling of the trees belonging to enemies in war. "Is the tree in the fields human that you should besiege it too? "These verses particularly ban the felling of fruit trees.
wow the palm trees and sunset room decal looks excellent, and thank you for the link to my page :)
@frankbeswick, @EmmaSRose - Well Happy Saturday back at the both of you!!!
This article was actually inspired by one of my children. Our family relocated to Austin, Texas from El Paso. We drove our truck and moving van. When we got here one of my kids asked: "Are we in Austin yet?" I replied: "Yes". And I'll never forget. She said: "Wow! They have trees!"
I wasn't really expecting that comment. El Paso is very much desert and it is hard to grow green stuff there. It never occurred to me that the scenery in Austin would be so different that my kids would notice it!! :)