A Fruitful History
Pomegranates have been around since ancient times.
The fruit has many biblical links, from ornamenting the high priests’ robes to decorating Solomon’s temple. Some scholars say that the pomegranate, rather than the apple, was the fruit that Eve gave to Adam in the Garden of Eden, as apples aren’t indigenous to the area.
They can be synonymous with desire. “Let us go early to the vineyards,” says the Song of Songs, “and if the pomegranates are in bloom… there I will give you my love.”
Pomegranates are one of the so-called seven species associated with the Promised Land, which Deuteronomy describes as “a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.”
Other cultures too have shared a love of pomegranates. The ancient Egyptians put them in their tombs. In Greek myth, Persephone was unable to resist their allure. To the Chinese, pomegranates are associated with fertility and bounty.
The Spanish brought the pomegranate to America in the 18th century. The words grenade, garnet and Granada are derived from it.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
