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.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30