Almond

The almond tree and its fruit are of major importance in Israel both as a cultural concept and in the physical landscape. The almond is found in the very earliest literary sources and is specifically mentioned as being one of the “choice products of the land” (Gen. 43:11).

This is the phrase that Jacob uses in his conversation with his sons (around 1700 BCE), when he wants them to go again to Egypt to bring back provisions: Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man – some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts and almonds.”

For the prophet Jeremiah the almond symbolized moving forward and getting things done speedily: “The word of the Lord came to me: What do you see, Jeremiah? I replied: I see a branch of an almond tree. The Lord said to me: You have seen right, for I am watchful to bring My word to pass.” (Jeremiah 1:11)

Numbers 17:22-23 reports that “Moses deposited the staff before the Lord, in the Tent of the Pact. The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had sprouted: it has brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms and borne almonds.”

In Ecclesiastes (Qohelet) 12:5, there is a specific reference to “the almond tree”. Elsewhere in the Bible, its fruit and blossom are mentioned – mainly in Exodus.

A deciduous tree: Blossom - The almond tree has a special place in Israeli hearts, as it blossoms gloriously, before its leaves sprout. In the winter, from January to March, almond blossom is the harbinger of the approaching springtime and in Israeli culture and folklore, the almond tree is the symbol of spring, of renewal, of hope.

The flowers, that are 3-5 cm. across, with five sepals in each calyx, grow in groups and their delicate coloring – from white to pale pink – attracts great attention and joy. Hermaphrodite and very fragrant, the flowers attract insects and offer up their pollen and nectar.

Each drupe contains one large seed, which has a soft, green covering that is very hard at first, but as it ripens the covering drops off or can be peeled away. In Israel the fruit ripens from July to August.

A native of west Asia and North Africa, it is found mainly in the Mediterranean region but also in Asia and as far as the center of China. It is cultivated widely – in warm regions for its nuts and elsewhere for ornament. Its distribution in Israel is typical for Mediterranean countries, growing wild in woods in the Galilee, the Golan Heights, Samaria and the Judean Mountains, usually alongside carob and terebinth trees.