Several books have been written describing the plants mentioned
in the Bible that are associated with rituals of hospitality and healing. Mary’s
Flower: Gardens, Legends and Meditations written by Vikncenzina Kyrmow with
meditations by M. Jean Frisk and illustrations by A. Joseph Barrish, S.M. Published by St. Anthony Messenger Press in
2002 this book describes the development of flower gardens that honor Mary of
Nazareth along with various titles and legends about her.
Healing
Plants of the Bible: History, Lore and Meditations was written
and illustrated by the same trio and published in the same year by the same
press. It describes the medicinal and
healing properties of the plants mentioned in Scripture and mentions those that
have been dedicated to or are symbolic of some aspect of the life of Mary of
Nazareth. It does not describe their historic use by Jewish women in rituals of
hospitality and healing. The main purpose of the book like the previous one is
to assist one in planting or enjoying a garden dedicated to Mary as a spiritual
exercise. Both books provide references
for locating exceptional gardens of this type.
A beautifully illustrated meditation book called Bible Flowers published in 1997 uses
15th century manuscripts from Flanders and Burgundy to illustrate the flowers
mentioned in Scripture. Each of the twenty-eight images are accompanied by a
scripture quote presented as a visual and thought-provoking meditation. It is a delightful devotional book with the
intention of illuminating Scripture, primarily Hebrew Scripture.
A fourth book Plants,
Flowers and Herbs of the Bible written by W. E. Shewell-Cooper and
published in 1977, provides a scientific taxonomy of plants that were in use in
Israel and other parts of in the Middle East in the time of Jesus. There are separate chapters on flowers,
fruits, vegetables and herbs, trees, grasses and grains and weeds. The book delves into details of farming
methods, pest control, manuring and irrigation. It is most useful for confirming the
botanical names and properties of plants identified in other sources, and
learning about how they were grown.
For my purpose of discovering more about plants used by women
involved in the ministry of hospitality and healing in the early church, the
1957 edition of All the Plants in the
Bible by Winnifred Walker has been a most helpful resource. Her taxonomy provides accurate botanical
illustrations along with the English, botanical and Hebrew names for each of
the plants and gives the Scripture quote in which they are mentioned. The following illustrations come from this
book. The rest of the information is
gathered from these five sources, the fourth edition of Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential
Oils and various online sources.
