Many Hebrew parents named their girls “date palm,” a name that symbolized elegance, grace, and beauty.
These trees once flourished in the Holy Land. The ancients called Jericho “the city of palms,” and some believe the date palm could be the oldest fruit-bearing tree in the world.
Date palms stretch toward heaven, growing a foot a year. They can reach heights of 80-100 feet, especially if suckers are pruned. Each leaf on its “crown” can grow 10-20 feet in length, sheltering clusters of fruit. Each cluster can weigh as much as 20-40 pounds and bear 600-1700 dates. The palms can produce fruit for over 60 years.
An Arab saying states that a palm should have its “head in the fire and its roots in the water.” They are “children of the desert,” and their presence in the burning sand signifies a place of rest and refreshment, life-giving water and nourishment for the body. An oasis in a harsh world.
The stem of the date palm sways back and forth in a storm, flexible and unyielding. Its length bears scars showing where leaves have fallen off.
Ancients celebrated its more than 360 uses from beauty to food to medicine to building. The tree could satisfy almost every temporal need.
Amazing trees.
Symbols of strength, prosperity, joy, and victory.
People often waved branches in the air or carpeted the road to honor winning athletes, conquering heroes, and arriving kings.
Like Jesus.
I envision my tattooed picture on and my name carved into His palm.
Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King
That was beautiful, Sandra. Let me be a palm, too.
Isn't a privilege that we can share our hand with His?
This is lovely!
I also learned that though a palm will produce fruit for so many years, it won't start producing for almost 10 years. I think there's a lesson there, too.