Barley
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Exod. 9:31; Lev. 27:16; Num. 5:15; Judg. 7:13; Job 31:40; Ruth 1:22; 2:17; John 6:9, 13, and elsewhere)—a widely cultivated grain in Palestine. Barley ripened earlier than wheat: Egypt’s barley was in the ear when the plague of hail struck (Exod. 9:31), and the barley harvest formed the setting for Ruth’s arrival in Bethlehem and her gleaning in Boaz’s field. The firstfruits sheaf was presented during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:10-14).