Cypress
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(2 Chr 3:5; 1 Kgs 5:10; Isa 14:8; Ezek 27:5 and elsewhere) - a notable tall, slender conifer of Syria and Phoenicia. Together with cedar and pine it formed the glory of Lebanon: 'The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary' (Isa 60:13). Wealthy Romans adorned their country houses with cypresses, and the trees still ornamented Muslim cemeteries. Muslims saw immortality in its conical form, and Arabs called it shajarat al-hayat, the tree of life.