The walnut

(Song of Songs 6:11) — the walnut tree grows very tall and blossoms in April, and in September bears fruit. In Hebrew: egoz. The name of walnuts occurs in Holy Scripture only once, namely in the cited passage. Walnuts were cultivated in gardens in the time of Solomon, and in the early days of the Christian Church they grew predominantly on the shores of the Sea of Gennesaret. At present, walnut trees of this kind grow abundantly in Palestine, on Lebanon, and in other places. There they sometimes attain such size that up to 24 people can sit around the trunk of one of them. Oil is produced from the kernels of the fruit; the sturdy and handsome timber of this tree serves as excellent material for joinery, taking a fine polish.