We have long known almonds were popular in the Holy Land when great events occurred there. The Bible references this when we research the life of trees and look at the science of agriculture.
In the teachings of the Bible, we learn that Moses was chosen to build and furnish a temple. He was given specific instructions, and when he started subcontracting, he clarified what was expected in every aspect of the job.
Bezaleel was the skilled artisan assigned to create the ark, including a candelabrum of pure gold. The language is still here in Exodus 25:
It may sound like Moses wanted ten cups of almonds, but the translation is a little murky; cups to hold the lamp oil could hardly be shaped like an actual almond. Instead, the craftsman was likely expected to shape and design the actual cups. To put it another way, a cup may have been engraved with the image of the almond blossom flower. When nuts were mentioned in the Bible, they referenced what people ate and how nuts were used in the arts.
In Numbers, we find a magical transformation. “The rod of Aaron . . . was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds.” There is another talk of rods. In Jeremiah, “I see a rod of almond.” In Genesis, “. . . Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazelnut and chestnut tree .” It is spelled that way in the Bible, with no middle “t.” Also, in Genesis, this reference is to a nice-sounding combination: “honey, gum, Myhre, pistachio nuts, and almonds .”
In the Song of Solomon, the narrator says, “I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded .” When the Bible says “nuts,” it is probably walnuts or pistachios.
Finally, this is from Ecclesiastes, “The almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags.” We are not sure what this translation means. In conclusion, the mention of nuts in the Bible is one of the oldest known.
