Almond trees bloom as early as January in the Holy Land. The flowers bloom out long before the leaves. The almond tree, Amygdalus communis, has blossoms that are pink or white. This fruit tree belongs to the same family as the peach. The tree bears fruit with a heavy, leather-like covering that is wrinkled and serves as casing for the shell and its nut. Almonds are used worldwide for their oil. One hundred and fourteen pounds of the fruit/nut will yield 50 pounds of oil. It seems the almond was not grown in Egypt, according to Walker, for at a time of famine in the land, Jacob instructed his sons to go there requesting help from the governor, who was actually his son Joseph. "... carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds..." Genesis 43:11. Wild almond trees found on Mt. Carmel grow to a height of 16 feet. During the times of the Maccabees the almond image was on the shekel.
Source: All the Plants of the Bible -Winifred Walker
Numbers 17:1 (KJV) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 17:2 (KJV) Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one
of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes
according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's
name upon his rod.
Numbers 17:3 (KJV) And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi:
for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
Numbers 17:8 (KJV) And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into
the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi
was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Jeremiah 1:11 (KJV) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
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