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Apples of Gold (Apricot) Prunas armenaica (Rosaceae) "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11).
Neither were Solomon's 'apples of gold' oranges. Although oranges are one of Palestine's main exports, they are not indigenous and, in fact, have not been there all that long. There were no oranges in Palestine at the time of Solomon. Other candidates have been the citron (Citrus medica), which was ruled out owing to its bitter taste, and the quince (Cydonia oblonga), which fails to qualify for the same reason.
'As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste' (Song of Solomon 2:3). The Flowers and Fruits of the Bible John Chancellor |
The
'apple' of the Bible is not, in spite of the illustration, our common apple,
Pyrus malus. What it actually is has long been the subject of debate. The
argument against the common apple is that it is not a native of Palestine; in
the wild state its fruit was small and bitter and it would have taken many years
of cultivation before it could begin to resemble the fruit described so
glowingly by Old Testament writers.
The
apricot (Prunus armenaica) is now believed to be the 'apple' of the
Bible. References to 'apple' tree tell us that it offered shade, and that its
fruits were sweet-tasting, fragrant, gold in colour and set in silvery leaves.
This seems to point to the apricot, one of the most abundant fruits of the Holy
Land.