Bible Dictionaries
Palms

Holman Bible Dictionary

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera ) was among the earliest cultivated trees. Five thousand-year-old inscriptions from Mesopotamia give instruction for their cultivation. Palms are characteristic of oases and watered places (Exodus 15:27; Numbers 33:9 ). The fruit of the date palm is highly valued by desert travelers since it may be consumed fresh or else dried or made into cakes for a portable and easily storable food. Jericho was known as the city of palms (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; Judges 3:13 ). The judge Deborah rendered her decisions under a palm bearing her name (Judges 4:5 ). The palm was a symbol of both beauty (Song of Song of Solomon 7:7 ) and prosperity (Psalm 92:12 ). Thus, images of palms were used in the decoration of the Temple (1Kings 6:29,1 Kings 6:35; 1 Kings 7:36 ) and were part of Ezekiel's vision of the new Temple (Ezekiel 40:16 ,Ezekiel 40:16,40:22 ,Ezekiel 40:22,40:26 ). Palms were used in the construction of the booths for the festival of booths (Leviticus 23:40; Nehemiah 8:15 ). In John 12:13 , the crowd used palm branches to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem. See Dates; Plants.