Biblical Fruits and Grains: The Pomegranate

The Pomegranate –

Its tree or shrub generally grows to a height of 20 - 30 feet, and produces a grenade-like fruit, which is compared to an apple in its shape. Within its skin are hundreds of pods which are eaten raw or squeezed for juice. The tree itself is a flowery shrub-like deciduous evergreen with crimson flowers.

The plant thrives in soils with high alkalinity, upon brackish irrigation waters, and in dry climates where the temperature doesn’t usually fall below 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Pomegranate tree will bear fruit about 3 years from its planting, but the fruit must remain up for 6-7 months after flowering. If it does not remain attached, the fruit will never sweeten/ripen. Once plucked, its fruit is the same as that of the apple. It is a favorite sustenance of lepers, who derive some apparent relief from its properties.

The pomegranate is highly susceptible to infestation and dry rot, as well as soft rot (from over-watering). Vinegar would have been applied to the plant to combat caterpillar infestations.

The Pomegranate is used by tanners in the tanning of leather. The root bark, fruit rinds, and even the trunk bark have solutions of tannin hovering around 25% in them. The bark of the stem and root are used in the treatment of tapeworm infestations, but mild overdoses can cause a simultaneous dual direction “body cleanse”.

The presence of the Pomegranate, along with the Vine, the Fig, and the Olive, is considered to be linked to G-D’s Temple Blessing upon Israel (Haggai 2:13).

The Passover lamb is required to be roasted whole while suspended on a dry pomegranate branch.

During the time of first fruits, Jewish tradition tells us:

"When a person goes down to his field and sees (for the first time) a ripe fig or a ripe cluster of grapes, or a ripe pomegranate, he binds a reed or grass ribbon around it and says, 'These are the firstfruits...'" (Bikkurim 1:1)

In I Samuel 14:2 ff., while Saul rested under a Pomegranate Tree with his 600 bodyguards about him, G-D used Saul’s son Jonathan and his armor bearer in his delivering Israel from the Philistines, who were on the threshold of victory in defeating Israel.


The Pomegranate is also associated with the Temple's High Priest.

The Crimson flowers and the fruit rinds of the pomegranate were used to make red dyes used in both textile work (Exodus 28:31,33,34) and in the dying of wool, such as that of the High Priest’s garment.

The High Priest wore 8 “garments” –the breastplate, the robe, the tunic, the crown, the pants, the turban, and the belt. In these he used 3 materials: twisted linen, dyed wool, and gold. Gold was used in only the high priest’s crown and in the pomegranate bells at the hem of his garment (Exodus 28:34, 36). There were 72 pomegranate shaped bells on this hem, with sky blue, crimson red, and dark red wools.