Cucumbers – Vegetables
The cucumber is a water-filled vegetable that grows on a vine, and was commonly cultivated in Egypt. It is a staple diet throughout the ancient Near East. During the Old Testament period the growing season of the cucumber fields were guarded in order to discourage theft.
The plant was known in Old Testament times, and it was cultivated extensively in Egypt. The children of Israel longed for the cucumbers of Egypt. (Numbers 11:5).
The daughter of Zion guarded of vineyards and cucumber beds is referred to by the prophet Isaiah when he describes the desolation of Israel: ìThe daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbersî (Isaiah 1:8). The lodge is stated to be constructed rudely of four poles, with rafters laid across these; and branches cut from floor-covering, put on the top, to give shelter. The lodge would serve as protection from wild animals. When the harvest was over, the ëlodgeí was not taken down but was allowed to drop to pieces. It was a tedious ruin of poles and dried branches during more than half the year.
According to Pliny the Elder the cultivated cucumber was considered important medicinally. A pinch of the seed, for instance, in three fingers, beaten up with cumin and taken in wine, is extremely beneficial for a cough. It was used for dysentery, and for diseases of the liver. Taken in sweet wine, it is a diuretic; and, in combination with cumin, it is used as an injection for affections of the kidneys. (Pliny the Elder. 1855 p, 4210).
Reference:
Pliny the Elder. (1855). The Natural History, ed. John Bostock. Medford, MA: Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Cucumbers; Vegetables:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2334,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Cucumbers; Vegetables:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2334,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Cucumbers; Vegetables:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2334, (accessed).
