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A messianic cross in the shape of a
pomegranate, white background.
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Description of Illustration: pastel illustration of a pomegranate cross
Pomegranates were known in Ancient Israel as the fruits which the scouts brought to Moses to demonstrate the fertility of the "promised land". The Book of Exodus describes the me'il ("robe of the ephod") worn by the Hebrew high priest
as having pomegranates embroidered on the hem alternating with golden
bells which could be heard as the high priest entered and left the Holy of Holies. According to the Books of Kings, the capitals of the two pillars (Jachin and Boaz) that stood in front of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates. Solomon is said to have designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx).
It is traditional to consume pomegranates on Rosh Hashana because, with its numerous seeds, it symbolizes fruitfulness. Also, it is said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah. This particular tradition is referred to in the opening pages of Ursula Dubosarsky's novel Theodora's Gift.
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The pomegranate appeared on the ancient coins of Judea. When not in use, the handles of Torah scrolls are sometimes covered with decorative silver globes similar in shape to "pomegranates" (
rimmonim). Some Jewish scholars believe the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Pomegranates are one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים,
Shiv'at Ha-Minim) of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel.
The pomegranate is mentioned in the Bible many times, including this
quote from the Songs of Solomon, "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,
and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate
within thy locks." (Song of Solomon 4:3). Pomegranates also symbolize
the mystical experience in the Jewish mystical tradition, or kabbalah,
with the typical reference being to entering the "garden of
pomegranates" or pardes rimonim; this is also the title of a book by the
16th-century mystic Moses ben Jacob Cordovero.
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