Unveiling the Plant Living in the Desert (Jer 17:6): A Multidisciplinary Approach
Abstract
In the context of the study of plants in the Bible, some translation problems are related to the identification of the plant species referred to in the biblical text. One of the unresolved problems concerns the plant living in the desert of Jer 17:6, because the botanists’ proposals have not been understood in the same way by the exegetes: it is not clear whether it is a tree, a bush or a shrub and to which plant species it refers. After presenting the general characteristics of the study of plants in the Bible, the research presents proposals for identification by botanists and how these have been received by exegetes. The study of the biblical context integrated with the dynamics of plant growth allows a better understanding of the two opposing metaphorical images of Jeremiah: the plant living in the desert and the tree that grows along streams. The analysis indicates a generic tree which, due to the difficult environmental conditions, cannot develop as such and remains smaller in size. The best translation is therefore a generic shrub, which also allows the different interpretations to be reconciled.
Keywords:
Bible plants, tree metaphor, Jeremiah 17:5-8, opposing metaphorical images, forest interpretationIndependent Scholar
Rev. Andrea Lamonaca - Academic degrees:
- Licence in Biblical Theology (2021)
- D. in Science and Technology for Forest and Environmental Management (2006)
Publications: - Lamonaca, A. 2023. “L’utilizzo del cedro del Libano nella Bibbia e la metafora forestale di Sal 92,13-15.” Gregorianum 104 (2): 239–259. (https://doi.org/10.32060/Gregorianum.104/2.2023.239-259).
- Lamonaca, A., P. Corona, and A. Barbati. 2008. “Exploring forest structural complexity by multi-scale segmentation of VHR imagery.” Remote Sensing of Environment 112 (6): 2839–2849. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2008.01.017).
Field of interest:
- Bible Plants
- Tree metaphors in the Bible
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