They will be called oaks of righteousness,
Isaiah 61:3b
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
East of Tel Aviv is a park called Neot Kedumim, which is dedicated to the plants of the Bible. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend spending a few hours here. The Bible is filled with plants and this park gives some insights into object lessons which are not always apparent.
There are several trails to choose from. We chose the trail with the theme of “milk and honey” and set off. It was split in two parts. In the first portion of the trail we saw each of the seven species of the land of Israel, derived from Deuteronomy: “a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey” (8:8), which can be seen below:
Of course, water is essential in agriculture. As the wheel is turned, it scoops water into jars, which then pours it in a trough.
The last part of the trail guided us through the four species of the festival of Sukkot. “On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40). The rabbis enumerated the specific plants that were to be used. During the festival, the people were to live in booths (Leviticus 23:42) At the end of the trail there is a small village of sukkot (booths), taking quotes from Jewish law about how to not construct a sukkah, which was quite entertaining.
