Bronze oil lamp handle in the shape of a vine leaf Mishnaic, (Late Roman) period

The Book of Deuteronomy (8:8) elaborates on the seven plants of the field and vine with which the Land of Israel is blessed: “A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey.” Ripened yields of these seven species were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. These crops and fruits represented in ancient Jewish art as decorative motifs. These motifs can be found in synagogues and on everyday objects, such as coins, seals, rings, lamps, jewelry, and glass vessels.

The Vine

The Land of Israel has always been known for its vineyards and their products. The vine symbolized the fertility of the land, and the people of Israel were likened to a vine planted by God. The vine, the cluster, the leaves, and the tendrils were frequent patterns of decoration. Grapes symbolized happiness and eternal life, and they were etched on to Maccabean coins, Bar-Kochba coins, and oil lamps. The vine pattern decorates ancient synagogues, coffins, and other objects. This ornamentation was meant to recall the Holy Temple, specifically where Herod affixed a vine of gold to the entrance to the Holy of Holies.

Vessel shaped like a pomegranate Late Israelite (Iron) period

The Pomegranate

The fruit of the pomegranate, juicy and full of seeds, was a common symbol of human, animal, and vegetable fertility. Ritual items, such as jars, pendants, scepters, and votive objects were sometimes designed in the shape of the pomegranate. Pomegranate ornaments embellished the hems of the garments of the High Priest. Copper pomegranates decorated Yachin and Boaz - the columns that were placed in the Temple's façade.

The FigLimestone fragment depicting fig leaves, from the synagogue at Capharnaum, 4th-6th Centuries CE

In Jewish sources, the fig represents a life of tranquility and quiet: “And every man sat under his vine and under his fig tree and was not afraid” (Micah 4:4). In the Bible, many allegories and images connect the fig with the people of Israel as its fruit is one of the fruits representing the yield of the land. Following Jewish tradition, which identifies the tree of knowledge as a fig tree, the fig is also related to the Torah.

Decorated shard depicting an olive branch (upper row) a vine branch (middle row) and a pomegranate branch (lower row) Mishnaic (Late Roman) PeriodThe Olive

The evergreen olive, which is strongly connected with the Land of Israel where it originated, was a metaphor for beauty, fertility, and strength. It was also a symbol of peace, hope, wisdom and happiness. The olive is mentioned many times in Jewish sources; it was the prime export of the Land of Israel and, throughout the generations, its fruit and oil served the Israelite population in many different ways.

Glass bottle in the shape of a date, 2nd-3rd Centuries CE

The Date

Dates, among the most ancient fruit trees in the Land of Israel, had a central function in the economic life of the inhabitants of the region. The branches of the date symbolize the abundant yield of the land. The branches also represent the wandering of the Israelites in the desert; the date's "lulav" (palm frond) is one of the four species associated with the holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Braid-like engravings of date tree branches were among the wall decorations in the Temple of Solomon. The date was the inspiration for the "palmate capital", a specific column capital from the Late Israelite period that decorated palaces and public structures.

Gnostic black slate gem, depicting a figure reaping barley, Talmudic (Byzantine) PeriodWheat and Barley

In ancient times, grain constituted a principal component of the human diet. This fact, in addition to the phenomenon of the sprouting of dry grain seeds in the ground, made wheat and barley a symbol of agricultural plenty and rebirth. Decorations portraying stalks of grain expressed hope and national rebirth. As such, this artistic motif was especially frequent in time period surrounding the Jewish wars against Rome.