Is the date palm fruit descended from the Garden of Eden? In the most widely told version of Islamic tales it is said that the Arch angel Gabriel by Gods bidding told Adam in the Garden of Eden, to cut his hair and his fingernails and bury the clippings in the ground. From that spot sprung a fully grown date palm tree with clusters of ripe delicious juicy dates. Adam fell to his knees and thanked the Angel whereby the angle stated that we are created of the same material as the tree, which henceforth shall nourish us. The tale goes on to say that Satan appeared shortly after and asked why Adam was worshiping a tree. Upon being told of what happened he became so angry that he shed tears of rage. As his tears wet the palm tree’s roots, they brought up sharp spines, that to this day grow on the base of leaves.
Since the palm trees are of man is this why we share similar characteristics with the palm; We both have 2 sexes, the palm tree parishes when exposed to too much strain, and when its head is cut off it will die promptly. The palm tree has a ancient and romantic history. The tree is in fact one of the oldest cultivated trees in the world.
The date palm tree has served as the staple to the Middles East and the Sahara Desert, as rice, potatoes and wheat has served in other cultures. There has been extensive research on the origin, biology and habitat of the tree, but even today, no one can, with certainty, pinpoint its original home. Dating from civilizations goes back as far as 6 thousand years ago according to some studies, all the way back to the Mesopotamia, which today is the borders of modern Iraq. This does not mean the trees originated from there, in fact there is no data telling where the date palm tree originated. The most detailed ancient records on the date palm and its cultivation date back to the Code of Hammuabi, the earliest king of the first Babylonian dynasty. The portions of the code dedicated to it talk of regulating the sale of the date palm, and renting it as well as the cultivation of date orchards. It is also interesting to note that the date palm is made reference to in the Bible. In the book of Psalms it notes “that the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” Thus the date palm tree is rich in its history and its history is told in many great tales dating back to as far as man can communicate.
