Ziziphus spina-christi, known as the Christ's thorn jujube, is an evergreen tree or plant native to the
Levant,
East Africa, and
Mesopotamia.[3] Fruit and leaves from the tree were used in preparing ancient Egyptian foods and cultural practices.
Ecology
In the Levant, it grows in valleys up to an elevation of 500 m,[4] and is drought tolerant and heat-resistant.[5] The ripe fruits are edible.[6] The seed, contained within a small, oblong woody pit, is opened and eaten by local fauna, including the
rock hyrax.
The oldest known Z. spina-christi is located in
Ir Ovot, in the south of
Israel.[11] It is estimated to be between 1500 and 2000 years old.[12][13] It is believed locally to be the very tree from which Jesus' crown of thorns was made.[14] It is the national tree of
Qatar and the symbol of the central
Arava.
Easton, M.G. (1893). Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature: With Numerous Illustrations and Important Chronological Tables and Maps. London, Edinburgh and New York: T. Nelson and Sons.