Today, we’ll introduce two kinds of nuts that are mentioned in the Bible and are still very common and popular today − e•goz, nut (especially walnut), and bo•ten, peanut.
We usually use their names in plural form because usually more than one are eaten for a meal. Nuts, then, are ‘ego•zim,’ and peanuts are ‘bot•nim.’
Both nuts are mentioned only once in the Bible, along with two very important fruits that are part of the Seven Species we discussed a month ago. These fruits are ‘rimon’ (pomegranate) and ‘gefen’ (grape). Their importance is due to their being a gift and a blessing from God to His people upon entering the Land of Israel. It is worth mentioning that modern science nowadays finds each of the Seven Species to contain super healing ingredients.
“I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see if the vine had blossomed, to see if the pomegranates were in bloom”
Walnuts are called in Hebrew ‘ego•zey me•lech,’ ‘king nuts.’
The second nut is ‘boten,’ which is mainly known in its plural form ‘botnim,’ peanuts. This nut was apparently precious and was offered as a gift to Joseph (then the ruler of Egypt) by his father and his brothers:
“And their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your utensils, and carry down a present to the man, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds'”
Peanuts are also called in Hebrew ‘ego•zey a•da•ma,’ ‘ground nuts.’
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