Nov.5] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [iSfo.Tappuakh of Canticles, in which he maintains that the " apple
appearsto satisfy everycondition,andthatit is unnecessary to take
the Biblical rnEDin any othersensethanthe word has in later
Hebrewand in Arabic" " The quince."the Professor writes," has a
distinctnamenot only in Arabic but in the Mishna, andthe Mishnic
(iTHE)parish is, as Low remarks,undoubtedlya Hebrew word
(AramaischePflanzennamen,No.109). ThusevenLow'sconcession
thatit is just possible that in Hebrew poetrythe word applemaybe
usedto cover the quince is uncalled for, if the true appleis known in
Palestineand has the qualities referred to in the Canticles. Both
these thingsare easily proved." Theproofsadduced are certain
extractsfromArabicwriters,whoaffirm thatbeautifulandexcellent
appleswerein the time of the Caliphs exportedfromSyriato Persia.
The Arabic for the apple is tuffah, a word clearlyallied to the
Hebrewtappuakh. Tha'alibiwrites, "One of the specialities of
Syria is its apples, which are proverbial for their beauty and
excellence. Thirtythousandof them werebroughtto the Caliphs
everyyearin cases (Kirabat); and it is said thattheysmeltsweeter
in 'Irak than in Syria." Anotherwriter mentions apples as an
articleof export fromJerusalem. On the sweetness and fragrance
of the apples the Caliph Ma'munsays," the yellowness of the pearl
is combined withthe redness of gold, and the whiteness of silver ;
the eye luxuriates in its beauty, the sense of smell in its odour, and the
palatein its taste." Its restorative propertyis mentionedby Kazwini,
whoalsospeaks of that of the quince. Yazidb. Mohallab being
weakenedby a fever ...."hadan apple by him and keptsmelling
it because of his weakness." In these interesting extracts there
seemsto be no doubt the Arabic tuffahdenotesthe apple (Pynts
malus). Appleshavebeenlongcultivatedwithsuccessin the higher
partsof Lebanon, andare still so cultivated, and it is very probable
thattheyformedin the time of the Caliphs an important articleof
export fromDamascus, wheregoodapples are still grownin the
orchards. If Mokaddasi is correct in stating that appleswerean
articleof export fromJerusalem,thentheymusthavebeenimported
intothattown from elsewhere,for apple treeswillnot thrive there.
Excellent apples have long been known to be cultivated in the
conventgardensof Mt. St. Catharine in Sinai, the high elevation
anil coolerair being favourableto their welfare. Hasselquist,writing
from Cairo in September, 1750, speakingof ripe dates, says,"I
confesstheyare good to taste onceor twice ....yet I would gladly
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