Nov.s] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY. [1889.however,hadbut slight acquaintancewithArmenia,which country
is in all probability identicalwiththe Hebrew placesTogarmahand
Minni. TheArmenians(" they of the House of Togarmah," Ezek.
xxvii,14) carried on commercewiththe Tyrians in horses, war-horses,
andmules,andit is quite possible thatapricotfruitandfruit-trees
fromthe temperatepartsof Central Asia,wherethe tree is indigenous,
wereamongthe commodities importedintoTyre," the merchant of
the peoples untomanyisles;" but when we consider the early intro
duction of the quince fromCreteintoGreeceand Italy (aboutthe
middle of the seventh and sixth century b.c),the estimation in
whichit has always beenheldas a sweetmeat in confectionery, and
as a perfume, togetherwithits associations withbridalgiftsand love
games,it is most probablethatthe quince tree was early introduced
intoPalestine,andI think that,afterall said, it has the best claim
to represent the Hebrew tappuakh.
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