Mulberry Tree (Morus nigra)

The most common ‘sycamore tree’ in Britain is, in botanical terminology, the ‘acer pseudoplatanus’.

The (black) mulberry (Morus nigra) is also called Sycamore. And, to add to the confusion, also the Sycamore Fig or Fig Mulberry (Ficus sycomorus) which does not grow in our climate, and the Sycamine tree.

We found it quite interesting to hear the arguments of theologians, scholars, linguists and botanists as to which tree in modern terms is referred to in the Bible. Since both, the mulberry tree and the sycamore grow in the Holy Land, we settled for these.

We planted a (Black) Mulberry tree (Morus nigra), and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). and looked for Bible references “Mulberry” and “Sycamore”.

“Sycomine” and and “Sycomore” are not mentioned in the Bible.

The fruits of the Mulberry tree are used in cakes, pies, wines, jams, and herbal teas. Their colours are used a food colourant. The wood is very hard and was used as building material.

The wood of the Sycamore is used for furniture, turnery, flooring and musical instruments.

Biblical

“Sycamores” were obviously common and widespread in Biblical times, everyone in the Holy Land knew them and appreciated their value. Solomon, who surpassed all kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom, brought many valuable items to Jerusalem, including “cedar as plentiful as the sycamore” (1. Kings 10.27, 2. Chronicles 1.15 and 9.27).

Sycamore trees are mentioned as part of the king’s treasures (1. Chronicles 27.28).

When Israel continued to sin against the Lord, He punished them in his anger by destroying their sycamore trees with frost (Psalm 78.47).

Many wonderful things will happen when the Lord reigns, including the sycamore trees being replaced by the even more valuable cedar trees (Isaiah 9.10).

Amos describes himself as a simple man, not being a prophet, and humbly calls himself a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees (Amos 7.14).

In biblical times, elephants were powerful weapons in military campaigns. To rouse them for battle, they were shown the juice of grapes and “mulberry”; this is the only time “mulberry” is mentioned in the Old Testament (1. Maccabees 6.32 in RSV).

In the New Testament, only Luke refers to mulberry trees: Jesus explains that with faith everything is possible, even a mulberry tree could be “uprooted and planted it in the sea” (Luke 17.6).

Zacchae’us, a small man, could not see Jesus in the crowd, so he climbed up a sycamore tree to get sight of him (Luke 19.4).