Acacia Tree Essays

Acacia Tree Essays Acacia Tree Essay Acacia Tree Essay Acacia Tree in Thailand Acacia sprigs were planted by the Hebrew people at the head of a grave for 2 purposes: 1. To mark the location of the grave. 2. To show their belief in immortality. Immortality: Both the Hebrews and the Egyptians believed that because of its hardness, durability and evergreen nature, that this tree was a symbol of both innocence and immortality. Shittim: In the Bible, it is called â€Å"shittim†. Chosen above all others, shittim was the wood which God commanded Moses to use to create the Ark of the Covenant into which Moses placed the 2 stone tablets upon which The 10 Commandments were carved. Ark of the Covenant: The entire chapter of Exodus 37 is devoted to the creation of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was first constructed of shittim wood and then overlaid with gold before being placed into the Holy of Holies (Sanctum Sanctorum) in Solomons Temple. Hardwood: The wood is a beautiful hardwood with dark and light coloring. Due to this intermingled coloring, furniture and flooring made from its wood is both very durable, as well as exceptionally beautiful. The tree is a thorny, and many times multi stemmed tree or bush which many would call a scrub tree because it never grows large and tall like an oak, walnut or many other hardwood trees. Depending on the species, the seeds grow into either trees or shrubs, which are hardy in many climates, but they are not long-lived trees. Their typical lifespan is between 30 to 40 years. Deep Roots: In order for it to survive in very dry, arid lands such as parts of Israel, Iran, Iraq, Australia, Africa, etc. , it has very deep roots from which to absorb more water in arid lands. Some species have roots which are 40-60 meters (approximately 120-180 feet deep). Genus: The genus Acacia belongs to the family Mimosaceae and is related to both the Locust and the Mimosa trees. There are approximately 1350 species of Acacia found throughout the world and close to 1000 of these are found in Australia. Varieties: Different varieties are common in many countries such as Australia, Africa, Madagascar, throughout Asia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, South America, southern parts of the United States as well as in the Pacific. They are found in a wide range of differing habitats from coastal, wet and tropical to sub-alpine (just below treeline), but are most prevalent in the arid and semi-arid areas.