Year of the Tree 2023

They took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus, shouting, “Hosanna! “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” John 12: 13

The doors of the temple were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 1 kings 6: 32 Today, the day before Palm Sunday, and in many churches people will be decorating the church with palm leaves and making palm crosses. In some countries without palms, the palm crosses have to be imported from elsewhere. Let us give thanks for the trees from which these branches came, and committee ourselves to the movement of tree growers. During the first year of COVID, Palm Sunday for many people took place during hard lock down, and a tradition was formed which has continued to this day, of placing a green branch of any kind on your front door. This is a beautiful symbol to show that you are also welcoming Jesus on this day.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. Proverbs 3:18 Other than people and God, trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible. There are trees in the first chapter of Genesis (verses 11–12), in the first psalm (Psalm 1:3), and on the last page of Revelation (22:2). As if to underscore all these trees, the Bible refers to wisdom as a tree (Proverbs 3:18) Over the last 40 days we have shared Scriptures about trees, we have shared facts about trees, and learned about which type of tree to grow and how to plant and care for them. We want to grow the movement of people who fall in love with trees, who protect them and who grow them! You can help by sharing what you have learned with family and friends, and by using your social media posts. Don’t forget to hashtag #202tree so that we can share you post!

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Deuteronomy 34: 3 Did you know that Jericho was known as the City of Palms? As the people of Israel moved about in the desert for 40 years, imagine the importance of dates as a food source. How excited they would be to reach an oasis and find palms growing. The palm branch, or palm frond, is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm (Phoenix) was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. Palms have a deep spiritual and cultural meaning, that is why they were particularly chosen to wave as Jesus came into Jerusalem. When Solomon built the temple we read that he made two doors of olive wood, with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers. Our challenge today is to find out more about Palm trees, the different varieties there are, their spiritual significance. And if you can! buy some dates , dried or fresh so that you can taste them. Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Palm-Trees

The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. Daniel 4:11-12 The world is blessed with some very enormous, ancient trees. Humans may have a lot of cool tricks, but we’ll never get to grow up to be 35 stories tall. In this regard, trees get to inhabit the best of all worlds, heaven and earth. With roots planted in the ground they get a taste of soil, while their upper reaches soak up the sun and touch the sky. 122 and 130 meters—and while trees of the past may have attained such majestic heights, some of the world’s tallest trees were sadly felled for lumber. The towering trees that remain, however, are still staggeringly lofty. Let me tell you about a few giants! King Stringy is 86 meters high and is a Stringbark or Tasmanaian oak (although it is a eucalyptus! Forestry Tasmania follows the rule that trees above 85 m height are spared from cutting…” Another giant is known as the ‘White knight’ (92 meters high) that is like a 30 floors high!! There is actually a posse of white knights, a group of super-tall manna gums (Eucalyptus viminalis) that have called the Evercreech Forest Reserve in Tasmania, Australia, their home for some 300 years. Tasmania appears to be a haven for super tall eucalyptus trees. Then there is the “Raven’s tower” (97 meters ). Located somewhere in California’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park , the exact location of this stately sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) remains a secret, a courtesy afforded by foresters to a number of superlative trees. Other notable trees in this forest of giants include Big Tree, Corkscrew Redwood, and the Cathedral Trees. The grandfather of them all is called “Hyperion” (116 meters tall) – reportedly the tallest tree in the world! This remarkable coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) was discovered in 2006 and is so tall that its top cannot be seen. Living in a secret location in Redwood National Park, California,Hyperion is estimated to be between 700 and 800 years old. And if not for woodpecker damage at the top, it is believed it would have grown even taller. The challenge today is to find some pictures of the world’s tallest or widest trees and post them on social media. https://www.treehugger.com/tallest-trees-world-4858795

And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. Exodus 15:27 There are many trees that have now become extinct, or trees that were part of great forests that have been completely decimated. In Biblical times, forests of Judean date palm trees were very common, from Lake Galilee to the Dead sea. the fruit of the tree symbolised life and prosperity and was praised in ancient literature for its medicinal qualities. But by the Middle Ages, the dates of Judea were made extinct . Now a team of scientists is resurrecting the ancient tree! Do a google search( or use ecosia) to find out which trees are either extinct or critically endangered in your country. This is what I found out: In South Africa the most endangered tree species is, the Pepper-bark tree it is an endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. The tree is highly prized by the indigenous people of Southern Africa as it is used to treat numerous common ailments. Accordingly, it has been heavily harvested in the wild. Read more at https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/extinct-tree-from-the-time-of-jesus-rises-from-the-dead-in-israel