Cedar
“From its deep root or compressed form”
Summary
The majestic cedar of Lebanon, prized for its height, durability, and aromatic wood, used extensively in building the Temple and royal palaces.
☩Description and Qualities
The cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani) was admired throughout Scripture for being tall, spreading, and majestic. Solomon ranked it first among trees. The wood is reddish in color, of bitter taste and aromatic odor, offensive to insects, and remarkably durable. The timber was excellent for beams, boards, pillars, masts of ships, and carved work such as images. Cedar oil, extracted from the wood, was used in ancient times to preserve parchments and garments.
☩Use in Temple and Palaces
Hiram, king of Tyre, furnished Solomon with cedar timber from Lebanon for the construction of the Temple and royal buildings. David had prepared cedars 'without number' for the Temple his son would build. Solomon's 'House of the Forest of Lebanon' was named for its cedar construction. The cedar was used for beams, pillars, boards, and ceiling work throughout these magnificent structures. Cedar was also used in rebuilding the Temple under Zerubbabel.
☩The Cedars Today
The famous grove at Besherri (B'Sherreh) in Lebanon consists of about 400 trees, some very ancient and massive, lying on bare slopes 6,000 feet above the sea. The largest specimens reach heights of 70-80 feet with trunk circumferences of 40 feet or more. Though magnificent, the impressiveness of the cedar lies not so much in height as in the wonderful lateral spread of its branches in successive horizontal tiers. The Syrians today call the cedar 'the cedar of the Lord.'
Related Verses74 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Cedar," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Cedar," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Cedar," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).