POMGRANATE. The Pomgranate is a kind of Apple, cover’d without with a reddish Rind, and Red within, which opens Length-ways, and shews red Grains within, full of Juice like Wine, with little Kernels. God gave Orders to Moses, to put Ex. xxviii. 33.embroider’d Pomgranates, with golden Bells between, at the Bottom of the High Priest’s blue Robe or Ephod. Pomgranates being very common in Palestine, and being a very beautiful Fruit, the Scriptures often make use of Similitudes taken from the Pomgranate.
The Pomgranate Tree, malus punica, or malo-granatum, is the Tree or Shrub that bears the Pomgranates. There are of two Sorts, wild and domestick. The cultivated Pomgranate Tree has several small angular Boughs, armed with Prickles, and cover’d with a reddish Bark. Its Leaves are small, like to those of Myrrh, but not so sharp, of a green Colour, drawing towards Red. Its Blossom is large, beautiful, of a red Colour inclining to Purple, compos’d of several Stalks in the Form of a Rose, in the Hollow of the Cup. This Cup is oblong, hard, Purple, having a Figure something like that of a Bell. This Garden Pomgranate Tree sometimes bears double Flowers, and then it has no Fruit.
The Wild Pomgranate Tree is a Shrub like the former, but it is more rude and thorny. Its Blossoms are called Balausts by the Apothecaries. They are Astringent, and very good in a Dysentery, Diarrhœa, and Lientery.
We are assured, that in Perou there have been seen Granates as large as a Barrel; that the Spaniards, by way of Curiosity, carry them in the Procession of the Sacrament. The Mussulmen speaking of the Holy Land, say, That five Men could hardly carry a Grape of this Country, and that five Persons might hide themselves in one Shell of their Pomgranates. This is carrying the Hyperbole as far as it will go.