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''Origanum syriacum''; syn. ''Majorana syriaca'' (also ''Origanum maru'', although this primarily refers to a hybrid of ''O. syriacum''), bible hyssop, Biblical-hyssop, Lebanese oregano or Syrian oregano, is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family,
''Origanum syriacum'' grows to a height of 1 meter. The plant is pollinated by bees. Flowers are small and white or pale pink.
Wild Flowers of Israel. ''Majorana syriaca''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13714507 syriacum Flora of Western Asia Plants described in 1753 Garden plants Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants in the Bible
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savo ...
.
Etymology
The plant may be called za'atar by association with its use in an herb-spice mixture. InModern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew ( he, עברית חדשה, ''ʿivrít ḥadašá ', , '' lit.'' "Modern Hebrew" or "New Hebrew"), also known as Israeli Hebrew or Israeli, and generally referred to by speakers simply as Hebrew ( ), is the standard form of the He ...
, it is called ''ezov'', and it may have been the אֵזוֹב '' ezov'' of Classical Hebrew. In many English translations of the Bible, ''ezov'' is rendered as hyssop, hence the common name for bible hyssop, believed to be a different plant generally identified with ''Hyssopus officinalis
''Hyssopus officinalis'' or hyssop is a shrub in the Lamiaceae or mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. Due to its purported properties as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expe ...
''.
The problems with identification arise from Jewish oral tradition where it expressly prohibits Greek hyssop, and where the biblical plant is said to have been identical to the Arabic word, ''zaatar'' (''Origanum syriacum''), and which word is not to be associated with other types of ''ezov'' that often bear an additional epithet, such as ''zaatar farsi'' = Persian-hyssop ('' Thymus capitatus'') and ''zaatar rumi'' = Roman-hyssop ('' Satureja thymbra'') and ''zaatar mani'' = calamint ('' Calamintha incana'').
Description
''Origanum syriacum'' grows to a height of 1 meter. The plant is pollinated by bees. Flowers are small and white or pale pink.
Distribution
''Origanum syriacum'' is native to theMiddle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
. In Egypt, ''Origanum syriacum'' subsp. ''sinaicum'' is a very rare plant that grows on stony ground in Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a ...
including the coastal Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...
strip. Wild hyssop and sage are protected under Israeli law as endangered plants, but no major studies on their status have been conducted since 1977.
Use
It is a preferred primary ingredient in the spice mixture ''za'atar''. So precious is this herb that in the Levant, Arabs will send out foraging parties to gather it. ''Origanum syriacum'' is harvested in the wild for use in preparing ''za'atar'', a mixture of dried herbs, sesame andsumac
Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Ea ...
for flavoring and garnish. However, following the implementation of protective laws, those caught collecting wild hyssop can be prosecuted and face large fines. It has recently entered cultivation due to high levels of demand.
Further reading
* *References
External links
* *Wild Flowers of Israel. ''Majorana syriaca''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13714507 syriacum Flora of Western Asia Plants described in 1753 Garden plants Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants in the Bible