''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,

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, savory ...

Etymology

The plant may be called

za'atar Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of related ...

by association with its use in an herb-spice mixture. In

Modern 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 Ezov ( he, אֵזוֹב) is the Classical Hebrew name of a plant mentioned in the Bible in the context of religious rituals. In some English-language Bibles, the word is transliterated as ''ezob.'' The Septuagint translates the name as ὕσσ ...

'' of

Classical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew (, or , ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite branch of Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Israel, roughly west of t ...

. In many English translations of the Bible, ''ezov'' is rendered as

hyssop ''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 expecto ...

, 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 expec ...

''. 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 ''Thymus capitatus'' is a compact, woody perennial native to Mediterranean Europe and Turkey, more commonly known as conehead thyme, Persian-hyssop and Spanish oregano. It is also known under the name ''Thymbra capitata''. Description The plant ...

'') and ''zaatar rumi'' = Roman-hyssop (''

Satureja thymbra ''Satureja thymbra'', commonly known as savory of Crete, whorled savory, pink savory, and Roman hyssop ( Arabic: ''za'atar rumi''; ''za'atar franji''), is a perennial-green dwarf shrub of the family Lamiaceae, having strongly scented leaves, ende ...

'') and ''zaatar mani'' = calamint (''

Calamintha incana ''Calamintha'' is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus (around 30 before revisions in taxonomy) which is native to the northern temperate regions of Eu ...

'').

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 the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

. 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 l ...

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 the e ...

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 and

sumac 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 Eas ...

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.

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

Etymology

Description

Distribution

Use

Further reading

References

External links