Biblical and Talmudic ethnobotanist Dr. Jon Greenberg will lead two walking tours of the Gardens at 11 AM and 2 PM. Come learn how an understanding of the natural environment of the Biblical world can help explain the metaphors and symbolism of ancient prophetic, moral, and legal language and the role of food and agriculture in Jewish culture and history. We'll find out how a culture war between beer and wine drinkers led the Israelites into Egyptian slavery, why a common pasture weed became a symbol for social corruption, how an Egyptian god wound up as a bagel topping, why many Bible translations say that Noah built his ark from the wood of a non-existent tree, and how a Jewish exile taught Americans that tomatoes are not poisonous.
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Biblical and Talmudic ethnobotanist Dr. Jon Greenberg will lead two walking tours of the Gardens at 11 AM and 2 PM. Come learn how an understanding of the natural environment of the Biblical world can help explain the metaphors and symbolism of ancient prophetic, moral, and legal language and the role of food and agriculture in Jewish culture and history. We'll find out how a culture war between beer and wine drinkers led the Israelites into Egyptian slavery, why a common pasture weed became a symbol for social corruption, how an Egyptian god wound up as a bagel topping, why many Bible translations say that Noah built his ark from the wood of a non-existent tree, and how a Jewish exile taught Americans that tomatoes are not poisonous.
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UC Botanical Garden
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200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720
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