 |
Flower and fruit, and a single fruit with
half the fleshy covering removed to show
the stone which contains the kernel.
Click on the image to download largest file. |
Description of the Botanical Coloring Page: The common almond (Amyridalus communis), indigenous in the Mediterranean region, and cultivated in sub-tropical countries, is well known from the early appearance of its flowers, as if they were waiting for the milder weather to open their buds. The leafless branches covered with beautiful pink flowers are among the first harbingers of spring. The Hebrew name shaked, meaning to hasten or watch, is given to the tree on this account. There is a play on the meaning of the word in Jeremiah. 1:11, 12. In answerto God's question, the prophet says, "I see a rod of an almond tree [shaked]; "and the Lord said, "Thou hast well seen, for I watch [shaked] over my word to perform it." The almond grows wild on he higher lands of Palestine, blossoming in January. Many varieties are cultivated - the chief being the bitter and the sweet almond. There are frequent references to this tree in the Bible. Jacob sent almonds as part of his gift to Joseph (Gen. 43. 11). The bowls of the golden candlestick were designed from the flower (Exodus 35: 33-35). When the Israelites rose against Moses and Aaron, the Lord manifested his choice of Aaron by causing his rod miraculously to bear buds and blossoms and fruits before the morning. In nature it is first the bud, then the flower, and afterwards the fruit, and here the miraculous is evident not only in the dry rod showing life, but in the three stages being present at the same time. The rod was preserved as a token against the rebels (Numbers 17). The figurative description of the old man in Ecclesiastes (ch. 12) takes one of its metaphors from this tree. The hoary locks of age suggest the whitish blossom of the almond clothing the leafless branches.
Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg. into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
