On the typology and the worship status of sacred trees with a special reference to the Middle East

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Abstract

This article contains the reasons for the establishment of sacred trees in Israel based on a field study. It includes 97 interviews with Muslim and Druze informants. While Muslims (Arabs and Bedouins) consider sacred trees especially as an abode of righteous figures' (Wellis') souls or as having a connection to their graves, the Druze relate sacred trees especially to the events or deeds in the lives of prophets and religious leaders. A literary review shows the existence of 24 known reasons for the establishment of sacred trees worldwide, 11 of which are known in Israel one of these is reported here for the first time. We found different trends in monotheistic and polytheistic religions concerning their current worship of sacred trees.

Original languageEnglish
Article number26
JournalJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Volume2
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 May 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Cultural Studies
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • Complementary and alternative medicine

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