[Faith-talk] {Spam?} The Apple, Nature's Gift To Man by Michele Arrieh
debby
semisweetdebby at gmail.com
Sun Sep 25 01:38:49 UTC 2016
Hey Paul, I have heard of death by chocolate, but not apple recipes. LOL. Ever of my favorite snacks is popcorn and an apple. Of course if no apples are available a diet Pepsi will do. Ghsmile. Debby
On Sep 22, 2016 10:04 AM, Paul Smith via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Tasty and nutritious and readily available all year long, the apple is
> commonly taken for granted. This juicy, sweet fruit, eaten in a
> variety of ways, has been a source of food for man throughout the ages.
> Scholars surmise that apples may have originated in Southwest Asia
> where, coincidentally, the Bible places the Garden of Eden. It is a
> known fact, however, that apples were used by primitive man long before
> recorded history. Archaeologists have found carbonized remains of
> apples in prehistoric lake dwellings in Switzerland dating back to the
> Iron Age. There is also evidence that apples were eaten and preserved
> by slicing and sun-drying as far back as the Stone Age in Europe.
>
> Information about apples can be found in some of man's earliest
> recordings. The ancient annals of Babylon, Egypt and China revealed
> that man understood, as many as 20 centuries ago, that apples do not
> reproduce true from seed but must be bud grafted in order to maintain a
> particular variety. Invading Roman legions under Caesar introduced
> apples to the British Isles, where they have flourished ever since. In
> time, apples were planted throughout Europe.
>
> The first settlers in this country found that the apples they knew were
> not indigenous to their new homeland. The closest substitute was a
> sour crabapple, which was of limited use for food and not cultivated by
> the Indians. So fond were they of teh apple, however, that the
> settlers sought ways to provide their families and themselves with this
> favorite fruit. Governor Endicott of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is
> credited with growing the first apple tree in this country from a
> seedling brought from Europe. The first apple crops in the New World
> were harvested by Pilgrims in Massachusetts and the colonists in
> Jamestown, Virginia. Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both
> diligent students of horticulture, planted and maintained beautiful
> apple orchards on their estates.
>
> As the early settlers traveled west in covered wagons, they carried, as
> treasured and carefully protected cargo, apple trees and "scion wood"
> for grafting. Apples were also carried by Indians, traders, and
> missionaries into the new frontier.
>
> In the early 1800's, a man by the name of Jonathan Capman gained a wide
> reputation for his travels through the territories of Ohio, Indiana and
> Illinois, preaching his Swedenborgian faith and planting apple trees
> wherever he went. He lived frugally, never owned a home, dressed in
> meager clothes, and often went barefoot in summer and winter. Upon his
> head he wore a tin pan, which served the dual purpose of hat and stew
> pan for cooking his food. With a pocketful of apple seeds, he traveled
> throughout most of the Ohio Valley, working his way west. As he went
> along, he planted and tended seedling apple tree nurseries for the
> early frontier settlers. Thus, the legend of Johnny Appleseed was
> born. A peace-loving man, Johnny Appleseed was also a friend to the
> Indians and sought no harm to any living creature. He became known for
> his courage and dedication to his fellowman, as well as for the
> thousands of apple trees he planted. Today, his life and work are
> commemorated in a park and memorial in Fort Wane, Indiana, where he
> died in 1845.
>
> Throughout antiquity the apple has been used symbolically. The Book of
> Genesis describes a certain tree bearing fruit in the Garden of Eden to
> which God forbade access to Adam and Eve. Although the "forbidden
> fruit" is not directly named in the Bible, the implicit assumption has
> always been that it was an apple that led to man's downfall. The
> "knowledge" inherent in the tree and its fruit is taken to mean the
> ability to distinguish between good and evil.
>
> The Lord Jehovah's great regard for the Israelites is implied several
> times in the Old Testament by the expression, "The apple of His eye."
> "For he that touches you toucheth the apple of His eye," Moses warns in
> Deuteronomy. Jeremiah alludes in Lamentations to the more commonly
> understood use of the phrase when he says, "Let the tears run down like
> a river day and night; give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine
> eye cease." This statement links the pupil of the eye to its likeness,
> the apple, a solid sphere, meaning that the Israelites were as precious
> to God as the pupils of man's eyes are to him.
>
> In classical mythology, the apple is often made of gold, a clear
> measure of the esteem in which it was held. One story tells of a
> beauty contest between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, which
> the mortal Paris is chosen to judge. Aphrodite bribes Paris, offering
> him the most beautiful mortal woman for his wife if he will grant her
> the golden apple inscribed, "to the fairest." Paris accepts the
> offer--though his bride is to be Helen, who is already married to
> Menelaus, thus igniting and long and tragic Trojan War. In both Greek
> and Roman mythology, the apple was often a symbol of love and beauty.
>
> Another story describes a wonderful tree that grows in the Garden of
> the Gods, having sprung up on the day that Zeus and Hera were wed in
> the garden. This magnificent tree bears golden apples with a taste of
> honey and the ability to cure all illnesses.
>
> Ages later in Devonshire, England, the saying arose, "Eat an apple
> before going to bed. Makes the doctor beg his bread." Today we claim
> that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." There is more truth in
> that saying that might be expected, since recent studies show that
> apples contain certain substances that aid in the body's digestion and
> regulatory systems, help fight body toxins, and control the levels of
> cholesterol in the blood. Studies have also shown that the eating of
> apples results in a marked reduction in dental decay because apples act
> as their own toothbrush.
>
> The apple is also the focal point of many stories which have grown up
> around actual characters. Sir Isaac Newton is said to have
> "discovered" the law of gravity while sitting under an apple tree.
> Supposedly while watching the simple act of apples falling to the
> ground, Newton was able to make his insightful observations. Legend
> also has it that William Tell shot an apple off his son's head at the
> order of Austrian invaders of Switzerland.
>
> In today's storehouse of phrases and expressions, the apple still has a
> prominent place. "Mother, apple pie and baseball" is a phrase that
> connotes wholesomeness and all-American standards. "Apple polisher" or
> "apple shiner" became an expression in this country in the 1920's and
> refers to a flatterer or one who is trying to impress another, deriving
> its meaning from the older tradition of the eager student who gives his
> teacher an apple. The expression, "apple knocker," for a rustic type,
> has come into use in this century, as has the term "Big Apple," meaning
> New York City.
>
> It may be surprising to discover that the ordinary little apple is
> quite a famous and historically illustrious fruit. Man has known for a
> long time that the apple is one of nature's miracles--a colorful and
> delicious "package" of health-giving nutrients and eating enjoyment.
> Maybe Eve was tempted by an apple, but it has been a blessing to
> mankind ever since!
>
> And now you know as much about the apple as I do. Of course, when this
> article was written, the Apple Computer wasn't really on the market,
> but that's a different story.
>
> This is the first part of an article on the apple. Tomorrow in this
> space we will post a number of apple recipes. All diabetics take
> warning: Eating these tasty morsels might result in your deaths, as
> there is an inordinately amount of sugar in each recipe.
>
> And that will do for now. Until tomorrow when, Lord willing the recipe
> collection will be posted, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just
> keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in
> which we live. Your Christian friend and brother, Paul
>
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