[Faith-talk] {Spam?} The Apple, Nature's Gift To Man by Michele Arrieh

[debby]

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 
>
> _______________________________________________ 
> Faith-Talk mailing list 
> Faith-Talk at nfbnet.org 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org 
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Faith-Talk: 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/semisweetdebby%40gmail.com