(4) Another Kind. Another kind of manna, which has been supposed to be that of Scripture, is yielded by a thorny plant very common from the north of India to Syria, and which. by the Arabs, is called Al-haj; whence botanists have constructed the name Alhagi. The Alhagi maura rum is remarkable for the exudation of a sweet ish juice, which concretes into small granular masses, and which is usually distinguished by the name of Persian manna. The climates of Per sia and Bokhara seem also well suited to the secretion of this manna, which in the latter coun try is employed as a substitute for sugar, and is imported into India for medicinal use through Caubul and Khorassan. These two, from the localities in which they are produced, have alone been thought to be the manna of Scripture. But besides these, there are several other kinds of manna. Burckhardt, during his journey through El-Ghor, in the valley of the Jordan, heard of the Beiruk honey. This is described as a sub stance obtained from the leaves and branches of a tree called Gharb or Garrab, of the size of an olive-tree, and with leaves like those of the pop lar. VsThen fresh this grayish colored exudation is sweet in taste, but in a few days it becomes sour. The Arabs eat it like honey.
(5) Not the Manna of Scripture. One kind, called Shccr-khisht, is said to be produced in the country of the Uzbecs. A Caubul merchant in formed the author of this article, that it was pro duced by a tree called Gundcleh, which grows.in Candahar, and is about twelve feet high, with jointed stems. A fifth kind is produced on Co/o trapis praccra, or the plant called Ashur. T.he sweet exudation is by Arab authors ranked with sugars, and called Shukur-al-ashur. It is scribed under this name by Avicenna, and in the Latin translation it is called Zuccarum-al-husar. A sixth kind, called Bcd-khisht, is described in Persian works on Materia Medica, as being pro duced on a species of willow in Persian Khoras san. Another kind would appear to be produced
on a species of oak, for Niebuhr says, 'At Mer din, in Mesopotamia, it appears like a kind of pollen, on the leaves of the tree called Ballot and Afs (or, according to the Aleppo pronunciation, As), which I take to be of the oak family. All are agreed, that between Merdin and Diarbekir manna is obtained, and principally from those trees which yield gall-nuts.' Besides these, there is a sweetish exudation found on the larch, which is called Manna brigantiaca, as there is also one kind found on the cedar of Lebanon. Indeed a sweetish secretion is found on the leaves of many other plants, produced sometimes by the plant it self, at others by the punctures of insects. It has been supposed, also, that these sweetish ex udations being evaporated during the heat' of the day in still weather, may afterwards become de posited, with the dew, on the ground, and on the leaves of plants ; and thus explain sorne of the phenomena which have been observed by travelers and others. But none of these mannas explain, nor can it be expected that they should explain, the miracle of Scripture, by which abundance is stated to have been produced for millions, where hundreds cannot now be sub sisted. (See Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 362; Robinson, Researches, i, 47o, 55o; and other Oriental travelers.) J. F. R.
FiguratiVe. Manna is called the "corn of heaven" and "angels' food" (Ps. lxxviii:24, 25), perhaps in allusion to the mode by which it was supplied.
The phrase "hidden manna" (Rev. ii :17), fig uratively describes the support which Christ fur nishes to the true believer, of which the world does not and cannot partake. (Comp. John vi : .51)•