HEDUOSMON (Gr. i751/ocraop, e., having a sweet smell), translated mini, is mentioned in Matt. xxiii. 23 : Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of nzhzt and anise (properly dill) and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law ;' and, again, in Luke xi. 42 : But woe unto you, Pharisees ! for ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God : these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' All the plants mentioned in the above passages belong to the smaller ones cultivated in gardens in Europe, and which usually come under the denomi nation of sweet herbs. Lady Calcott inquires whether mint was one of the bitter herbs which the Israelites ate with the Paschal Lamb ; and infers the probability of its being so from our own practice of eating lamb with mint sauce. Dr. Harris argues that mint, anise, and cummin were not tithed, and that the Pharisees only paid tithes of these plants from an overstrained interpretation of the law. But, in the article ANETHON (DILI.), it may be seen that dill was tithed, and it is one of the herbs mentioned along with mint. The meaning, there fore, seems to be, that the Pharisees, while, in confonnity with the law, they paid these minute tithes, neglected the most important moral duties, —truth, justice, and mercy ; for it is added, these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' The plant iShoolcas or iStickraov, so called ab odoris bonitate vel jucunditate ' was also called Alyea and atygos by the Greek's, and mentha, or menta, by the Romans. The Arabs give mint/ae as the Greek synonym of their nana ; and in India Persian works give podeena as the Hindee name of' the latter. Podetwa is the common name of a species of mint cultivated in the gardens of North-Westem India. These names are interesting as occurring in works on Materia Medica ; because both were employed by early tmnslators as the equivalent of iohocrbtov in the above passages of Matthew and Luke ; and all European translators, according to Celsius, concur in considering mint as intended. The species most common in Syria is mentha sylvestris, found by Russell at Aleppo, and.
mentioned by him as one of the herbs cultivated in the gardens there. It also occurs in Greecc, Taunts, Caucasus, the Altai Range, and as far as Cashmere, whence we have obtained specimens.
arvensis, of which M. saliva (Linn.) is one of the varieties, is also a widely diffused species, being found in Greece, in parts of Caucasus, in the Altai Range, and in Cashmere. Mint is highly esteemed in Eastern countries, and apparently was so also by the Jews. Celsius says, Patet olus fuisse in Judma quondam notum, et Judmis ob virtutes et prxstantiam singularem acceptissimum.' It was much esteemed by the ancients, as Pliny (Hist. Nat. xix. 47) testifies : Mentae nomen suavitas odoris apud Grmcos mutavit, cum ante mintha voca retur unde veteres nostri nomen declinaverunt. Grato menta mensas odore percurrit in rusticis dapibus ;' and again (xx. 53), Mentm ipsius odor animum excitat et sapor aviditatem in cibis, ideo embammatum mixturm familiaris.' Dioscorides also (iii. 41) mentions it as useful to the stomach, and peculiarly grateful as a condiment. Mint was employed by the ancients in the preparation of many dishes. Hinc in Apicii libro coquinario, singulis fere paginis menthm tam viridis, quarn mentio' (Cels. Hierobot. p. 546). Sic apud Ebrmos in cibis receptam fuisse mentham ma nifeste tradunt Talmudici Tract. Shem. Ve yobel, vii. 2 ; et Tract. Ohetzin, i. 2 ; Sheb. Unde et olerum decimationi subjecta fuit' (Ib. p. 547).
It is difficult to determine the exact species or variety of mint employed by the ancients. There are numerous species very nearly allied to one another. They usually grow in moist situations, and are herbaceous, perennial, of powerful odour, especially when bruised, and have small reddish coloured flowers, arranged in spikes or whorls. The taste of these plants is bitter, warm, and pungent, but leaving a sensation of coolness on the tongue : in their properties they are so similar to each othcr, that either in medicine, or as a condi ment, one species may safely be substituted for another. But the species .11-1. sylvestris and M. arvensis, which have been mentioned above, pro bably yielded the varieties cultivated in Palestine. J. F. R.