SHAKED (IRO occurs in several passages ot Scripture, and is generally acknowledged to mean the almond (Gen. xliii. ; Exod. xxv. 33, 34 ; xxxvii. ; Num. xvii. 8 ; Eccles. xii. 5, and in Jer. It). In the article Luz we have already stated that from the similarity of that word to the Arabic Louz, there could be no doubt of the former having the same meaning as the latter, both denot ing the almond. There is nothing remarkable in a tree like this, so conspicuous from its early flower ing, showy appearance, and useful fruit, having two names ; one Vitz) applicable to the tree, and the other (snaked) to the fruit. Rosenmiiller says : The difference between luz and snaked seems to be that the former word designates the wild,' the latter the cultivated' tree.' The almond tree is said to be called shaked, because it flowers earlier in the spring than other trees. R. Solomon, on Eccles. xii. 5, as translated by Celsius (Ifierobat. p. 297), says : Snaked est arbor Amygdalarum, et sic dicitur quia flores mature profert ante omnes arbores.' This is well known to be the case even in this country. It was observed by the ancients 4comp. Plin. Hist. Nat. xvi. 25). The name shaked is said to be derived a verbo shakad, assiduus et diligens fuit ;' and which is also trans lated to make haste," to awake early.' As the almond-tree is a native of Syria and Palestine, and extends from thence to Afghanistan, and is not likely to have been indigenous in Egypt, almonds were very likely to form pb.rt of a present from Jacob, even to the great men of Egypt ; the more especially as the practice of the East is for people to present what they can afford in their respective stations. The form of the almond would lead to but that it was an unclean bird. The Greek Kara paeans, though noticed by several authors, is not referred always to the same genus, some making it a minor gull, others a diver. Cuvier considers
Gesner to be right in considering it to denote a gull, and it might certainly be applied with propriety to the black-backed gull, Larus marine's, or to the glaucous, Larzes glaucus ;' but although birds of such powerful wing and marine habitat are spread over a great part of the world, it does not appear that, if known at the extremity of the Mediter ranean, they were sufficiently common to have been clearly indicated by either the Hebrew or Greek names, or to have merited being noticed in the Mosaic prohibition. Both the above are in gene ral northern residents, being rarely seen even so low as the Bay of Biscay, and the species now called Lestris cataractes is exclusively arctic. With its selection for ornamental carved work, indepen dently of its forming an esteemed esculent, as well as probably yielding a useful oil. In Eccles. xii. 5, it is said : The almond-tree shall flourish, and the fruit of the caper [ABIYONAH] droop, because man goeth to his long home.' This evidently refers to the profuse flowering and white appearance of the almond-tree when in full bloom, and before its leaves appear. It is hence adduced as illustrative of the hoary hairs of age, in the same way as the drooping of the fruit of the caper seems to refer to the hanging down of the head. There are two species of Amygdalus in Palestine ; the common almand-tree, and the peach-tree, and both are this month (January) in blossom in every part of Pales tine, on both sides of the Jordan. It was doubt less from this winter blossoming of the almond tree, not less than from the snowy whiteness of the blossoms, that the hoary head of the aged man is, by a beautiful metaphor, said in Scripture to flourish like the almond-tree' (Kitt°, Physic. Hist. of Palestizze).—J. F. R.