Why Acacia?

How I came to name my business after the acacia tree.

I incorporated my writing company last week as “Acacia Wordcraft, LLC.”  I agonized over it for several weeks prior to that, but eventually settled on making the acacia plant the symbol for my new business venture.  It is a plant with many beneficial qualities that holds a special significance to several cultures and traditions.  Following is a brief overview of the cultural and industrial importance of the acacia.

 

The plant popularly known as acacia has a long history.  The acacia tree was common in the area of ancient Egypt.  They associated the tree with the mythological “tree of life,” the acacia tree of Iusaset, from which Isis, the mother of life and Osiris, the god of the underworld, sprung.  More practically, the acacia tree was used to build boats, as described by Herodotus.  Egyptian physicians used to heal wounds and broken bones, among other ailments.  The ancient Egyptian elite also used the flowers to make a kind of wine called “yrp,” as the flower contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a Schedule I psychedelic compound that would cause the drinker to experience the presence of the aforementioned Iusaset.

 

In the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament, the acacia tree is known as the shittah (plural: shittim).  The Hebrews esteemed the tree for its hardness, resistance to pests, and evergreen nature.  They, too, used it as a symbol of immortality for those reasons.  It has long been a Jewish tradition to plant an acacia tree at the head of the grave of a departed friend as a symbol of the immortality and incorruptibility of the soul.  Recent archaeological work shows that acacia wood was used to mark Hebrew graves in Jerusalem at least as far back as the Second Temple era (530 B.C. to 70 A.D.). 

 

Scholars consider that the acacia tree was the burning bush through which Yahweh spoke to Moses, instructing him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land in the Book of Exodus, chapter 3.  Later in the Exodus, Yahweh instructs Moses to build an ark of acacia wood to hold the testimony He gave the Israelites and certain temple furniture of acacia where He could commune with them. 

 

The word shittim is used again as a place name in the Books of Numbers and Joshua.  Abel-Shittim (Hebrew for “Meadow of the Acacias”), an ancient city roughly 7 ½ miles north of the Dead Sea, was Joshua’s last headquarters before the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land.  It was while the Israelites were encamped at Shittim that Joshua sent two spies into the city of Jericho and met Rahab.  It is unclear to us today whether she was an innkeeper, a madam, or both.  What is known is she hid the Israelite spies from the soldiers searching for them and was spared as a result when they took the city.  Rahab later married Salmon and gave birth to Boaz, the grandfather of David.  The site of Shittim is now known as Abila in the modern country of Jordan.  The acacia grove for which it is known still stands nearby.

 

The acacia tree enters a different tradition in the time of David’s son, King Solomon.  A widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali named Hiram was commissioned by King Solomon for carrying out certain work necessary in the building of the Temple.  Masonic tradition gives Hiram’s surname as Abiff, and the legend of his work and subsequent death are known to all Master Masons and are central to the Craft.  The acacia tree takes on a special significance in the legend, especially its evergreen nature.  Like the others above, in this tradition the acacia reminds us of the immortality of the soul.  As a result, it is a central symbol in the esoteric ritual used for centuries in raising men to the sublime third degree in Masonry. 

 

It was first named “acacia” by Pedanius Dioscorides, a first century Greek botanist and pharmacologist.  Writing in his five-volume encyclopedia De Materia Medica (written between 50 and 70 A.D.), he chose the name based upon the thorns (“akis” in Ancient Greek) characteristic of the plant.  Pliny the Elder wrote in his encyclopedic work Naturalis Historia (published in 77-79 A.D.) that the acacia’s wood was watertight, its seeds were useful in the curing of leather, and that its flowers made “pretty garlands” and had many medicinal uses.  He also noted its regenerative nature, observing that it will regrow within three years of being cut down.

 

The wood of the acacia tree may hold significance for the Christian New Testament as well.  Although the species of the plant is not mentioned, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John describe Jesus being crowned with a “crown of thorns” by Roman soldiers while on trial before the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate.  Although many thorny plants may have been used, one strong contender is the acacia plant that grows in abundance in and around Jerusalem.  Eastern Christian tradition has long held that the crown of thorns was made from acacia branches.  Modern archaeologists have discovered a mummified “knight of the temple” (perhaps a Templar?) dating to the twelfth century who was interred with a crown of thorns fashioned from acacia and an inscription within describing his death while protecting the crown of thorns from being plundered by “infidels.”

 

The acacia has green leaves that would resemble the laurel crowns awarded Roman generals after winning a battle.  Fashioning such a crown for Jesus would be an obvious way of mocking the “King of the Jews” in the eyes of the average first-century Roman.  It also has sharp and strong spines that would enhance its ability to be fashioned into an instrument of torture that was the crown of thorns.  Such strong thorns would easily pierce the skin and agitate the thick web of nerves covering the cranium.  Foremost among those nerves is the trigeminal nerve, the nerve that controls facial motions such as chewing and biting.  A condition of chronic irritation of the trigeminal nerve, known as trigeminal neuralgia or Fothergill’s Disease, causes intense pain throughout the cranium.  Although it is difficult to objectively measure pain, this condition is considered to be one of the most painful conditions known to man.  A wreath of woven acacia branches would have been an ideal tool for causing the kind of physical pain and mental anguish described in the story of Jesus’ execution.

 

The acacia tree has uses in today’s world as well.  The sap of the acacia tree is collected and hardened to form gum arabic, which is used extensively in the food industry as an edible stabilizer.  It is an ingredient in many soft drinks and in candies like marshmallows, chewing gum, icing, and M&M’s.  Its binding properties have made it a useful substance in many diverse pursuits like watercolor painting, photography, pyrotechnics, and printmaking.  Gum arabic is also sold in health food stores and marketed as a good source of fiber and as an aid to digestion (gum arabic is also a prebiotic, which helps to boost the good bacteria in the human digestive system).  It has also been shown to reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth, thus reducing plaque and gum disease.

 

Just as the acacia tree has stood for rebirth and renewal for centuries, I seek to approach this market with a new and different perspective.  Acacia’s many uses are a metaphor for my talents, which may be utilized by my clients in such diverse uses as brochures, direct mail marketing, website content, internal communications, catalogs, promotional materials, and any other written communications.  And the symbolic immortality of the acacia symbolizes my intent to create quality content for my clients that will stand the test of time.