Dear Doves,

I love to garden.  This year, I did not uproot my spices, instead I left them in their pots and on my front porch.  Imagine my surprise when I found after several snowfalls, that my parsley and my thyme are still alive ( out of 11 possible herbs).   

Thyme is an annual and usually dies after going to seed.  Mine did not.  It is here past its normal time.  Looking at the thyme, I immediately thought of the synonym "time", but looked up the word origin as well.  Thyme comes from  Old French thym, from Latin thymum, from Greek thumon, from thuein.  Some Greek renders it as coming from the word thyro, to sacrifice, due to its use as incense to perfume the temples.  It means to make a burnt offering.  Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming and the Romans used it for purification.  Interestingly, it was also used to protect from the Black Death.  Thyme is also associated with activity, bravery, courage, strength.  

Thyme is a spice powerfully associated with Palestine.  Za'atar is a generic name for a family of related Middle Eastern herbs from the genera Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (typically Thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and Satureja (savory).  Za'atar as a prepared condiment is generally made with ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices such as sumac might also be added. 

In Jewish tradition, the ezov mentioned in the Hebrew Bible is associated with the Arabic word "za'atar".   Ezov/za'atar is particularly associated with ritual purity ceremonies, such as preparing the ashes of the red heifer (Numbers 19:6) and handling bodily contaminations (Leviticus 14:4, 6, 51–52; Numbers 20:18).

The Children of Israel are also said to have used a clump of ezov/za'atar stalks to daub the blood of the Paschal sacrifice on the doorposts of their houses before leaving bondage in Egypt (Exodus 12:22). King David refers to the purifying powers of the herb in Psalm 51:7, "Cleanse me with ezov/za'atar and I shall be purified."

So how about that parsley?  it is a biennial plant.  But it still shouldn't be thriving in the dead of winter.  I wondered if that could have any meaning.  I looked up parsley and found that its name derives from "rock celery".  According to legend, parsley sprang up where the blood of the Greek hero Archemorus was spilled when he was eaten by serpents and is therefore associated in mythology as the forerunner of death. The Greeks used the herb to fashion wreaths for graves.  The early Greeks  looked upon it more favorably and made crowns of parsley to bestow upon the winners of the Nemena and Isthmian sports games, in the same manner that bay wreaths honored the Olympians.  Parsley is used in the Hebrew celebration of Passover as a symbol of spring and rebirth.   Parsley is also associated with useful knowledge, feast, joy, victory.

If that weren't enough, my gardenia is blooming.  I've had it several years now and bring it inside during the winter.  I almost lost it last year.  But this year, it is BLOOMING, blooming in the dead of winter!  It currently has six blooms that I can count.  I looked up what this flower symbolizes and found this:  The Gardenia Flower: Its Meaning & Symbolism. Bright white with sweet fragrance, Gardenias are often chosen for wedding bouquets. These flowers are associated with several meanings including purity, love and refinement, which makes them an appropriate choice for wedding occasions.

For whatever it is worth, LOOKING UP!  

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. – Luke 21:36