he scientific name, phoenix dactylifera, comes from ancient Greece. The coastal region between the Jordan Valley and Mediterranean Sea is known as Phoenicia, Because the date palm grew abundantly in Phoenicia, it was believed to be the trees homeland. The tree became known as Phoenix, or tree of Phoenicia, and was a symbol of the region and was featured on Phoenician coins. Dactylifera translates to “finger bearing”, a reference to the oblong shaped dates and the clusters they grow in.
Greek mythology connects the date palm to the immortal Phoenix. In Natural History(1 AD), Pliny the Elder describes the phoenix bird, who would build its next at the top of a date palm. After 500 years, the bird would catch fire from the flames of the sun and would be reborn from its own ashes. Some legends say that the date palm would die and come back to life along with the famous bird.…
