---
title: Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm
author: James Blake Wiener
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7446/jewish-mosaic-of-a-date-palm/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm

_Authored by [James Blake Wiener](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/jbw288/)_

## Image File

[![Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/7446.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/7446.jpg)

## Image Caption

This [mosaic](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mosaic/) was once part of the mosaic found in an ancient synagogue in what's present-day Tunisia. This specimen dates from c. 550 CE and is made of stone and mortar. The date palm likely symbolized the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life, from the [Garden of Eden](https://www.worldhistory.org/Garden_of_Eden/). For the Jews of Hammam-Lif, Tunisia—located just outside of Tunis—it also evoked the holy [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) of [Jerusalem](https://www.worldhistory.org/jerusalem/) or "Zion." The former Jewish capital was a place often represented in art by the date palm as dates were a major export crop of that region. (Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York)

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## Bibliography

- [Mosaic of Date Palm Tree](https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/17086 "Mosaic of Date Palm Tree"), accessed 19 Mar 2020.

## About the Author

James Blake Wiener has a particular interest in cross-cultural exchange and world history. He is a co-founder of World History Encyclopedia and formerly was its Communications Director.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswiener)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Wiener, J. B. (2017, October 16). Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7446/jewish-mosaic-of-a-date-palm/>
### Chicago
Wiener, James Blake. "Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 16, 2017. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7446/jewish-mosaic-of-a-date-palm/>.
### MLA
Wiener, James Blake. "Jewish Mosaic of a Date Palm." *World History Encyclopedia*, 16 Oct 2017, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7446/jewish-mosaic-of-a-date-palm/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [James Blake Wiener](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/jbw288/ "User Page: James Blake Wiener"), published on 16 October 2017. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.