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Questions & Answers

Crowns of Thorns

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Our Lord and the Faith › Crowns of Thorns

The question

Is there a reference in the Old Testament to a plant scientifically called "ZIZIPHUS SPINA -- CHRISTI" that, according to tradition had been used to make the crown of thorns that our Lord was crowned with before crucifixion, and that is why the term CHRISTI has been added? In classical Arabic the tree is called 'Sidr'.

The answer

There is no mention in the Holy Bible of which plant was used in plaiting the crown of thorns used to crown our Lord Jesus Christ. This matter has been the subject of much debate. But the most renowned botanical experts on the flora of the Holy Land have narrowed down the prospects to either the Syrian Christ thorn (Ziziphus spina christi L. Wild.), also known as Rhamnus spina christi (L.) and Rhamnus nabeca Forsk or Christ's thorn Paliuris spina christi (Mill.), also known as Paliuris aculeatus (Lam.) or Rhamnus paliuris (L. Wild.) and Ziziphus paliuris (L.). Both of these plants are members of the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) and closely resemble each other. The Syrian Christ thorn is also known as the dom, sidr, or nulok, and according the Moldenke, "grows abundantly on the plains from Syria and Lebanon through Palestine to Arabia, Petraea, and Sinai.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 839 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.