page_title: Palm branch
section_title: Judaism
hierarchical_section_title: Palm branch / Judaism
caption_attribution_description: Español: El Rebe de Tosh agitando el lulav en la festividad de SucotEnglish: The Tosher en:Rebbe of Montreal, Canada shaking the Four species during Sukkot while praying en:Hallel
context_page_description: The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In Judaism, the lulav, a closed frond of the date palm is part of the festival of Sukkot. A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of Victory personified in ancient Rome.
  In Christianity, the palm branch is associated with Jesus' Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, when, according to John's gospel, "they took palm branches and went out to meet Him". Consequently, palms are not mentioned in any of the other three canonical gospel accounts. The palm has meaning in Christianity as well Christian iconography to represent victory, i.e. the victory of the spirit over the flesh, Revelation 7:9.
  Since a victory signals an end to a conflict or competition, the palm developed into a symbol of peace, a meaning it can have in Islam, where it is often associated with Paradise.
context_section_description: In Judaism, the date palm (Lulav) is one of the Four Species used in the daily prayers on the feast of Sukkot. It is bound together with the hadass (myrtle), and aravah (willow).  The Midrash notes that the binding of the Four Species symbolizes the desire to unite the four "types" of Jews in service of God.
  During the Roman Empire, the date palm represented Judaea and its fecundity to both Romans and Jews. Roman sources praise the date as the produce of the province. The date palm was a frequent image for Judaea on Imperial coinage, most notably on the Iudaea Capta series, when the typical military trophy is replaced by the palm. The palm appears also on at least one Hasmonean coin and on coinage issued in 38–39 AD by Herod Antipas. Palm ornaments are found also on Jewish ossuaries.
  In 1965, Judean date palm seeds dated at around 2000 years old were recovered during excavations at Herod the Great's palace on Masada in Israel. In 2005, some of the seeds were planted. One grew and has been nicknamed "Methuselah".
caption: The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada waving the Four Species during Hallel
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