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HomeRead, Watch, ListenArts & Culture
Plants of the BibleVideoArts & Culture

Myrtle: the sweetness of Shabbat

The heady fragrance of myrtle gives it a special place in Jewish tradition.
Marlo Newton
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myrtle

The sweet scent of myrtle makes it the archetypal scented spice

Published: 29 May 2025

Last updated: 12 June 2025

Myrtle is best known in Jewish culture as one of the four species used in the Sukkot ritual but it has a more regular place in traditional practice.

In this video, from our Plants of the Bible series, Australian-turned-Israeli Elly Waller shares the another use of myrtle at Neot Kedumim, Israel's Biblical Landscape park.

Watch more Plants of the Bible videos here.

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About the author

Marlo Newton

Marlo Newton

Marlo L Newton is an enthusiastic historian and Jewish educator. She is Head of Philanthropy at The Alfred Foundation, Melbourne.

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Comments1

  • Avatar of Simon

    Simon30 May at 03:04 pm

    nice one – thanks for sharing