Origanum syriacum; syn. Majorana syriaca (also Origanum maru, although this primarily refers to a hybrid of O. syriacum),[3]bible hyssop,[4]Biblical-hyssop,[1]Lebanese oregano[1]orSyrian oregano,[1] is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
It is a preferred primary ingredient in the spice mixture za'atar.
The plant may be called za'atar by association with its use in an herb-spice mixture. In, both, Modern Hebrew and in Classical Hebrew the plant is called ezov (Hebrew: אזוב), which was formerly used in ceremonial functions, such as for sprinkling the waters of purification on those persons defiled by the dead.[5][6] In many English translations of the Bible, ezov is rendered as hyssop, hence the common name for bible hyssop, believed to be a different plant generally identified with Hyssopus officinalis.[7]
The problems with identification arise from Jewish oral tradition where it expressly prohibits Greek hyssop, and where the biblical plant is said to have been identical to the Arabic word, zaatar (Origanum syriacum), and which word is not to be associated with other types of ezov that often bear an additional epithet, such as zaatar farsi = Persian-hyssop (Thymus capitatus) and zaatar rumi = Roman-hyssop (Satureja thymbra) and zaatar mani = calamint (Calamintha incana).[8]
Origanum syriacum is native to the Middle East.[1] In Egypt, Origanum syriacum subsp. sinaicum is a very rare plant that grows on stony ground in Sinai Peninsula including the coastal Mediterranean strip.[10] Wild hyssop and sage are protected under Israeli law as endangered plants, but no major studies on their status have been conducted since 1977. Foraging for Za’atar is illegal under Israeli law, as a important culinary staple to native Palestinians, this is another form of cultural control and oppression under occupation. [11]
Origanum syriacum is harvested in the wild for use in preparing za'atar, a mixture of dried herbs, sesame and sumac for flavoring and garnish. For example, in Lebanon, a typical za'atar blend often consists of dried leaves from Origanum syriacum and Thymbra spicata. This blend is complemented with ground fruits of Rhus coriaria (sumac), toasted sesame seeds, and salt. It is a common practice to mix za'atar with olive oil at home, creating a spread that is then applied to flatbreads called manakish.[12]
So precious is this herb that in the Levant, native Palestinians will forage and gather it. However, following the implementation of protective laws, those caught collecting wild hyssop can be prosecuted and face large fines.[13] It has recently entered cultivation due to high levels of demand.[14][failed verification]
Origanum syriacum cultivation in Ein Samiya, Palestine
Fleisher, Alexander; Fleisher, Zhenia (1988). "Identification of Biblical Hyssop and Origin of the Traditional Use of Oregano-Group Herbs in the Mediterranean Region". Economic Botany. 42 (2). Springer: 232–241. doi:10.1007/BF02858924. JSTOR4255069. S2CID45220405.
Paton, Alan (1994). "Three Membranous-bracted Species of Origanum". The Kew Magazine. 11 (3). Wiley: 109–117. JSTOR45067209.
^Daphne, Amos (1983), "Majorana syriaca", in Heller, David; Livneh, Micah (eds.), Plants and Animals of the Land of Israel (in Hebrew), vol. 11, Tel Aviv: Israel Ministry of Defence, in affiliation with the Nature Protection Society, pp. 79–80, ISBN965-05-0078-2
^Based on the Judeo-Arabic translation of the word in the works of Rabbi Saadia Gaon (in his Tafsir, a translation of the Pentateuch, Exo. 12:22), Nathan ben Abraham I in Mishnah Uktzin 2:2, Rabbi Jonah ibn Janah (Sefer HaShorashim - Book of the Roots, s.v. אזב - aleph, zayn, bet), and Maimonides (in his Mishnah Commentary, Nega'im 14:6).
^Dalman, Gustaf (2013). Work and Customs in Palestine. Vol. 1 (I/1-I/2). Translated by Nadia Abdulhadi Sukhtian. Ramallah: Dar Al Nasher. p. 559. ISBN9789950385-01-6. OCLC1040774903. The wild marjoram (Origanum maru, Ar. zaʻtar) that shoots up with pale-reddish flowers and which I saw in Galilee as well as in Judaea from May until September, but which is also known in the Sinai, belongs to the dry phrygana landscape. Its young, sharp-smelling leaves, which have an astringent taste, are dried, ground with some wheat and mixed with oil; then bread is dipped into this mixture, which is supposed to sharpen one's mind. That is not as significant as the fact that it has to be looked upon as the hyssop of the Passover and the purification rites prescribed by the Law (Ex 12:22; Lev 14:4, 6, 51f.; Ps 51:9). ...The botanical hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis, Ar. zūfa) is out of the question since it is alien to Palestine as to present-day Greece, where occasionally its name is given to the Satureja thymbra (Ar. zaʻtar eḥmar), which is closely related to the wild marjoram.
^The Mishnah (ed. Herbert Danby), Oxford University Press: Oxford 1977, s.v. Negai'im 14:6 (p. 696); Parah 11:7 (p. 711).
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