Science: Manna

A miracle belonging to Judaism and a puzzle belonging to science were reported solved last week. Manna, gift of Heaven upon which the Israelites fed on their exodus from Egypt to Canaan, was but the excretion from the bodies of certain coccids, a kind of plant lice which infested the tamarisk shrubs of the Sinai Peninsula.

So said two Jewish scientists connected with Hebrew University, Jerusalem—Dr. Fritz Bodenheimer of the Zionist Experimental Agricultural Station and Oskar Theodor of the University’s microbiologicalinstitute. They had spent July in the Sinai Desert; had found, as had the old marching Israelites, the white pellets of manna on the ground under tamarisk shrubs, varying in size from a pinhead to a pea. They looked closer and saw the little pills forming as yellow, sulphur-like drops on the tamarisk twigs. Other scientists, before, had noted that phenomenon and had decided that the drops oozed from tiny punctures in the bark, made by plant lice. The Hebrew University men, closer observers, saw the ooze exuding from the coccid bodies.

The discovery of manna by the Israelites occurred on the 16th day of the second month after leaving Egypt, in the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. Hungry, they had grumbled at Moses, Aaron and Jehovah. Moses and Aaron conferred and announced to the Children that the Lord had promised to “rain bread from Heaven.” Towards sunset, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud to repeat the promise. “At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread.”

Sure enough, that same evening “the quails came up and covered the camp.” There was a heavy dew next morning and “upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.” The Children said, “It is manna,”— not knowing what it was. Moses said: “It is the bread which the Lord hath given to you to eat.”

Moses cautioned them to gather no more manna than they needed for one meal, not to keep any overnight. “But some of them left it until the morning and it bred worms and stank.” Moses was vexed. The Lord’s instructions had been to gather a two-day supply on Fridays so as not to have to work on the Sabbath. This they did, kept it over Friday night, and lo, “it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.”

The author of Exodus describes the manna as “like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

The Biblical tamarisk manna is not to be confused with the manna of the manna ash tree (Fraxinns ornus) cultivated commercially on the frassinetti (plantations) around Palermo, Sicily. The manna ash are the trees visitors in Palermo in early summer see blooming with clusters of whitest flowers.

Manna serves in pharmacy as a gentle laxative, demulcent and ex-pectorant. It is good for mild coughs.

Manna of St. Nicholas di Bari made by an Italian woman of the 17th Century was a favorite cosmetic for women. It was a colorless, tasteless liquid, kept on women’s dressing tables. After some 600 affectionate husbands of gaddy wives had died with terrible stomach gripes, authorities discovered that the Manna of St. Nicholas di Bari was a preparation of arsenic sold to impatient wives by the Tiffana. She was executed.

—Manna, in Hebrew, means gift.