Skip to main contentAccessibility feedback
Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy, fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.
Dear catholic.com visitors: This Catholic Answers website, with all its free resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. We receive no funding from the institutional Church and rely entirely on your generosity to sustain this website with trustworthy, accessible content. If every visitor this month donated $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.

Anise

Plant belonging to the parsley family

Click to enlarge

Anise (Matt., xxiii, 23) has been, since Wyclif, the rendering of annthon in the English Versions, But this is not accurate. The exact equivalent of the plant annthon is dill (anethum graveolens), while anise corresponds to the pimpinella anisum. The error in translation, however, is of no great importance, both plants belonging to the parsley family (umbelliferoe), and sharing many properties in common. The dill is an annual plant, “with finely striated stems, usually one foot to one foot and a half in height, pinnate leaves with setaceous linear segments, and yellow flowers” (Enc. Bib.). The Jews used it as a condiment. It is mentioned several times in Rabbinic literature, especially in connection with the question of tithes. Beside the articles specified in the Mosaic Law, the Rabbis had, in course of time, subjected to tithe many other objects, extending the prescription to all products of the earth that were esculent and could be preserved.

EDWARD ARBEZ


Did you like this content? Please help keep us ad-free

More from Catholic.com

Enjoying this content?  Please support our mission!Donate