Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) also known as the sidr tree is a real, identifiable tree native to the Middle East, and it appears—directly or indirectly—in Islam, Judaism, and later Christian tradition. The connections between the three faiths are not theological agreements but overlapping uses, names, and symbolic associations rooted in the same landscape.

In Islam, the tree is known as the sidr. The Qur’an refers to Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, in Surah An-Najm (53:13–18). While the Qur’anic reference is cosmic rather than botanical, Islamic scholarship and popular tradition have long associated the earthly sidr tree (Ziziphus spina-christi) with this name. Separately, the sidr has practical religious use: its leaves are traditionally used for ritual washing, including funerary preparation, because of their cleansing properties. Islamic legal tradition also treats shade-giving trees such as the sidr as protected resources, discouraging their destruction because of their role in sustaining human and animal life in arid environments. In medieval medical literature the jujube appears fre-quently under various names, such as “sidar” or “tsal“, while the fruit is called “nabaq” or dum“. This is the confusing part, because it has so many different names. 

In Judaism, the same species is known in Hebrew as shizaf and in English, the jujube tree. The tree appears in rabbinic literature as a familiar fruit tree in the Land of Israel and surrounding regions. Its significance is legal and practical rather than mystical. The shizaf is discussed in the context of agricultural law, including restrictions against unnecessary destruction (bal tashchit, not wasting or destroying) and rules governing fruit trees, property boundaries, and communal benefit. Trees that provide food or shade, even if not commercially valuable, are afforded protection under Jewish law. Trees that provide fruit are forbidden from being cut down, and in Judaism there is even a holiday for the trees, called Tu B’shevat. The jujube therefore functions as part of Judaism’s broader land-based ethic rather than as a singular sacred symbol.

The Christian association is later and less textually grounded. The English name Christ’s thorn reflects a tradition that identifies the tree’s hooked thorns with the crown of thorns placed on Jesus Christ during the crucifixion. The New Testament does not name the plant species, and there is no definitive historical proof that Ziziphus spina-christi was used. However, the tree was common in Roman-era Judea, and its flexible, sharp thorns make the identification plausible enough to persist in Christian tradition and naming. This is one of the theories. Ever hike in the Judaean Mountains outside of Jerusalem, and dry thorny trees and bushes is about all you will find.

The clean line between the three traditions can exist: Islam names the tree as the sidr and elevates it symbolically and ritually; Judaism regulates it legally and ethically as part of a lived agricultural system. Mentioned in the Mishnah and Talmud, they are linked to the biblical atad and, historically. The sidr was also known as pilgrimage trees for women who were barren. Christianity retrospectively associates it with a central moment in the life of Jesus. All three traditions engage the same tree through different lenses—cosmic boundary, legal responsibility, and historical memory—without relying on the same texts or meanings. According to this article it is the only holy tree in Islam and the Druze also revere this tree for its spiritual importance.

The medicinal uses for Christ’s thorn, the sidr tree are vast. These are documented ethnobotanical use in Israel and the wider Middle East.

Medicinal Uses of Christ’s Thorn Jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi)

Source: Dafni, A., Levy, S., & Lev, E. (2005). The ethnobotany of Christ’s Thorn Jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) in Israel. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 1:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-1-8

What unites these traditions is that the jujube tree heals wounds, cools bodies, feeds communities, and thrives where water is scarce. It teaches patience, restraint, and coexistence with the land.

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In Islamic tradition, there is a point where creation ends — a boundary at the 7th heaven that marks the limit of what any created being can reach. That boundary is called Sidrat al-Muntahā, translated as the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary.

The reference appears in the Qur’an in a short, concentrated passage in Surah An-Najm (The Star), describing a vision “at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit.” The lote tree is known as the Sidr tree, from which the Yemenites make holy honey, and it is also believed to be the thorn worn by Jesus.

Where the lote shows up in Islam’s most famous ascent story

The boundary, or Sidrat al-Muntahā is most often discussed in connection with the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isrā’ wal-Mi‘rāj) to Jerusalem, which was a dream. For in reality, Mohammed never actually made it to Jerusalem, the Holy City. In a well-known narration recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, the moment is described with a modest line:

Then Jibril took me till we reached Sidrat-ul-Muntaha … which was shrouded in colors indescribable.

In the same narration, the ascent is tied to the establishment of the five daily prayers — a reminder that the story returns to lived practice. In Judaism, the three-times daily supplication was inspired by the Jewish forefather Abraham, described as “standing” before God, interpreted as the first morning prayer (Genesis 19:27), and Isaac going out to “meditate” (or pray) in the fields and Jacob inspired by the evening prayers.

What “utmost boundary” means

In Islam, the Arabic name is descriptive: sidrah (transliterated with an h or without) refers to a lote tree, and muntahā means the farthest point or extremity — the tree at the limit. One academic treatment explores how “the lote tree of the boundary” functions as a threshold image in Islamic interpretive traditions.

Knowing about the concept of the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary helps explain a core idea in Islam: God is beyond creation, and there are limits to what humans — and even angels — can know. Islam doesn’t aim for union with God or endless revelation; it emphasizes humility, restraint, and knowing when to stop asking. The story of the Lote Tree shows why Islam values discipline and practice, like daily prayer, over personal mystical experience. Protecting the boundary between the divine and the human is seen not as restrictive, but as essential.

The sidr tree and the Lote Tree

The sidr tree is a real, familiar tree across Arabia and parts of the Middle East. And it makes great honey. In English it’s often called the lote tree or Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus species). It grows in harsh, dry conditions, provides deep shade, edible fruit, and medicinal leaves, and is known for its resilience.

For centuries it has been part of everyday desert life — practical, tough, and unremarkable in appearance.

In Islam, this ordinary tree is given extraordinary meaning. Sidrat al-Muntahā — the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary — takes its name from the sidr tree but is not simply a botanical reference. It marks the furthest limit of creation and knowledge, the point beyond which no created being, including angels, can go.

The Qur’an mentions it briefly, without description or symbolism piled on. That restraint is intentional. Islam does not turn the sidr tree into a symbol of God or a ladder toward divinity as the Jewish text goes – Jacob wrestling with the angel. Instead, it uses a known, grounded tree to mark a boundary. In Islam God remains beyond the created world, and knowing where that boundary lies is part of the faith.

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Look for the exotic jujube fruit in Middle Eastern markets this month.

Jujubes (photo above, Latin Ziziphus jujuba), called dumim in Hebrew and sadriah in Arabic, are in season right now. But their season is short. Eat them out of hand, papery peel and all, or cook up a compote flavored with a little orange-flower water.  Jujubes, also known as red dates, are said to be calming and relaxing to a stressed-out soul.

A month of healthy pomegranates

September is also pomegranate month in the Middle East. There are lots of good reasons to eat pomegranates, apart from being able to bless them as new fruit on Rosh HaShana the Jewish new year. The markets are crimson with piles of this fruit, and it should stay in season for at least another six weeks.

Fresh yellow dates are another seasonal specialty here in the Middle East. They’re different from the dark dried dates available all the year in that they’re eaten fresh – but must be frozen to bring out their sweetness and moisture. Try ma’moul a traditional Arabic pastry stuffed with dates. Just substitute chopped dates for the nuts in the recipe.

Other fruit besides pomegranate: Mangoes are still plentiful. Bananas are not quite peak yet, but plentiful. Pineapples are to be seen but are most expensive.  All kinds and colors of plums are in the markets. Apples and pears, best in the cold season, have entered the market but are not beautiful yet. Many varieties of table grapes are available now; wine grapes are already being harvested.

Lemons are more abundant than in hot August but prices are still high. Wait till it’s rained once or twice for the citrus to come in, plenty and sweet.

Going out of season: Fruit that will be out of season soon are limes,  passiflora (passion fruit), dragonfruit, watermelons, honeydews and cantaloups,  peaches and nectarines. Sabra fruit is on market stands now, freed of (most) prickles. Figs are still in, but not for too much longer. Same for lichees.

Vegetables: Tomatoes in all their varieties are very plentiful now, with prices low. The same for cucumbers, zucchini, onions, and red and white cabbages. Bell peppers and hot peppers are also abundant and cheap now. How about some pickled peppers? Leeks are looking sturdier than they did in August. Lettuces, all varieties, are in season. Mushrooms, not depending on any particular weather as they’re mostly grown indoors, are excellent.

Radishes and eggplants look attractive and there’s plenty of them. Sweet potatoes are coming down in price as their season approaches. Cauliflower and broccoli are starting to look firm and plump and are worth buying again. Green beans and yard-long beans are also coming into season, but will be cheaper, hopefully, in a week or two. Pumpkins and butternut squash are good.

Kohlrabi, that knobbly cousin of the cabbage, is also good now – buy small, sweet ones to slice and marinate briefly in lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Serve raw, as a salad.

Root vegetables: Carrots, celeriac, and beets are fine now. Red and white potatoes are too. Parsley root, mostly used to flavor soup, is still thin and dry-looking. Wait till winter for fat, sweet parsley roots that can be baked like potatoes.

Herbs are improving since the peak of summer is past. Looking good now are parsley leaves, celery, dill, rocket, Swiss chard, spring onions, and especially, basil.

Fresh olives will be appearing shortly. Try our recipe for pickling olives at home.

Even more recipes for September’s seasonal produce:

• Spinach/Mushroom Quiche
• Pomegranate-Nut Salad
• Grilled Vegetables

Photos of jujubes and pomegranates by Miriam Kresh

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