Historical Data
The pomegranate was already known to the ancient Egyptians and is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Adam picked a pomegranate for Eve (with fateful results, we know); the prize Paris awarded Aphrodite was a pomegranate. Malum punicum, Punic apple, was a name used by the Romans, who learned of it from the Phoenicians in North Africa , or also Malum granatum, because of its many seeds, which made it a symbol of fertility. Apples and flowers were often motifs in Islamic and Buddhist art. The city of Granada in Spain and the semi-precious stone, the garnet, also derive their names from the pomegranate.