Legend- Acacia Tree

Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.

 "Illustrated Beatles Lyrics 2" Alan Aldridge

Acacia Tree: In "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics 2" Edited by Alan Aldridge, 1969 is a photo-collage of the Beatles, it looks like from their last photo session, where they are framed in front of could resemble the entrance to a mausoleum. The photo is framed in Acacia and Ginkgo Biloba leaves, and at Paul's feet are drawn-in, red strawberries and a wild rose. The photo is in black-and-white, except for the colored-in flora.
<Ginkgo> , <Rose> 

"The acacia thrives in barren, desert climates, and is specimens have endured for thousands of years despite drought and famine. It provides shelter for both animals and people from the scorching heat of the Sun, and its leaves and seeds are edible. These characteristics make it a symbol of protection and resilience. The tree also has vicious thorns that conceal the secrets said to be hidden by the tree. [...]

The acacia tree was around a long time before the Bible was written, and it was believed that it is what was meant by the Shittim tree mentioned in the old testament, the timer of which, plated with gold, was used to make the Ark of the Covenant. One of the trees speculated to have been used to make Christ's crown of thorns is the acacia; ancient kings who were sacrificially slaughtered wore these agonizingly painful crowns. The cross-sometimes described as a "tree"-upon which Christ was crucified, too, is likely to have been made from a strong and durable acacia wood.  for the Jewish people, the acacia was so sacred that it would never be used for mundane purposes such as furniture.

One of the foremost symbols in freemasonry, a spring of acacia leaves is laid on the coffin at the funerals of Freemasons in memory Hiram  Abiff, builder of king Solomon's Temple. Hiram's story of betrayal echoes that of Christ and is one of the main tenets of freemasonry. Hiram had the sprig of acacia laid on his grave as a si8gn not only of the death and resurrection, but as a reminder that like the tree, Hiram refused to divulge certain secrets. its evergreen leaf is a symbol of immortality of the soul, and the acacia, as a symbol of  incorruptibility, signifies  the purity of Hiram's soul.

The Greek word for "innocence"-akakia- is the same as for the tree. For Freemasons, again, this is particularly apposite since Hiram was also innocent, preferring to die rather give out the password that could have given his assassins the status of Master Mason. The tree was also the symbol of the Goddess AL'Uzza who presides over birth and death, the changing seasons, the planets, and the stars." (ISS) See Ginko, Strawberry and Rose for further related images (posts forthcoming).