Category:Agriculture

Ag"ri*cul`ture, n. Etym: [L. agricultura; ager field + cultura cultivation: cf. F. agriculture. See Acre and Culture.

Defn: The art or science of cultivating the ground, including the harvesting of crops, and the rearing and management of live stock; tillage; husbandry; farming.

-- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Agriculture - Tilling the ground (Genesis 2:15; Genesis 4:2, Genesis 4:3, Genesis 4:12) and rearing cattle were the chief employments in ancient times. The Egyptians excelled in agriculture. And after the Israelites entered into the possession of the Promised Land, their circumstances favored in the highest degree a remarkable development of this art. Agriculture became indeed the basis of the Mosaic commonwealth. See table for: The year in Palestine was divided into six agricultural periods: I. Sowing Time: Months Tisri, latter half Marchesvan Kisleu, former half: Beginning about the autumnal equinox. Cultivation time: Early rain due - First showers of autumn II. Unripe Time: Kisleu, latter half Tebet Sebat, former half: Cultivation time III. Cold Season: Sebat, latter half Adar [Veader] Nisan, former half Cultivation time: Latter rain due. (Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24; Hosea 6:3; Zechariah 10:1; James 5:7; Job 29:23) IV. Harvest Time: Nisan, latter half Ijar Sivan, former half: Beginning about vernal equinox. Barley green. Passover. V. Summer: Sivan, latter half: Tammuz Ab, former half: Total absence of rain VI. Sultry Season: Ab, latter half Elul Tisri, former half: Ingathering of fruits The six months from the middle of Tisri to the middle of Nisan were occupied with the work of cultivation, and the rest of the year mainly with the gathering in of the fruits. The extensive and easily-arranged system of irrigation from the rills and streams from the mountains made the soil in every part of Palestine richly productive (Psalm 1:3; Psalm 65:10; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 32:2, Isaiah 32:20; Hosea 12:11), and the appliances of careful cultivation  and of manure increased its fertility to such an extent that in the days of Solomon, when there was an abundant population, "20,000 measures of wheat year by year" were sent to Hiram in exchange for timber (1 Kings 5:11), and in large quantities also wheat was sent to the Tyrians for the merchandise in which they traded (Ezekiel 27:17). The wheat sometimes produced an hundredfold (Genesis 26:12; Matthew 13:23). Figs and pomegranates were very plentiful (Numbers 13:23), and the vine and the olive grew luxuriantly and produced abundant fruit (Deuteronomy 33:24). Lest the productiveness of the soil should be exhausted, it was enjoined that the whole land should rest every seventh year, when all agricultural labor would entirely cease (Leviticus 25:1; Deuteronomy 15:1). It was forbidden to sow a field with diverse seeds (Deuteronomy 22:9). A passer-by was at liberty to eat any quantity of corn or grapes, but he was not permitted to carry away any (Deuteronomy 23:24, - 23:25; Matthew 12:1). The poor were permitted to claim the corners of the fields and the gleanings. A forgotten sheaf in the field was to be left also for the poor. (See Leviticus 19:9 - 19:10; Deuteronomy 24:19.)