A ship on the acrostolium of which hangs a shield, an emblem of the mercantile and warrior city of Tyre.  On the vessel stands Astarte, holding a palm branch in her left hand and a scepter in her right and directing two boys on the ship.

A Ship

A ship on the acrostolium of which hangs a shield, an emblem of the mercantile and warrior city of Tyre.…

A branch of a vineless sweet potato plant, showing the crowded position of leaf stems.

Sweet Potato Plant

A branch of a vineless sweet potato plant, showing the crowded position of leaf stems.

"And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it upon a staff between two; they brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us; and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it." Numbers 13:23-27
<p>Illustration of two spies returning with a bunch of grapes so large it is carried by two men.

Return of the Spies Sent to Canaan

"And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes,…

"And the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way. And the multitudes that went before him, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?" Matthew 21:8-10 ASV
<p>Illustration of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt, right hand raised, as crowds welcome him with palm branches. A man lays a piece of cloth on the ground for the colt to walk on. A small child on the left waves a tree branch.

Jesus' Triumphal Entry and Welcome into Jerusalem

"And the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the…

"And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it upon a staff between two; they brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days." Numbers 13:23-25 ASV
<p>Illustration of the twelve spies, including Joshua and Caleb, returning from the land of Canaan. They are carrying the grape clusters and other fruits they took from the land. Three men are pictured. The man in front is waving to Moses and the people. Moses can be seen in the background and is known because he is pictured with horns. The third man is carrying a basket on his head.

Joshua and Caleb Return from Canaan with the Other Spies

"And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes,…

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke 1:26-31 KJV

<p>Illustration of the Virgin Mary praying at an altar in her room as the archangel Gabriel approaches her to tell her she will give birth to Jesus. Gabriel is knelt on a cloud, his left arm raised. He is holding an olive branch. Above Mary's head, a dove is flying out of a cloud and a shaft of light glows down on Mary's head. A vase with lilies in it sits on the floor.

The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel Approaches Mary while She is Praying

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,…

"And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel:

5 and as they were affrighted and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Luke 24:3-5 ASV
<p>Illustration of three women finding an empty tomb when they come to see Jesus. One woman carries a jar. Another leans slightly over the empty tomb. Two angels stand at the end of the tomb, one holding an olive branch. The opening to the cave is uncovered and the lid to the tomb is off.

Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome Find Jesus' Empty Tomb

"And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, while they were…

"Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons." Mark 16:9 ASV
<p>Illustration of Mary, fallen on her knees, at Jesus' feet as He rounds a corner and walks towards her. Two angels holding olive branches, sit behind her, at the entrance to the empty tomb. Rays of light emanate from Jesus' head. He is carrying the banner of the cross.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene After His Resurrection

"Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from…

<i>Scytalopus magellanicus</i>. "A genus of South American formicarioid passerine birds, of the family <i>Pteroptochidae</i>. <i>S. magellanicus</i> is curiously similar to wrens in general appearance and habits, though belonging to a different suborder of birds." —Whitney, 1889
<p>This illustration features a darkly colored bird sitting on a branch with small leaves.

Magellanic Tapaculo

Scytalopus magellanicus. "A genus of South American formicarioid passerine birds, of the family Pteroptochidae.…

"The so-called green jackdaw of Asia, <i>Cissa sinensis</i>. The sirgang inhabits the southeastern Himalayan region, and thence through Burma to Tasserim, and has occasioned much literature." &mdash;Whitney, 1889
<p>The bird is perched on a branch with a few leaves.

Sirgang

"The so-called green jackdaw of Asia, Cissa sinensis. The sirgang inhabits the southeastern Himalayan…

"A forked branch of a tree, four or five feet long, used by slave-hunters in Africa to prevent the slaves they had captured or purchased from running away when on the march from the interior to the coast. The forked part was secured on the neck of the slave by lashings passing from the end of one prong to the end of the other, so that the heavy stick hung down nearly to the ground, or (as was usually the case) was connected with the fork on the neck of another slave." &mdash;Whitney, 1889
<p>In this illustration, the slave sits on the ground with the slave fork out in front of him. He is in an enclosure with a thatched roof.

Slave Fork

"A forked branch of a tree, four or five feet long, used by slave-hunters in Africa to prevent the slaves…

"At different times during the middle ages extraordinarily long, pendant sleeves were in use, sometimes reaching the ground, and at other times a mere band or strip of stuff, single or double, hung from the arm, and was generally called a hanging sleeve, although the actual sleeve was independent of it." &mdash;Whitney, 1889
<p>Illustration of a woman from the 12th century wearing a traditional dress with hanging sleeves. She is holding a small branch with leaves on it. She is wearing a ring headpiece. The illustration is from Viollet-le-Duc's "Dictionary du Mobilier francais."

A Woman in a Dress - 12th Century, with Long and Hanging Sleeves

"At different times during the middle ages extraordinarily long, pendant sleeves were in use, sometimes…

<i>Padda oryzivora</i>. "...the rice bird of Java...about as large as the bobolink, of a bluish-gray color with pink bill and white ear-coverts; a well-known cage bird." &mdash;Whitney, 1889

Java Sparrow on a Branch

Padda oryzivora. "...the rice bird of Java...about as large as the bobolink, of a bluish-gray color…

<i>Arachnothera magna</i>. Also called a spider-catcher, the Streaked Spiderhunter is "a bird that catches spiders...They are small creeper-like birds with long bills, and belong to the family <i>Nectariniidae</i>." &mdash;Whitney, 1889
<p>A bird with a long, pointed, thin beak, sitting on a branch.

Streaked Spiderhunter

Arachnothera magna. Also called a spider-catcher, the Streaked Spiderhunter is "a bird that catches…