And  though  the  fig-harvest  was  mjt  yet  come,  or  the  time  of
general  ingathering  of  figs,  yet  it  was  a  time  of  year,  as  the  fore-
mentioned  author  observes,  wherein  Christ  might  expect  to
find  some  ripe  figs  fit  for  eating  on  the  tree  ;  for,  as  he  observes,


1


NOTES  ON  THE  BIBLE.  471

the  more  common  sort  of  fig-trees  in  those  parts  brings  two
crops  in  a  year—;  (see  Hosea  ix.  10;)  and  that  the  first  ripe
frnits  of  the  first  crop  might  be  cvpected  then  ;  and  thatJesepiius
says,  that  at  the  time  of  the  passover  some  Jewish  robbers
made  an  excuision  from  tlie  castle  of  Mastada,  and  cairied  oft'
the  ripe  fruits  belonging  to  the  town  of  Engaddi;  and  that  he,
describing  tiie  fruitfuhiess  of  tiie  country  of  Gennesareth,
says,  "  It  aftbids  figs  and  grapes  for  ten  months  without  in-
termission ;"  and  that  Pliny  says,  these  two  crops  of  figs  kept
pace  with  the  liarvest  and  vintage;  and  that,  if  so,  the  first
crop  will  be  ripe  at  about  the  time  of  the  passover;  and  that
the  end  of  the  winter  and  beginning  of  spring  in  Judea  was,  at
latest,  about  the  middle  of  February,  and  then  the  fig-tree  be-
gan to  j)ut  forth  green  figs,  agreeably  to  Cant.  ii.  13  ;  and  there-
fore, that  in  the  words,  "  the  time  of  fruit  is  not  yet,"  is  sig-
nified, that  the  barrenness  of  the  tree,  and  not  merely  that  the
fact  that  the  proper  time  wherein  figs  used  to  be  ripe  was  not
yet  come,  was  the  reason  why  Christ  did  not  find  eatable  figs
on  the  tree,  since,  in  the  latter  case,  it  never  would  have  been
expressed,  as  it  is  here,  that  he  found  nothing  but  haves,  but
rather  that  he  found  notldng  but  green  figs  ;  for,  undoubtedly,
by  what  has  been  observx3d,  there  must  be  green  figs  on  all  fig-
trees  that  were  not  barren  long  before  this  time.
