Introduction

Israel, at the junction of three continents, is unique in its geology and climate, as well as its remarkable range of flora and fauna. Containing four distinct “geophysical” zones, almost 3000 species of plants are to be found in Israel, many exclusive to the alpine, Mediterranean, subtropical and desert regions of the country.

In this wonderful country characterized by the diversity of its ethnic groups, folk healers are still to be found amongst Jewish and Arab communities. They are drawing on a rich tradition that extends back over several millennia. Medicinal plants, traditionally used by these populations for treating a wide range of ailments and diseases, are particularly prevalent here in Israel, with estimates that over a third of local species possess significant medicinal activity. In addition, thousands of years of trade along ancient caravan routes, and a history of frequent conquest, have introduced many exotic species originally native to Europe, Asia, Africa and India into the area.

Desert species comprising much of this unique flora, are especially renowned by local healers for their medicinal properties, with usage that extends back several millennium. Historically, Jewish sources, including the Bible, refer frequently to plants for their ceremonial, ritual and medicinal uses. Later Jewish works including the Talmud and the Mishnah, as well as the writings of renowned Jewish and Arab physicians such as Maimonedes and Avicena, extensively discuss the role of medicinal plants, laying the basis for the scholarly as well as folk medical traditions of later centuries.