הצרי המקראי - שרף האלה האטלנטית מארץ-ישראל

Ẓori” is mentioned in the Bible as a well-known, prestigious product for which the Land of Israel was renowned, and especially the region of Gilead. Its importance is reflected in the fact that it appears first on the list of medicinal and perfume ingredients “from the choice produce of the land” that were shipped to Egypt and traded in the sea islands. Several identifications have been suggested for this term, which raises doubt sabout their credibility. In this article we would like to propose the resin of the Atlantic pistacia as the most likely candidate to be identified as the biblical ẓori. The identification is supported by historical sources that point to the production of this resin in the region of ancient Israel and its use intraditional societies today. There is also archaeological evidence that large quantities of resin were exported from Canaan in the Late Bronze Age.Another corroborating piece of evidence is the preservation of the name“ẓori יִ רֳ צ ‒ ”in the ancient Arabic name ‒ ”רו'צ ”darw )ضرو )which refers tothe resin of the Pistacia. The research is also based on a field study where the production of the Atlantic pistacia resin was reconstructed using thetraditional method in several different areas in Israel. The quantity of resinobtained was greater than from any other tree growing in the Land of Israeland Syri