درخت زندگی

درخت زندگی مفهومی است که در علم، مذهب، فلسفه، اسطوره و دیگر زمینه‌ها استفاده شده‌است. در این زمینه‌ها درخت زندگی به شکل درختی پرشاخه نشان داده می‌شود که نشان‌دهندهٔ این ایده‌است که تمام حیات بر روی زمین به هم مربوط است. درخت زندگی انواع گوناگون دارد: بنمایه‌ای‌ست در الهیات، اسطوره‌ها، و فلسفه‌های مختلف در جهان؛ یک مفهوم عرفانی که به ارتباط متقابل تمام اجزای حیات بر روی سیارهٔ ما اشاره دارد؛ و همچنین در علوم، نموداری برای تبار مشترک موجودات در تکامل است.
قس عربی
شجرة الحیاة هی مفهومدالة تستخدم فی مجالات العلم والإلهیات، والفلسفة، والمیثولوجیا. وهی تصور العلاقة الترابطیة بین جمیع أشکال الحیاة على کوکبنا، وهی تشبیه ترمز للأصل المشترک بالمعنى التطوری. کما یمکن استخدام شجرة مدة کمرادف للشجرة المقدسة عند الأشوریین.[1]
محتویات [أظهر]
فی الدین والأساطیر[عدل]

{{مقالة رئیسیة|عبادة الشجرة]] استعمل مفهوم الشجرة فی الفلکلور والتراث والمرویات وأساطیر کتعبیر للخلود والخصوبة والتی تأئرت بالرمزیة الدینیة.
بلاد الفرس القدیمة[عدل]
فی أساطیر بلاد فارس ما قبل الإسلام، شجرة العالم هی شجرة ضخمة تحمل کل أنواع البذور. ومن المرویات أن أهریمان، إله الشر، خلق ضفدع مهمته القضاء على الشجرة لمنع نمو بقیة الأشجار على الأرض. بالمقابل، قام أهورامزدا، إله الخیر، بوضع سمکتین تحرسان الشجرة. وبهذا، تقترب فکرة شجرة العالم الفارسیة من فکرة شجرة الحیاة نفسها.
ومن الأساطیر الإیرانیة القدیمة شجرتی الماشی والماشیان التین یعتبرا أصل کل شیء حی على الأرض.
عند الفراعنة[عدل]
فی أسطورة تاسوع هیلیوبولیس الفرعونیة، ولدتا إیزیس، إلاهة القمر والأمومة وأوزیریس، إله البعث، من شجرة طلح والتی تعتیر شجرة کل شیء حی.
عند الأرمن[عدل]
کانت شجرة الحیاة فی المرویات الأرمنیة رمزیة دینیة ترسم على جدران النعابد والقلاع وتنحت على درع المحاربین. وکان للشجرة فرع مقسمة بالتساوی من الناحیتین الیمنى والیسرى و علیها ثلاث ورقات، واحدة على کل فرع وواحدة فی أعلى الشجرة. کما یوجد شخصین على کل جنب من اشجرة رافعین أحدى یدیهما إلى الأعلى کرمو لعنایتهما بالشجرة.
عند ألأشوریین[عدل]
کان الأشوریین یعتبرون شجرة الحیاة رمز دینی مهم ورسموها کمجموعة من العقد المتصلین بخطوط متداخلة وکان یخدمها ألهة برؤوس نسور وکهنة وحتى ملوک. لم یصل باحثی علم ألشوریات إلى تفسیر موحد لمعناها.
عند البهائیین[عدل]
اعتبر البهائیین شجرة الحیاة کتعبیر للمظهر أی الرسول، المعلم الکبیر الذی یظهره الله للبشریة بین الحینة والأخرى. فالمظهر هو جذور وساق الشجره بینما أتباعه هم الفروع والأوراق. أما الثمار فتدل على التطور والرقی.
عند الصینیین[عدل]
یعتقد الطاویة، شجرة دراق، تثمر مرة کل ثلاثة ألف سنة ومن یتناول ثمارها یحصل على الخلود. ومن المکتشغات الأثریة فی سیشوان الصینیة مذبح یحتوی على ثلاث شجرات برونزیة على قاعدتهم تنین وعلى اعلاهم طیر فینیق ذو أخلاب طویلة.
عند المسحیین[عدل]
ذکرت شجرة الحیاة فس سفر الرؤیا 22 حین وصفت یشجرة تحمل 12 محصول من الفاکهة التی تنبت کل شهر وثمارها لدیها ملکة شفاء الشعوب. أما فی الکاثولیکیة, ترمز شجرة الحیاة الى طهارة البشریة من الخطیئة الأولى قبل السقوط. کما أعلن بندکت السادس عشر أن الصلیب هو شجرة الحیاة.[2] کما شرح القدیس بونافینتور أن ثمار شجرة الحیاة الشافیة هو المسیح.[3] أن جسد ودم المسیح هما ثمار الشجرة. أما فی الکنیسة الشرقیة‘ فشجرة الحیاة هی محبة الله.
فی الشرق الأوسط[عدل]
ذکرت ملحمة جلجامش أن إتانا بحث عن نبتة تعطی الحیاة لیحصل على إبن. وهذه من الأدلة أن فکرة شجرة الحیاة کانت منتشرة منذ العصور القدیمة. وفی کتاب ألف لیلة ولیلة، هناک قصة بلیقة التی تروی مغامرات عن البحث عن الخلود ووصفت شجرة مرصعة بالجواهر بالقرب من ینبوع الشباب یحرسها الخضر.
فی الیهودیة[عدل]


شجرة الحیاة فی الکابالا
فی الیهودیة، لشجرة الحیاة العدید من المفاهیم والإستعمالات. یلفظ المصطلح کـ"إتز خاییم". ففی سفر الأمثال، ترمز إلى التوراة نفسها کما ترمز الى الحکمة والرویة. أما فی سفر الخروج فهی الشجرة التی طرد بسسببها أدم زحواء من الجنة حتی لا یتناولا ثمارها التی تمنح الحیاة الأبدیة. کما ذکر فی سفر أخنوخ أنه فی یوم القیام، سیقدم الله ثمرة من شجرة الحیاة لکل من ذکر اسمه فی کتاب الحیاة. کما یستعمل لیصف الیشیفا و الکنیس و الأدب الحاخامی. کما یستعمل فی تسمیة عصی لفافات التوراة.
فی عالم الغموضیة الیهودیة، تصور شجرة الحیاة بعشرة عقد مترابطة والتی تعتبر رمزا محوریا للکابالا. تحتوى على تعداد القوة فی العالم الإلهی.
فی أقریقیا[عدل]
یعتبر الرستافاریین وبعض المسیحیین الأقباط، أن عشبة القنب المخدرة هی شجرة الحیاة. أما فی دیانة شعب السیریر فی السنغال، فإن شجرة الحیاة هی أساس التکوین فی معتقداتهم، إذ أن الشجر هی أول الأحیاء التی خلقها روخ، الإله الأعظم.
العلوم[عدل]



شجرة الحیاة البیولوجیة
شجرة الحیاة فی العلوم وتشبیه یستعمل کشرح لعلاقة الکائنات الحیة ببعضها فی میدان التطور. وفی کتابه "أصل الأنواع"، حاول داروین شرع فکرته حول التطور الأحیاء عن طریق رسم متشعب یشابه الشجرة. وبعدها، عند محاولة فهم العلاقة بین المخلوقات عن طریق دراسة الحوامض الجینیة، استعمل کارل وویس، رائد إعادة تنظیم علم التصنیف، فکرة شجرة الحیاة لوصف نتائجه. ومشروع شجرة الحیاة على الإنترنت، هو مشروع یجمع ویعرض المعلومات المجمعة فی مجالی علم الوراثة العرقی و التنوع الحیوی یتشارک فی إنتاجه علماء الأحیاء من حل العالم. وفی علم تشریح الأعصاب، یستعمل مصطلح "أربور فیتای" (باللاتینیة: Arbor vitae)، أی شجرة الحیاة، لوصف نمط تشعبات القشرة المخیة فی المادة الرمادیة فی الدماغ والمادة البیضاء فی المخیخ. "
الثقافة العامة[عدل]

الفنون[عدل]
یوجد منحوتة معدنیة لشجرة الحیاة فی ویسکونسن بارتفاع طابقین ونصف. کما رسم غوستاف کلمت شجرة الحیاة.
الموسیقى[عدل]
Crystal xedit.png هذا القسم فارغ أو غیر مکتمل، مساهمتکم مرحب بها.
إقراء أیضا[عدل]

شجرة الحیاة (الکتاب المقدس)
شجرة الحیاة (البحرین)
شجرة الحیاة (الأردن)
شجرة الحیاة (أحیاء)
شجرة عید المیلاد (تقالید)
الکلانیة
مراجع[عدل]

^ Tryggve N. D. Mettinger, The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of Genesis 2-3,
^ Gheddo، Piero (March 20, 2005). "Pope tells WYD youth: the Cross of Jesus is the real tree of life". AsiaNews.it. اطلع علیه بتاریخ 2013-02-25.
^ "The Tree of Life". Yale University. اطلع علیه بتاریخ 2013-02-25.
تصنیفات: عناصر خرافیةاساطیرأشجار فی الأساطیرشجرة الحیاة

قس ترکی استانبولی
Yaşam ağacı kavramın kökeni tarih-öncesi denilen devirlere kadar uzanan, başta Asya şamanist gelenekleri olmak üzere, pek çok gelenekte rastlanan bir semboldür.
Konu başlıkları [göster]
Türk geleneğinde yaşam ağacı[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Yakut ve Altay Türkleri’nde yaşam ağacına Dünya Ağacı da denir. Eski Türk geleneğine göre, bu, Dünya’yı ortasından (göbeğinden) öte-âleme ve Demir-Kazık Yıldızı’na bağlayan, dalları vasıtasıyla şamanlara yeryüzünden yüksek âlemlere yolculuk yapma olanağı sağlayan bir ağaçtır. Buna Demir Ağaç da denir.
Şamanist geleneğe göre, Dünya, “Göğün göbeği” ile bu ağaç sayesinde irtibat halinde olup, bu ağaç ile beslenir. Anne rahmindeki bir bebek için göbek kordonu nasıl yaşamsal bir öneme sahip bulunuyorsa yeryüzü için de bu irtibat kanalı aynı derecede öneme sahip bulunmaktadır. Dolayısıyla Türk Şamanizm’inde Dogon tradisyonunda da görüldüğü gibi, bu irtibatı ifade etmede “göbek” sözcüğü tercih edilmiştir. Gerek Dogon gerekse eski Türk geleneğine göre, göğün göbeği bir yıldızdır. (Gök sözcüğünün şamanizmde üç anlam içerecek şekilde kullanıldığı görülmektedir. Örneğin Altay şamanı Tanrı Ülgen’e seslenirken aynı cümlede bir ayrım yaparak “ulaşılmaz mavi gök”, “erişilmez ak gök” ve “dönen yıldızlı gök” der ki, bu üç ayrı terimin gökyüzünü, spiritüel göğü ve uzayı ifade etmek üzere kullanıldığı ileri sürülür.)
Ural-Altay kültürlerinde gök katları, yaşam ağacı, kayın ağacından yapılma bir direk üzerine ya da bir kayın ağacının üzerine kertikler açılarak temsil edilir. Orta Asya’da kutsal kayın ağacına açılan bu kertiklerin sayısı 7,9 veya 12 olur. Sibirya’da yaşam ağacını ve yerin eksenini aynı zamanda, şamanın transa geçtiği çadırının ortasındaki kayından yapılmış direk temsil eder. Kayın ağacına verilen önem, Türkler’in akrabalık bağlarını gösteren isimlerde de “kayın” sözcüğünü kullanılmasıyla görülür (kaynata vs.).
Altay şamanının uçuş denilen trans deneyiminde son gök katına varabilmesi yedi, dokuz veya oniki katla ilişkilendirilen bu yaşam ağacına tırmanmasıyla ifade edilir. Bu ağacın sekiz dallı olarak belirtildiği Yakut geleneğinde Yerin Göbeği’nden çıkan, çiçek açan bu ağacın tepe kısmının köpüklü, sarı, insanlara şifa verici bir sıvı içinde olduğu ifade edilir. Sibirya Şamanizm’inde yaşam ağacı 7’nin yanı sıra 8 ve 12 sayılarıyla da ilişkilendirilir.
Abakan ve Moğol geleneğinde de görülebileceği gibi, Asya şamanist geleneklerinin birçoğunda yaşam ağacı “Dünya Dağı” kavramıyla ilişkilendirilir; ağaç dağın ya ortasında ya da tepesinde bulunur. Yine, Asya şamanist geleneklerinin birçoğunda, özellikle Orta-Asya, Sibirya, Moğol ve Endonezya mitolojilerinde, bedensiz varlıklar, yani bedenlerini ölüm olayı ile terk etmiş ruhlar ve tekrar doğmaya hazırlanan ruhlar, genellikle yaşam ağacının dallarına tünemiş, bekleşen küçük kuşlar olarak tasvir edilirler. Örneğin, Altaylılar “Yeryüzünde tekrar doğmayı bekleyen insan ruhları göklerdeki, göksel ağacın dallarındaki küçük kuşlar gibidir” derler. Turukhansk Yakutlar’ı geleneğine göre, Yaratıcı ya da ışığın yaratıcısı olan Yüce Varlık, ilk şamanı yarattığı zaman gökteki makamından sekiz dallı bir ağaç dikmiştir ki, dallarındaki kuşlar O’nun çocukları olan ruhları temsil ederler.
Hint geleneğinde yaşam ağacı[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Ruhların yaşam ağacı dallarına konmuş kuşlarla simgelenişi Hint metinlerinde de mevcuttur. Örneğin, ruhların bedenden bedene göçen göçmen kuşlara benzetildiği Upanişadlar’da bulunan bir sembolizmde yaşam ağacına tünemiş iki kuştan biri meyveyi yerken, öbürü bakar ki, bu iki kuştan (Atma ve Jivatma) meyveyi yiyen “reenkarne olmuş, aktif haldeki ruh”u, öteki kuş ise bedensiz ruhu simgeler. Hint geleneğindeki bir başka yaşam ağacı, yayıktaymış gibi çalkalanan süt denizinde bulunan Boddhi ağacıdır. Bir Angkor yazıtına göre, Boddhi ağacının kökleri Brahma, gövdesi Siva, dalları Vişnu’dur. (Kimi versiyonlarda ise ağaç Siva’dır, Brahma ve Vişnu dallarıdır. )


Mezopotamya silindir mühründe kuş ve geyiklerle birlikte stilize yaşam ağacı


Asur silindir mühründe tepesinde bir yıldızın ya da kanatlı güneş sembolünün yer aldığı yaşam ağacı Bir başka Asur yaşam ağacı


Chavin yaşam ağacı (Peru)
Diğer geleneklerde yaşam ağacı[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Çin geleneklerindeki yaşam ağacı (Kiyen Mu) dokuz dallı, dokuz köklü, dokuz göğe ve dokuz kaynağa dokunan bir ağaç olup, ölülerin bulunduğu öte-âlemi de içerir. Çin geleneğinde ayrıca, meyvesi ölümsüzlük sağlayıcı şeftali olan si-wangu-mu ağacı bulunur.
Kafkas geleneklerinde, tepesi göğe değen bu ağacın kökünden bir pınar fışkırır.
İsmailî gelenekte yedinci göğü aşan bir ağaçtır.
Yaşam ağacı sembolü Urartu, Hurri ve Frig eserlerinde de görülür. Frigya eserlerinde yaşam ağacı sekiz dallıdır.
Eski Mısır geleneğinde de yaşam ağacı Şamanizm ve Hint tradisyonlarındaki gibi ruhların kuş biçiminde tünedikleri bir ağaçtır. Gök ilaheleri Hathor ve Nut bu kuşları su ve meyve ile besler.
Tevrat’ta, Aden’le ilgili sembolizme konu olan iki tür ağaç vardır; biri dört kollu ırmağın aktığı Aden cennetinin ortasındaki yaşam ağacı, diğeri ise hakikat ağacıdır. (Hakikat ağacı kişinin meyvesini yediği gün öleceği “iyi ile kötüyü bilme ağacı” olarak belirtilir.)
İbrani geleneğine göre yaşam ağacı, meyvesi ölümsüzlük sağlayan öyle bir ağaçtır ki, kendisinden semavi tesirin tüm alemlerle temasını sağlayıcı bir çiy çıkar.
Hıristiyan gelenekte yaşam ağacı sembolizmi İncil’in vahiy denilen, Yuhanna’nın Vahyi kısmında görülür. Yuhanna’nın bu vizyonunda yaşam ağacı,12 defa meyve veren, yaprakları ulusların şifa bulmasını sağlayıcı bir ağaç olarak belirtilir ( Vahiy, 22/2). Ayrıca İsa Mesih'in çarmıhı alegorik olarak yaşam ağacını simgeler.
İslamî gelenekte, kökleri Göğün yedinci ve son katındaki Sidre’den çıkan Tuba (huzur, mutluluk) ağacı simgesine rastlanır.
Zerdüştçülük’te bir denizin derin sularından çıkan, ölümsüzlük sağlayıcı gaokerena ağacı.
Eski İran geleneğinde Haoma (Hom) olarak bilinen ölümsüzlük besininin edinildiği yaşam ağacı. İranlıların kutsal saydıkları bitkinin fındık yapraklı psoralea olduğu sanılıyor. Heredotos bu bitkiye triphyllon (üç yapraklı) adını verir. Haoma Batı'nın Ortaçağdan itibaren Doğu'dan örnek aldığı ilk süs motiflerinden birisidir. Aynı bitkinin şekline Asur dikilitaşlarında, Sasani dokumalarında rastlanır; oradan Müslümanlara geçen bu motifler Cennet Ağacı olarak nitelenmiştir.[1]
Yaşam ağacı simgesine rastlanan diğer geleneklerden bazıları olarak, Lapon, İzlanda, İskandinavya, Finlandiya, Avustralya gelenekleri sayılabilir.
Germen mitolojisi'nde evren ve dokuz dünya,dünya ağacı Yggdrasil'in dalları ve köklerinde yer alır.
Yeni oluşan bir kültür olan Çipilistan inançlarına göre yaşam ağacı yüce çipilin kalbinde bulunmaktadır ve oradaki sıvıları muçlara dönüştürmektedir.
Yaşam ağacı sembolizminin ezoterizmdeki açıklaması[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Yer, Yeraltı (öte-âlem) ve “spiritüel Gök”ten oluşan üç ortamı birbirine bağlayan ekseni temsil eden yaşam ağacı ezoterik bilgilere göre alemler-arası irtibatı simgeler; yani, yeryüzü, öte-alem denilen süptil (esîrî) plan (spatyum) ve semavi alem (tezahür etmemiş alem) arasındaki irtibatı, her bakımdan simgeler. Fiziksel alem olan yeryüzünün semavi alem tarafından yönetilmesi ve prensipten tezahüre doğru yoğunlaşma olgusu, kökleri semavi alemden çıkan ters ağaç sembolüyle belirtilmiştir. Bu yüzden birçok gelenekte yaşam ağacı kökleri yukarıda, dal ve yaprakları aşağıda olarak tasvir edilmiştir. Yaşam ağacının ters yapılışına İbranî gelenekte (Zohar’da), Türk ve İslam geleneklerinde (Tuba ağacı), Upanişadlar’da, Sabiîlik, Lapon, İzlanda, İskandinavya, Finlandiya, Avustralya ve Hint geleneklerinde rastlanır. Dante’nin İlahi Komedya eserinde değindiği cennetteki ağaç da terstir. Upanişadlar’da (Brahma’nın tezahürü olan Aswattha ağacı), Vedalar’da ve Bhagavat-gita’daki ters yaşam ağaçları daha ziyade prensipten tezahüre doğru yoğunlaşmayı simgeler.
Ayrıca kimi geleneklerde, ikincil semboller olarak, yaşam ağacının dallarında kuşlar bulunduğu ve ağacın ölümsüzlük sağlayıcı meyvesi ya da sıvısı olduğu belirtilir ki, burada kuşlar doğacak ruhları, ölümsüzlük kazanma ise ruhsal gelişimin hedefi olan, doğum-ölüm çemberinden kurtuluşu simgeler.
Kaynakça[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Özel;
^ Meydan Larousse Ansiklopedisi'nde aynı isimli makale
Genel;
Şamanizm, Mircea Eliade
Semboller Ansiklopedisi,Ruh ve Madde Yayınları

Ayrıca bakınız[değiştir | kaynağı değiştir]

Şamanizmde Yer'in Ekseni
Yükseliş yayı
Gök katları
Göğün göbeği
Şamanizm
Yaşam çiçeği
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The concept of a tree of life has been used in science, religion, philosophy, and mythology. A tree of life is a common motif in various world theologies, mythologies, and philosophies. It alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet and serves as a metaphor for common descent in the evolutionary sense. The term tree of life may also be used as a synonym for sacred tree.[1]
The tree of knowledge, connecting to heaven and the underworld, and the tree of life, connecting all forms of creation, are both forms of the world tree or cosmic tree, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica,[2] and are portrayed in various religions and philosophies as the same tree.[3]
Contents [hide]
1 Religion and mythology
1.1 Ayyavazhi
1.2 Ancient Persia
1.3 Ancient Egypt
1.4 Armenia
1.5 Assyria
1.6 Baha'i Faith
1.7 China
1.8 Christianity
1.8.1 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1.8.2 Swedenborgianism
1.9 Europe
1.10 Georgia
1.11 Germanic paganism and Norse mythology
1.12 Islam
1.13 Jewish sources
1.13.1 Kabbalah
1.14 Mesoamerica
1.15 Middle East
1.16 North America
1.17 Rastafari
1.18 Serer religion
1.19 Turkic world
2 Science
3 Popular culture
3.1 Art and architecture
3.2 Music
3.3 Fiction
3.3.1 Literature
3.3.2 Video games
3.3.3 Film
3.3.4 Anime
3.3.5 Other
3.4 Decorative arts
4 Physical "trees of life"
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Religion and mythology[edit]

Main article: Trees in mythology
Various trees of life are recounted in folklore, culture and fiction, often relating to immortality or fertility. They had their origin in religious symbolism.
Ayyavazhi[edit]


Evolution of Ekam, the source of whole existence (till Kali Yuga)
In Akilathirattu Ammanai, the source of the Ayyavazhi Mythology, life is considered as an Asura, a power-seeking entity which evolved from nature and survives by getting its energy from nature through offerings, boons from the supreme God-head Siva. Accordingly, the first life on Earth is Kroni, the supreme Asura, which dominates the Earth. The Kroni was fragmented into six and each fragment manifested in the subsequent Yugas. Akilam says that there are eight Yugas. The first is the Neetia Yuga in which Kroni took birth and it ends with the fragmentation or destruction of Kroni. All the six fragments took birth in the subsequent six yugas and Vishnu, one among the Trinity incarnates in every Yuga to destroy each fragment. The sixth, Kali yuga is the present Yuga and Kaliyan the final fragment, apparently represents the human race. Kaliyan is said to be destroyed by Ayya Vaikundar, the incarnation of Vishnu. And the upcoming Dharma Yuga which is the final Yuga, is said to be ruled by Vaikundar as a Supreme entity.
The narration, in metaphorical language, that the Kroni took birth in the first Yuga and was fragmented into six, advocates for an evolutionary tree of Life. The fragmentation process apparently represents the Cambrian Explosion and the destruction of each Yuga seemingly corresponds to the Big five of the Mass Extinctions and the future Holocene extinction is the destruction of the Kaliyan. Moreover the Kaliyan, the final and the sixth fragment is said to be the most destructive among all the fragments. It also seems to advocate the common descendent argument. On the other hand it also reflects the life cycle of a human being through the chakra system again in a metaphorical language through the same narrative.
Ancient Persia[edit]
In Persian mythology (before Islam), the world tree is a large, sacred tree which bears all seeds. Ahriman (Ahreman, Angremainyu) created a frog to invade the tree and destroy it, aiming to prevent all trees from growing on the earth. As a reaction, God (Ahura Mazda) created two fish staring at the frog to guard the tree. The two fishes are always staring at the frog and stay ready to react to it. Because Ahriman is responsible for all evil including death, while Ahura Mazda is responsible for all good (including life) the concept of world tree in Persian Mythology is very closely related to the concept of Tree of Life.
Another related issue in ancient mythology of Iran is the myth of (Mashy and Mashyane) two trees who were the ancestors all of living being. This myth can be considered as a prototype for the creation myth where living beings are created by Gods (who have a human form).
Ancient Egypt[edit]


Worshipping Osiris, Isis, and Horus
In Egyptian mythology, in the Ennead system of Heliopolis, the first couple, apart from Shu and Tefnut (moisture and dryness) and Geb and Nuit (earth and sky), are Isis and Osiris. They were said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Iusaaset, which the Egyptians considered the tree of life, referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed." Acacia trees contain DMT, a psychedelic drug associated with spiritual experiences. A much later myth relates how Set killed Osiris, putting him in a coffin, and throwing it into the Nile, the coffin becoming embedded in the base of a tamarisk tree.[4]
The Egyptians' Holy Sycamore also stood on the threshold of life and death, connecting the two worlds.
Armenia[edit]
In ancient Armenia, the Tree of Life (Կենաց Ծառ) was a religious symbol and was drawn on walls of fortresses and carved on the armor of warriors. The branches of the tree were equally divided on the right and left sides of the stem, with each branch having one leaf, and one leaf on the apex of the tree. Servants stood on each side of the tree with one of their hands up as if they are taking care of the tree.
Assyria[edit]
The Assyrian Tree of Life was represented by a series of nodes and criss-crossing lines. It was apparently an important religious symbol, often attended to by eagle-headed gods and priests, or the King. Assyrilogists have not reached consensus as to the meaning of this symbol. It is multi-valent. The name "Tree of Life" has been attributed to it by modern scholarship; it is not used in the Assyrian sources. In fact, no textual evidence pertaining to the symbol is known to exist.
Baha'i Faith[edit]
The concept of the tree of life appears in the writings of the Baha'i Faith, where it can refer to the Manifestation of God, a great teacher who appears to humanity from age to age. The concept can be broken down still further, with the Manifestation as the roots and trunk of the tree and his followers as the branches and leaves. The fruit produced by the tree nourishes an ever-advancing civilization.
A distinction has been made between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The latter represents the physical world with its opposites, such as good and evil and light and dark. In a different context from the one above, the tree of life represents the spiritual realm, where this duality does not exist.[5]
China[edit]
In Chinese mythology, a carving of a Tree of Life depicts a phoenix and a dragon; the dragon often represents immortality. A Taoist story tells of a tree that produces a peach every three thousand years. The one who eats the fruit receives immortality.
An archaeological discovery in the 1990s was of a sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui in Sichuan, China. Dating from about 1200 BCE, it contained three bronze trees, one of them 4 meters high. At the base was a dragon, and fruit hanging from the lower branches. At the top is a strange bird-like (phoenix) creature with claws. Also found in Sichuan, from the late Han dynasty (c 25 – 220 CE) is another tree of life. The ceramic base is guarded by a horned beast with wings. The leaves of the tree are coins and people. At the apex is a bird with coins and the Sun.
Christianity[edit]
See also: Tree of life (biblical) and Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil#Christianity
In addition to the Hebrew Bible verses, the tree of life is symbolically described in the Book of Revelation as having curing properties: "the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Revelation 22:1-2)
In Catholic Christianity, the Tree of Life represents the immaculate state of humanity free from corruption and Original Sin before the Fall. Pope Benedict XVI has said that "the Cross is the true tree of life." [6] Saint Bonaventure taught that the medicinal fruit of the Tree of Life is Christ himself.[7] Saint Albert the Great taught that the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, is the Fruit of the Tree of Life.[8]
In Eastern Christianity the tree of life is the love of God.[9]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[edit]
Main article: Tree of life vision
The tree of life appears in the Book of Mormon in a revelation to Lehi (see 1 Nephi 8:10). It is symbolic of the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:21-23). Its fruit is described as "most precious and most desirable above all other fruits," which "is the greatest of all the gifts of God" (see 1 Nephi 15:36). In another scriptural book, salvation is called "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:13). In the same book eternal life is also called the "greatest of all the gifts of God" (see Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). Because of these references, the tree of life and its fruit is sometimes understood to be symbolic of salvation and post-mortal existence in the presence of God and his love.
Swedenborgianism[edit]

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According to Swedenborgianism, the first twelve chapters of Genesis are a symbolic retelling of ancient truths. In his Arcana Coelestia,[10] Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) expounds on the symbolism and underlying spiritual meaning of both Genesis and Exodus. The symbolism regarding the tree of life, according to Emanuel Swedenborg, reflects the perception of our mind (or spirit, which is the same thing according to Swedenborg's philosophy). As the tree (perception) is in the midst of the garden (representing our mind), it represents that part of our mind which is the will (or heart). Thus knowledge of good is absorbed by our will and immediately applied to life (in the case with the tree of life).
The nature of the tree, or quality of the tree, is dependent on our inner state. It is described as the tree of life, when our will is focused on what is good and true (spiritual truths or truths of faith), yet as the tree of knowledge of good and evil, when our will is focussed on mere natural memory knowledges and a 'seeing is believing' attitude. The result of us relying and living our life according to our own understanding is that, from that moment (the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) on, we are to rationally consider what to believe and filter with our natural understanding, rather than accepting what is good directly in our will, which was depicted of the Most Ancient people by Adam. Eve then represents a separate will being given to us, and the two (will and understanding) are separated.
In Revelation the tree again appears in the middle of the garden (taking the entire Bible as a spiritual symbolic journey of self-discovery and improvement (spiritual growth - also called regeneration), which provides then that the leaves are for the healing (which is that the truths which can be understood) are able to be applied to one's spiritual life for the betterment of our character, "healing" our innate selfish tendencies. It takes a whole cycle of self-discovery and rejection of our negative self, to see the tree of life back in the middle.
Europe[edit]


11th century Tree of Life sculpture at an ancient Swedish church.
In Dictionaire Mytho-Hermetiqe (Paris, 1737), Antoine-Joseph Pernety, a famous alchemist, identified the Tree of Life with the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone.
Contemporary Welsh artist Jen Delyth created a Celtic Tree of Life symbol, in part based on ancient Celtic veneration of trees and traditional Celtic designs.
In Eden in the East (1998), Stephen Oppenheimer suggests that a tree-worshipping culture arose in Indonesia and was diffused by the so-called "Younger Dryas" event of c. 8000 BCE, when the sea level rose. This culture reached China (Szechuan), then India and the Middle East. Finally the Finno-Ugaritic strand of this diffusion spread through Russia to Finland where the Norse myth of Yggdrasil took root.
Georgia[edit]
The Borjgali (Georgian: ბორჯღალი) is an ancient Georgian Tree of Life symbol.
Germanic paganism and Norse mythology[edit]
In Germanic paganism, trees played (and, in the form of reconstructive Heathenry and Germanic Neopaganism, continue to play) a prominent role, appearing in various aspects of surviving texts and possibly in the name of gods.
The tree of life appears in Norse religion as Yggdrasil, the world tree, a massive tree (sometimes considered a yew or ash tree) with extensive lore surrounding it. Perhaps related to Yggdrasil, accounts have survived of Germanic Tribes' honouring sacred trees within their societies. Examples include Thor's Oak, sacred groves, the Sacred tree at Uppsala, and the wooden Irminsul pillar. In Norse Mythology, the apples from Iðunn's ash box provide immortality for the gods.
Islam[edit]
Main article: Tree of life (Quran)
The Tree of Immortality (Arabic: شجرة الخلود) is the tree of life motif as it appears in the Quran. It is also alluded to in hadiths and tafsir. Unlike the biblical account, the Quran mentions only one tree in Eden, also called the tree of immortality, which Allah specifically forbade to Adam and Eve.[11][12] Satan, disguised as a serpent, repeatedly told Adam to eat from the tree, and eventually both Adam and Eve did so, thus disobeying Allah.[13] The hadiths also speak about other trees in heaven.[14]
Jewish sources[edit]
Main articles: Etz Chaim and Tree of life (biblical)
Etz Chaim, Hebrew for "tree of life," is a common term used in Judaism. The expression, found in the Book of Proverbs, is figuratively applied to the Torah itself. Etz Chaim is also a common name for yeshivas and synagogues as well as for works of Rabbinic literature. It is also used to describe each of the wooden poles to which the parchment of a Sefer Torah is attached.
The tree of life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis; it is distinct from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After Adam and Eve fell from God's favour by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Remaining in the garden, however, was the tree of life. To prevent access to this tree in the future, two cherubs with a flaming sword were placed at the garden's entrance. (Genesis 3:22-24)
In the Book of Proverbs, the tree of life is associated with wisdom: "[Wisdom] is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that holdest her fast." (Proverbs 3:13-18) In 15:4 the tree of life is associated with calmness: "A soothing tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a wound to the spirit."[15]
The Book of Enoch, generally considered non-canonical, states that in the time of the great judgment God will give all those whose names are in the Book of Life fruit to eat from the Tree of Life.
Kabbalah[edit]
Main articles: Tree of life (Kabbalah) and Sephirot


Judaic Kabbalah Tree of Life 10 Sephirot, through which the Ein Sof unknowable Divine manifests Creation. The configuration relates to man
Jewish mysticism depicts the Tree of Life in the form of ten interconnected nodes, as the central symbol of the Kabbalah. It comprises the ten Sephirot powers in the Divine realm. The panentheistic and anthropomorphic emphasis of this emanationist theology interpreted the Torah, Jewish observance, and the purpose of Creation as the symbolic esoteric drama of unification in the Sephirot, restoring harmony to Creation. From the time of the Renaissance onwards, Jewish Kabbalah became incorporated as an important tradition in non-Jewish Western culture, first through its adoption by Christian Cabala, and continuing in Western esotericism occult Hermetic Qabalah. These adapted the Judaic Kabbalah Tree of Life syncretically by associating it with other religious traditions, esoteric theologies, and magical practices.
Mesoamerica[edit]
Main article: Mesoamerican world tree
The concept of world trees is a prevalent motif in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cosmologies and iconography. World trees embodied the four cardinal directions, which represented also the fourfold nature of a central world tree, a symbolic axis mundi connecting the planes of the Underworld and the sky with that of the terrestrial world.[16]
Depictions of world trees, both in their directional and central aspects, are found in the art and mythological traditions of cultures such as the Maya, Aztec, Izapan, Mixtec, Olmec, and others, dating to at least the Mid/Late Formative periods of Mesoamerican chronology. Among the Maya, the central world tree was conceived as or represented by a ceiba tree, and is known variously as a wacah chan or yax imix che, depending on the Mayan language.[17] The trunk of the tree could also be represented by an upright caiman, whose skin evokes the tree's spiny trunk.[16]
Directional world trees are also associated with the four Yearbearers in Mesoamerican calendars, and the directional colors and deities. Mesoamerican codices which have this association outlined include the Dresden, Borgia and Fejérváry-Mayer codices.[16] It is supposed that Mesoamerican sites and ceremonial centers frequently had actual trees planted at each of the four cardinal directions, representing the quadripartite concept.
World trees are frequently depicted with birds in their branches, and their roots extending into earth or water (sometimes atop a "water-monster," symbolic of the underworld). The central world tree has also been interpreted as a representation of the band of the Milky Way.[18]
Middle East[edit]
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a similar quest for immortality. In Mesopotamian mythology, Etana searches for a 'plant of birth' to provide him with a son. This has a solid provenance of antiquity, being found in cylinder seals from Akkad (2390–2249 BCE).
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights has a story, 'The Tale of Buluqiya', in which the hero searches for immortality and finds a paradise with jewel-encrusted trees. Nearby is a Fountain of Youth guarded by Al-Khidr. Unable to defeat the guard, Buluqiya has to return empty-handed.
North America[edit]
In a myth passed down among the Iroquois, The World on the Turtle's Back, explains the origin of the land in which a tree of life is described. According to the myth, it is found in the heavens, where the first humans lived, until a pregnant woman fell and landed in an endless sea. Saved by a giant turtle from drowning, she formed the world on its back by planting bark taken from the tree.
The tree of life motif is present in the traditional Ojibway cosmology and traditions. It is sometimes described as Grandmother Cedar, or Nookomis Giizhig in Anishinaabemowin.
Rastafari[edit]
The Rastafari movement[19] and some Coptic Christians[20] consider cannabis to be the Tree of knowledge.It's normally only used for meditation[citation needed].The use of this herb will help to learn the inner-self and helps to clear the inner-self from the Ego[citation needed].
Serer religion[edit]
In Serer religion, the tree of life as a religious concept forms the basis of Serer cosmogony. Trees were the first things created on Earth by the supreme being Roog (or Koox among the Cangin). In the competing versions of the Serer creation myth, the Somb (Prosopis africana) and the Saas tree (acacia albida) are both viewed as trees of life.[21] However, the prevailing view is that, the Somb was the first tree on Earth and the progenitor of plant life.[22][23] The Somb was also used in the Serer tumuli and burial chambers, many of which had survived for more than a thousand years.[22] Thus, Somb is not only the Tree of Life in Serer society, but the symbol of immortality.[22]
Turkic world[edit]


The Tree of Life, as seen as in flag of Chuvashia, a Turkic state in the Russian Federation
The World Tree or Tree of Life is a central symbol in Turkic mythology. The blue sky around the tree reflects the peaceful nature of the country and the red ring that surrounds all of the elements symbolizes the ancient faith of rebirth, growth and development of the Turkic peoples.
Science[edit]

See also: Tree of life (biology) and Phylogenetic tree


Fig. 1: A speculatively rooted tree for rRNA genes, showing major branches Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota.
The tree of life is a metaphor describing the relationship of all life on Earth in an evolutionary context.[24] Charles Darwin talks about envisioning evolution as a "tangled bank" in On the Origin of Species; however, the book's sole illustration is of a branched diagram that is very tree-like.
"From the first growth of the tree, many a limb and branch has decayed and dropped off; and these fallen branches of various sizes may represent those whole orders, families, and genera which have now no living representatives, and which are known to us only in a fossil state. As we here and there see a thin, straggling branch springing from a fork low down in a tree, and which by some chance has been favoured and is still alive on its summit, so we occasionally see an animal like the Ornithorhynchus (Platypus) or Lepidosiren (South American lungfish), which in some small degree connects by its affinities two large branches of life, and which has apparently been saved from fatal competition by having inhabited a protected station. As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever-branching and beautiful ramifications."
—Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species[25]


Graphical representation of the modern "Tree of Life" on the Web project
The evolutionary relationships of the tree of life were refined using genetic data by the American microbiologist Carl Woese, the discoverer of the domain Archaea and a pioneer in molecular (genetic) methods in evolutionary biology. In February 2009, BBC One broadcast an animated, interactive tree of life as part of its "Darwin Season."
The Tree of Life Web Project is an ongoing Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity, produced by biologists from around the world. Each page contains information about one group of organisms and is organized according to a branched tree-like form, thus showing relationships between organisms and groups of organisms.
The neuroanatomical term arbor vitae (tree of life) describes the branching pattern between the cortical grey matter and subcortical white matter of the cerebellum.
Popular culture[edit]

Art and architecture[edit]
A 2½ story high "Tree of Life" sculpture by Wisconsin artist Nancy Metz White was installed in Mitchell Boulevard Park in Milwaukee in 2002. The tree is made of brightly painted welded steel and forge flashings recycled from Milwaukee heavy industry.
Austrian symbolist artist Gustav Klimt portrayed his version of the tree of life in his painting, The Tree of Life, Stoclet Frieze. This iconic painting later inspired the external facade of the "New Residence Hall" (also called the "Tree House"), a colorful 21-story student residence hall at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, Massachusetts.[26]
Music[edit]
In their album Emissaries the black metal Melechesh make a reference to the Tree of Life in their song "Touching the Spheres of Sephiroth."
American rock band O.A.R. featured a tree of life both on the cover art and on the actual c.d. for the album In Between Now and Then
Double album "Bath"/"Leaving Your Body Map" by avant-garde metal band maudlin of the Well was constructed based upon a parallel qabalistic Tree of Life structure.
The double album Axis Mutatis by the electronic group The Shamen contains in some limited editions the instrumental album "Arbor Bona Arbor Mala." The title refers to the tree of life, the ancient symbol found in virtually all Shamanic cultures, linking the underworld with the earth and the heavens. Also, on the cover of Axis Mutatis appears a representation of the tree of life by William Latham.
Fiction[edit]
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Literature[edit]
In George Herbert's poem The Sacrifice (part of The Temple, 1633), the Tree of Life is the rood on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
In Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, The One Tree (or Tree of Life) is the tree from which the Staff of Law was produced.
In C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, the Tree of Life plays a role, especially in the sixth published book (the first in the in-world chronology) The Magician's Nephew
In Terry Brooks' Shannara series, the Ellcrys, an Elf-turned-tree, plays some sort of role in many of the novels
In Robert Jordan' Wheel of Time the Tree of Life – "Avendesora" – as the last of its kind plays a pivotal role. This tree also linked to the Buddhist "Bodhi" tree, beneath which the Buddha attained Nirvana
Tree of Life appears in Larry Niven's Known Space novels
In the Roger Zelazny's 1978 novel The Chronicles of Amber: The Courts of Chaos prince Corwin encounters Ygg (a nick from Yggdrasil), a tree who speaks and is planted on the border between Order and Chaos, between Amber and Courts of Chaos
In The Sea of Trolls written by Nancy Farmer, the Tree of Life (Yggdrasil) is a place holding magical powers.
In Michael Chabon's 2002 novel Summerland, the four great limbs of the Lodgepole – also known as the "Tree of Worlds" and the "Ash o' Ashes" – hold up the four Worlds of the Summerlands, the Winterlands, the Middling, and the Gleaming.
Video games[edit]
The Norse Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, is either featured or referenced in many games, including those of the Tales RPG-series, the 2002 video game Wild Arms 3 and the 2008 video game Too Human.
In the Atari 2600 game Swordquest: Fireworld, the map of the game world is patterned after the Kabbalah Tree of Life.
In the 1997 video game Breath of Fire III, Yggdrasil, overseer of the world's forests, features a minor role. The mutant plant Peco, a party member, becomes able to channel Yggdrasil after a time skip of several years, during which Peco made extended visits to Yggdrasil.
In the 2002 video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, a Tree of Life is the central building of the Night Elf race.
In the Etrian Odyssey series, a great tree named Yggdrasil is present in all four games, serving as a major plot device to the story.
In the 2007 video game Dragoneer's Aria, The Great Spirit guards a World Tree.
In the 2008 video game Prince of Persia, a gigantic, ancient tree in the middle of the desert is used to keep the evil deity Ahriman sealed in a temple at its trunk. This game's story heavily borrows from Zoroastrianism.
In the 2009 video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the Tree of Life grows within the city of Shambala, and the sap or fossilized resin from the tree is seen to be consumed by the inhabitants of the city. This in turn grants the user incredible regenerative abilities, strength, increased height and possible biological immortality. The sap from the tree represents the Cintamani Stone of Buddhist mythology, a giant raw sapphire with supposed wish-fulfilling properties.
In the 2009 video game Dragon Quest IX, the player must harvest fyggs from Yggdrasil, the World Tree, to attain passage into the realm of the Almighty.
In the 2010 video game Darksiders, the Tree of Life is located in Eden where War (Horseman of the Apocalypse) sees the future and a way to defeat Abaddon. The Tree of Life gives War the Armageddon sword.
In the 2011 video game Darksiders II, the Tree of Life is a gateway that connects all the realms of existence, allowing The Horseman Death to travel to different maps within the game.
In the 2012 video game Hack, Slash, Loot, there are several items made of a material titled 'Austras koks', which is the Tree of Life in Latvian mythology. Players can also find a golden apple, which is believed to come from the same tree.
Film[edit]
Darren Aronofsky's 2006 film The Fountain (as well as the 2005 graphic novel based on the screenplay) centers on immortality given by the Tree of Life.
In the 2008 movie The Librarian, the religious mention of the Tree of Life is clearly seen in parts with a Crusade-era picture of a knight with his shield in that of the Tree of Life. Another part of the movie depicts a fake secret area beneath a New York City museum, where there are historical items such as the Fountain of Youth and Noah's Ark. At the end of the movie the camera angle changes and the ground's walking surface is revealed to be that of the Tree of Life.
In Dragon Ball Z's third movie Tree of Might, a giant tree named the Tree of Might is represented as an evil version of the Tree of Life. Its roots take so much nutrients from the planet it has been seeded on that it kills the planet to support its fruit and growth. It is also a very massive tree much like the Tree of Life can be represented as.
In the 2009 film Avatar, the Na'vi live in Hometree, the spiritual and physical home of the tribe; over 300 meters tall, Hometree is connected with all the other plant life of Pandora through a neural-like network. They revere the Tree of Souls, which is also connected with all other living things.
Alex Proyas' 2009 film Knowing ends with the two young protagonists directed towards the Tree of Life.[27]
The Tree of Life is a Terrence Malick film released in May 2011, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchise features a Tree of Life, in a more science-based version of the mythical tree. In the 2011 Marvel Studios superhero film Thor, the Asgardian warrior Thor explains that the Nine Realms of the Asgardian cosmos are linked by Yggdrasil, the Norse mythological Tree of Life, which is here interpreted as a nebula in space connecting the planets in an orbit.
Anime[edit]
In the anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water there is a giant tree beneath Antarctica that is identified as the Tree Of Life by Captain Nemo
In the anime Ah! My Goddess as Yggdrasil, a "program" that acts as the operating system for all life/reality.
In the anime Genesis of Aquarion the Tree of Life is being fed to create a new Genesis.
In the anime Rin - Daughters of Mnemosyne (Mnemosyne (anime)) The Tree of life is an eternal tree that bears fruit that grants immortal life to woman, while men are turned into short-lived angel-like creatures who have sex with and then kill the immortal woman.
In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion the tree of life was the source of all souls. Evangelion 1 became the tree of life that once existed when it possessed the fruit of wisdom and fruit of life during third impact.
In the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's the final antagonist Z-One, uses a deck of cards that are parts of the tree of life.
In the anime Fullmetal Alchemist the tree of life is depicted on the alchemist's gates (their ability to perform transmutations)
In the anime Sword Art Online, there is a large tree named the Yggdrasil, or the Tree of Life, sitting in the center of the VRMMORPG Alfheim Online.
In the anime "Naruto", the Ten-Tailed Beast is revealed to be the harbinger of all life and mystical powers and its true form is a tree.
Other[edit]
The logo of American health service and insurance company CIGNA makes use of a tree of life motif.
Decorative arts[edit]


5-kuruş-coin features the tree of life.
The grandfather of British studio pottery, Bernard Leach, famously used a 'tree of life' on many of his works. Something which was continued by his son David Leach, among others.
A motif of the tree of life is featured on Turkish 5 Kuruş coins, circulated since early 2009.
Physical "trees of life"[edit]

The Arborvitae gets its name from the Latin for "tree of life."
The Tule tree of Aztec mythology is also associated with a real tree. This Tule tree can be found in Oaxaca, Mexico.
There is a Tree of Life in the island country of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.
Metaphor: The Tree of Utah is an 87-foot (27 m) high sculpture in the Utah Bonneville Salt Flats that is also known as the Tree of Life.
The ancient Zoroastrians[citation needed] and modern Rastafari consider cannabis to be the Tree of Life.
In some parts of the Caribbean and in the Philippines, the coconut is considered the "tree of life" as its parts can easily be used for short/medium term survival such as for food, shelter, and various implements.
Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park features an artificial tree dubbed "The Tree of Life," which has about 325 carvings of different species of animals. Inside the tree is the It's Tough to be a Bug! attraction.
An acacia tree in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. It is a symbol of life in the vast expanses of thorny savanna, where wild animals come to take advantage of its leaves or its shade. Tsavo National Park in southeastern Kenya, crossed by the Nairobi-Mombasa road and railway axis, is the country's largest protected area (8,200 square miles, or 21,000 square kilometers) and was declared a national park in 1948.
The West African Moringa oleifera tree is regarded as a "tree of life" or "miracle tree" by some because it is arguably the most nutritious source of plant-derived food discovered on the planet.[28] Modern scientists and some missionary groups have considered the plant as a possible solution for the treatment of severe malnutrition[29] and aid for those with HIV/AIDS.[30]
See also[edit]

Christmas tree
Five Trees
Fleur-de-lis
Flower of life
Holism
Maypole
New Year Tree
Palmette
Seed of life
Sidrat al-Muntaha
Thelemic mysticism (subsection: Learning the Tree of Life)
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Ṭūbā tree
References[edit]

Jump up ^ Giovino, Mariana (2007). The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A History of Interpretations, page 129. Saint-Paul. ISBN 9783727816024
Jump up ^ World tree in the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Jump up ^ Tryggve N. D. Mettinger, The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of Genesis 2-3.
Jump up ^ "Internet Archive". The gods of the Egyptians; or, Studies in Egyptian mythology. 2011.
Jump up ^ Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 122.
Jump up ^ Gheddo, Piero (March 20, 2005). "Pope tells WYD youth: the Cross of Jesus is the real tree of life". AsiaNews.it. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
Jump up ^ "The Tree of Life". Yale University. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
Jump up ^ "The Eucharist as the Fruit of the Tree of Life | Saint Albert the Great". CrossroadsInitiative.com. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
Jump up ^ Saint Isaac the Syrian says that "Paradise is the love of God, in which the bliss of all the beatitudes is contained," and that "the tree of life is the love of God" (Homily 72).
Jump up ^ "Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 0". heavendoctrines.org.
Jump up ^ Wheeler, Brannon (2002). Prophets in the Quran: An Introduction to the Quran and Muslim Exegesis (annotated ed.). Continuum. p. 24. ISBN 978-0826449566. "Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet Muhammad said: "In Paradise is a tree in the shade of which the stars course 100 years without cutting it: the Tree of Immortality."
Jump up ^ Oliver Leaman, ed. (2006). The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 11. ISBN 9780415326391. "Unlike the biblical account of Eden, the Qur'an mentions only one special tree in Eden, the Tree of Immortality, from which Adam and Eve were prohibited."
Jump up ^ Three Translations of the Koran (Al-Qur'an) Side by Side[citation needed] "Shall I show thee the tree of immortality and power that wasteth not away? S: But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to him; he said: O Adam! Shall I guide you to the tree of immortality and a kingdom which decays not? "
Jump up ^ Maulana Muhammad Ali (2011) Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur'an "This in itself gives an indication that it is the well-known tree of evil, for both good and evil are compared to two trees in 14:24–25 and elsewhere. This is further corroborated by the devil's description of it as “the tree of immortality” (20:120), ..."
Jump up ^ For other direct references to the tree of life in the Jewish Biblical canon, see also Proverbs 11:30, 13:12.
^ Jump up to: a b c Miller and Taube (1993), p.186.
Jump up ^ Finlay (2003)
Jump up ^ Freidel, et al. (1993)
Jump up ^ Legal herb for Rastas?, By Reverend Damuzi - January 6, 2003, Cannabis Culture Magazine
Jump up ^ "Marijuana & the Bible". Equalrights4all.org. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
Jump up ^ (French) Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2., Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp 125-6, 199-200, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
^ Jump up to: a b c (French) Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2., Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp 199-200, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
Jump up ^ (French) & (English) Niangoran-Bouah, Georges, "L'univers Akan des poids à peser l'or : les poids dans la société", Les nouvelles éditions africaines - MLB, (1987), p 25, ISBN 2723614034
Jump up ^ So could Ida be the true missing link?, By Norman MacLeod and Angela Milner, 26 May 2009, The Telegraph
Jump up ^ Darwin, C. (1872), pp. 170–171. On the Origin of Species. Sixth Edition. The Modern Library, New York.
Jump up ^ "MassArt Residence Story: This is the house that collaboration built". MASCO: Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization. MASCO, Inc. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
Jump up ^ Albertson, Cammila (2009). "Knowing: Review". TV Guide (CBS Interactive). Retrieved 30 September 2013.
Jump up ^ "Moringa". Leafforlife.org. 2002-06-03. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
Jump up ^ Weekend Edition Saturday (2000-08-12). "Moringa Oleifera : Malnutrition Fighter". NPR. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
Jump up ^ The possible role of Moringa oleifera in HIV/AIDS supportive treatment[dead link]
Notes
Palamidessi, Tommaso (2007). "Tree of life". Dizionario Enciclopedico di Archeosofia. Archeosofica.
Mormon (1830). "Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ". Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Finley, Michael (2003). "Raising the sky: The Maya creation myth and the Milky Way". The Real Maya Prophecies: Astronomy in the Inscriptions and Codices. Maya Astronomy. Retrieved 2007-01-04.[dead link]
Freidel, David A.; Linda Schele and Joy Parker (1993). Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-10081-3.
Miller, Mary; and Karl Taube (1993). The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05068-6.
External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tree of life.
tolweb.org – Tree of Life Web Project at tolweb.org
OneZoom Tree of Life Explorer at onezoom.org
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Origin of life
Quasispecies model Protobiont Universal common descent Last universal ancestor RNA world hypothesis Iron–sulfur world theory PAH world hypothesis Miller–Urey experiment Panspermia Peptide-RNA world
Categories: MythemesTrees in mythology