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Jul. 10--Motorists see only a few tall trees and a black iron fence when they pass "little Israel" in Oakland.

Out of view, what looks like a miniature Jordan River flows through one of North America's most unusual gardens.

Parts of the garden mirror the geography of Israel, and flowering lotus plants float on its reproduction of the Sea of Galilee.

"I call it 'Eden on Fifth Avenue,' " says Arlyn Gilboa, a docent at Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden.

People from many states sign the guest book.

"We had a tour bus of Russians. ... They had come from New York," Gilboa says. "We have people from Israel."

Irene Jacob created the garden almost a quarter century ago with her husband, Rabbi Walter Jacob. The couple still tend the densely cultivated one-third acre. No other U.S. garden its size matches its layout or number of plants, Irene Jacob says.

This month, people can see a pomegranate taking shape, plus lemon-like fruit and an apricot. "Some of the citrus are in bloom and the fragrance is just wonderful," Gilboa says.

Each summer, a small area of the garden showcases a special exhibit.

"Lookin' Good with Plants, Then and Now" -- the 2009 exhibit -- includes all heal, aloe, anise, castor bean, carnation, cinnamon, cucumber, henna, indigo, jujuba, lemon grass, leek, Madonna lily, mint, olive, rose, rosemary, sesame, soapwart, Solomon's seal, sunflower, turmeric, sage and lemon.

A chart near the garden informs visitors about the individual plants' uses in soap, lipstick, cosmetic creams, eyebrow pencils, toothpaste and waxes.

Powdered henna leaves, for example, yield a hair-coloring paste when mixed with material from clove, lemon and rhubarb plants, according to a story board in the garden. And soot from an oil lamp, mixed with castor bean oil, produces eye-lining kohl.

Tiny signs in the dirt label all of the garden's plants for viewers.

The Bible mentions 110 plants and trees. Dozens of them thrive in the garden: mulberry, cedar, ivy, grapes, bay laurel, apricot, olive and many more, all with Scripture passages: "And the dove came ... and lo in her mouth was an olive leaf," from the story of Noah's ark in Genesis 8:11.

Other plants in the garden simply boast Biblical-type names: River Nile hosta, Goliath hydrangea, Jew's myrtle, Solomon's seal and angel's trumpet.

Some of the plants grow in big, buried pots that go to a West View greenhouse each winter.

"A lot of our plants are tropical and sub-tropical," Gilboa says.

Gilboa especially likes the garden's link to ancient cultures of the Middle East. "I feel very connected to Jewish history," she says.

Other fans simply like the garden's welcoming ambiance.

"It's just so very peaceful. I always bring a book," says Florence Herrup of Point Breeze, a volunteer hostess at the garden. "You really feel as if you're in another world. It's so calming."

Within the garden, the sounds of gurgling waters and singing birds often drown the noise of passing buses and trucks.

"It's such a nice place to come and sit on a bench and meditate," says Marilyn Honigsberg of Squirrel Hill, another fan of the Biblical garden. "Anyone can come when it's open."

Plant power

"Lookin' Good with Plants, Then and Now" is the 2009 special exhibit at Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden in Oakland.

The garden offers visitors a chance to see nearly 30 ancient and modern plants and trees used to make soaps, shampoos, lipstick, cosmetic creams, eyebrow pencils, toothpaste and waxes.

Here are the plants' common and botanical names, plus, their uses in grooming products and the parts of the plants used to make the products.

--All heal (prunella vulgaris): softens skin (leaves).

--Aloe (aloe vera): skin care (leaves).

--Anise (pimpinella anisum): breath sweetener (seeds).

--Castor bean (ricinus communis): eyebrow pencil, lipstick (seeds).

--Carnation (dianthus): toilet soap (flower).

--Cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicum): scented powders, toilet waters (bark).

--Cucumber (cucumis sativus): face mask (fruit).

--Henna (lawsonia inermis): hair colorant (leaves, stem).

--Indigo (indigofera suffruticosa): hair blackener (leaves).

--Jujuba (ziziphus sativa): shampoos (fruit).

--Lemon (citrus lemon): hair tonic (fruit).

--Lemon grass (cymbopogon citratus): toilet soap (leaves).

--Leek (allium porrum): hair color (leaves).

--Madonna lily (liliacea): close pores, tighten skin, remove wrinkles (flower).

--Mint (menthe): soap, toothpaste, after-shave (leaves).

--Olive (olea europaea): soap, face cream, hair tonic (fruit).

--Rose (rosa): face mask (petals)

--Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis): toilet water, hair tonics, deoderant, after-shave (leaves, stem).

--Sage (salvia officinalis): darkens and tones hair (leaves).

--Sesame (sesamum indicum): face creams, sun tan lotion (seeds).

--Soapwort (saponaria officinalis): foamy lather for soap (leaf).

--Solomon's seal (polygonatum officinalis): toilet waters, complexion water (flower).

--Sunflower (helianthus): hand lotion (seed).

--Turmeric (curcuma longa): hair dye (powdered rhizomes).

--Vegetable sponge (luffa aegyptiaca): sponge for cleaning (fruit).

Source: Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden

Deborah Deasy can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7989.

Credit: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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