The Cedars of Lebanon and the Catholic Church

The Cedars of Lebanon and the Catholic Church

In honor of Saint Charbel, a Maronite monk and priest from modern-day Lebanon, this article highlights a natural treasure from his homeland, the cedar tree. 

The two key biblical symbols of the Church, the Barque (Boat) of Peter and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, were both made from the most important trees in the Bible, the Cedars of Lebanon.

What about the house Joseph built in for the holy family in Nazareth? What about the cross? Were they also contructed using the Cedars of Lebanon?

The Cedars of Lebanon in the Bible

The prophet Isaiah referred to cedar tree as the ‘GLORY of LEBANON’. 

No other tree in the Bible is given as much praise or as lengthy a description as the Cedar of Lebanon. Ezekiel gave us a detailed description of this glorious tree...

“... A CEDAR in LEBANON, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters” (Ezekiel 31:3-5). 

The Cedar of Lebanon is also mentioned in reference to ritual cleansing. In Leviticus 14:4, the cleansed leper was sprinkled with the blood of a ‘clean bird’, into which had been put ‘cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop’.

Solomon, in his wisdom, “spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.  He spoke about … the CEDARS OF LEBANON”  (1 Kings 4:33-34). King Solomon who constructed the first temple chose the cedars of Lebanon for its frame. 

King Solomon said, “I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’  So give orders that CEDARS OF LEBANON be cut for me.”

The temple is a biblical symbol of the Catholic Church. It prefigured Jesus, the living, breathing walking temple,  the incarnate presence of God among His people. Secondarily, it prefigured the structure of Catholic churches. The Temple's Holy of Holies, where God's presence resided, is mirrored in the Catholic tabernacle, which houses the consecrated Eucharist. 

The Cedars of Lebanon and Jesus

Did Joseph the carpenter and Jesus his apprentice use cedar wood from Lebanon for their projects?

It's tempting to think that the world's most important carpenter would have crafted his art using the world's most esteemed wood. The area where Jesus and Joseph lived was significantly more wooded than today. Galilee, in particular, was known for its lush vegetation and forests, including oak, pistachio, and pine trees. Lebanese cedar was considered a highly valuable wood used for expensive furniture and for the most important structures such as boats. It would have to be imported to the Galilee area.

Given the association between the Cedars of Lebanon and the Church, it would be fitting that Joseph built the holy house in Nazareth where he, Mary, and Jesus lived using the same cedar wood used for the dwelling place of God, the holy temple. 

Lebanese cedar is said to have a medium to coarse texture, prominent grain, characteristic knots and high levels of durability perfectly suited to cabinet-making and joinery. When finished,  it had a high quality shine and a unique fragrance. The cedar’s 70-100 foot height and 16-25 foot girth was also perfect for shipbuilding. 

In fact, Peter’s boat which Jesus spent a lot of time in, was most likely made of the cedars from Lebanon. In 1986, the remains of an ancient fishing boat were discovered buried deep in the mud on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and dated to roughly the time of Jesus. The boat, which was comparable to construction techniques of the time, was constructed originally of Lebanese cedar. Different types of wood from scrap lumber were also discovered in the planks which was evidence of repairs.

Peter’s boat, also called the barque of Peter, is a biblical symbol of the Catholic Church. Guided by St. Peter and his successors, the popes, who have successfully navigated through the tumultuous, stormy history of the Church. 

The Bible does not say which kind of wood Jesus was nailed to on the cross. Some scholars have speculated that it was cedar. Since we don't know for sure, I am going to imagine it was the Cedars of Lebanon. Nothing would be more fitting for the most prominent sign and sacred instrument of our salvation.