SORGHUM

SORGHUM
SORGHUM, the summer plant Sorghum cernicum, called in Arabic durra or doḥ'n. The Arabs of Israel sow it extensively, both for fodder and for flour, from which they make pittah ("flat bread"). It is thought to have been introduced into Ereẓ Israel only during the time of the Second Temple. According to Pliny (Natural History 18:55), a plant resembling Millium ("millet" ), which has large kernels, was brought to Rome from India during his time, and the reference seems to be to sorghum. It is possible that the plant reached Babylon at an earlier date, for it would appear to be identical with the doḥan from which Ezekiel made the mixed bread he ate for a period of 390 days (Ezek. 4:9). Some think that Panicum ("millet") is meant here, but millet is the peragim of the Mishnah. In rabbinic literature doḥan is mentioned with rice and peragim as a summer crop (Shev. 2:7, et al.) from which bread was sometimes made, but since these are not included in the five species of grain they are not treated as bread with respect to the laws of ḥallah , blessings, and leaven on Passover (Ḥal. 1:4; Ber. 37a). Bread made of sorghum was regarded as less tasty than that made from rice (Er. 81a). Today the red-seeded sorghum brought from California is cultivated by Jews in Israel. Some species of sorghum grow wild there. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Loew, Flora, 1 (1926), 738–46; H.N. and A.L. Moldenke, Plants of the Bible (1952), index; J. Feliks, Olam ha-Ẓome'aḥ ha-Mikra'i (19682), 154–5. (Jehuda Feliks)

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

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  • Sorghum — Sorgho …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sorghum — × almum Sorghum almum Sorghum bicolor Sorghum caudatum Sorghum × drummondii Sorghum halepense Sorghum propinquum El sorgo o zahína (Sorghum vulgare o Sorghum bicolor) es una hierba (Familia Poaceae), cuyas semillas se utilizan para hacer harina y …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sorghum — Sor ghum, n. [NL., probably of Chinese origin.] (Bot.) (a) A genus of grasses, properly limited to two species, {Sorghum Halepense}, the Arabian millet, or Johnson grass (see {Johnson grass}), and {S. vulgare}, the Indian millet (see {Indian… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sorghum — Pers. (Mohrenhirse, fälschlich Moorhirse), Gattung der Gramineen (oder Gruppe der Gattung Andropogon L.), ein oder mehrjährige, große, breitblätterige Gräser mit aus Trauben zusammengesetzten, derbästigen Rispen, breit lanzettlichen, zuletzt… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • sorghum — 1590s, Indian millet, from Mod.L. Sorghum, the genus name, from It. sorgo a tall cereal grass, probably from M.L. surgum, suricum (12c.), perhaps a variant of L. syricum Syrian, as in Syricum (gramen) (grass) of Syria, from Syria, a possible… …   Etymology dictionary

  • sorghum — [sôr′gəm] n. [ModL < It sorgo < dial. soreg < L syricus, Syrian: hence, orig., Syrian grass] 1. any of a genus (Sorghum) of tropical grasses that have solid stems bearing large panicles of spikelets with numerous small, glossy grains:… …   English World dictionary

  • Sorghum — (S. Pers.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Gramineae Andropogoneae, 23 Kl. 1 Ordn. L.; Arten: S. vulgare (Sorghogras, Sorghohoniggras, Sorghorostgras, Mohrhirse, Durra, Kaffernhirse), mit mehr als mannshohem, fingersdickem Stängel,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Sorghum — Pers., Sorgho, Pflanzengattg. der Gramineen. S. vulgāre Pers. (Moor oder Mohrenhirse, Kaffern , Guinea , Negerkorn, Durrha, Durragras [Abb. 1763; a Ährchen, b Fruchtrispe, c Rispenästchen, d Fruchtährchen]), in Afrika als Brotkorn, in mehrern… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sorghum — Sorghum, Sorgho, s. Moorhirse …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • sorghum — ► NOUN ▪ a cereal native to warm regions, grown for grain and animal feed. ORIGIN Italian sorgo, perhaps from a variant of Latin syricum Syrian …   English terms dictionary

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