Basil’s Blessing

Deuteronomy 32:2 – “…My speech shall distil … as the small rain upon the tender herb…”

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the official flower of Orthodoxy. The word rihan in the Hebrew scriptures has been translated as myrtle in Syria and as basil in Artas. One legend says that, in 325 A.D., the basil plant helped St. Helen identify the location of the cross on which Jesus had been crucified. Basil is used in many major feast days of the church – most often when blessing homes or during those church services at which the blessing of the waters takes place.

• Image Size: 22 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
• Edition Size: 300 Signed and Numbered