A biblical fruit plant, possibly mandrake or a similar Mediterranean plant, mentioned in the Genesis account; historically associated with fertility symbolism.
From Hebrew דודאים (dudaim), appearing in the Hebrew Bible. The exact botanical identity is uncertain, but medieval and Renaissance commentators debated whether it was mandrake, a melon, or another fruit-bearing plant.
The dudaim's appearance in Rachel's story made it so associated with fertility that medieval women were literally willing to give up time with their husband for a plant—showing how powerful symbolic meanings were in ancient cultures.
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