Linares notes that seed pods of the vanilla orchid contain both vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde compounds.\u00a0 She claims that the current belief that the vanilla was first domesticated in the New World is wrong.\u00a0 And she concludes that vanilla flavoring must have originated from Africa, India, or southeast Asia.<\/p>\n

From the results of her organic residue analysis on three jugs, Linares constructs a vast global-wide middle bronze age trading network in vanilla.\u00a0 And there is no denying that such vast trade networks could (and probably did) exist.\u00a0 But there is a problem with her theory.<\/p>\n

Another Source of Vanillin<\/h3>\n

Vanilla is not the only source of vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.\u00a0 Oak trees also contain vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.[1] \u00a0 A quality we see used today in alcohol production. \u00a0 For example, bourbon is aged in oak barrels to impart a vanilla flavor profile.<\/p>\n

And the fact is that oaks are native to the Levant.\u00a0 The varieties of oak trees found in the Levant include the kermes oak (Quercus coccifera<\/em>), the Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos<\/em>), Aleppo oak (Quercus Infectoria<\/i>), and the Mount Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis<\/i>).\u00a0 And these trees have been in the Levant since ancient times.<\/p>\n

The ancient Israelites used oaks as landmarks (Gen 12:6, 13:18) as such trees could reach 18 meters in height.\u00a0 Because of their use as landmarks, people passed by these trees frequently, which also made these areas desirable for graves (Gen 35:8; 1 Chr 10:12).\u00a0 And other ancient peoples even used oak groves for divination (Judg 9:6).\u00a0 So the oak was a well-known tree in the Levant.<\/p>\n