Sweeter than Honey No, I haven’t turned away from what you taught me; your words are sweeter than honey. Psalm 119:

The Facts, Please! The Israelites left Egypt to go into Canaan – a land that God said flowed with milk and honey. There were rich pasturelands for cows and many flowers to give food to honeybees. Ancient people had no sugar, so honey was a great treat to the Jews. It was their major sweetening substance.

The Facts, Please! Bees are the only insects that produce food for man. Each honeybee has six legs, five eyes, two slender antennae (which serve as a nose, with two thousand to three thousand tiny sense plates), four very thin wings, a stinger, and a mouth. The tongue of the worker bee is like a tube, through which it can sip nectar.

The Facts, Please! The worker bees locate flowers and obtain nectar (a sugary liquid), which is stored in their honey bag. On the way to the hive, the nectar in the bag changes to a sweet, thick liquid. When stored in the wax honeycomb, it dries into honey.

The Facts, Please! A red clover blossom contains less than one-eighth of a grain of sugar. Seven thousand grains are required to make a pound of honey. A bee must sip from 3,360,000 flowerets in 56,000 clover heads to get one pound.

The Facts, Please! In New Testament times, a schoolboy received a slate with Bible passages written on it. Honey was smeared on his slate, and he had to trace the letters through the honey with his pen. Since he would naturally lick off the honey, it was hoped he would realize that the Scriptures must be absorbed and enjoyed.

Bible Story: Why the Jews Had a Celebration Nehemiah 8:1-18