Bees throughout history
Here we will take a journey through time looking at the significance of bees throughout history from different perspectives.
We’ll start by looking at the origins of bees by exploring our scientific understanding of when bees first emerged in history and how they have changed over time. In particular, we’ll see how certain species became extinct due to climatic changes leading to the emergence of the modern day western honey bee, Apis mellifera.
The impact of bees in mythology and folklore will be explored in the second article. From early civilisations we’ll learn about the evidence of honey hunting skills from rock art in Spain, India and Africa. We will also look at different mythological representations of the bee.
Later we’ll explore the fascinating roles of bees in Ancient Egypt, as well as Greek and Roman history.
Bees played an incredibly important role in Egyptian history not only being kept at home (with written beekeeping activity in existence from as early as 2422BC) but also having a major symbolic role. We’ll see how bees were kept in upturned straw baskets, the discovery of golden bees in the tomb of Childeric, and how, even after 5000 years honey in tombs is still edible!
In Greek History, we will discover the role of Aristaeus who was the patron god of beekeeping as well as hunting and husbandry. We’ll also find out about Aristotle’s observations about bees. Then we’ll learn about beekeeping and the qualities of bees as mentioned by Roman writers such as Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro was an ancient Roman poet).
A little later on we’ll look at role of bees in different religions. In particular, we’ll focus on scriptural references from the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We’ll look at the numerous mentions of bees and honey in the Bible such as ‘My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the dripping of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste’ Proverbs 24:13 (English Standard Version). We’ll discover that the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, an entire chapter is called ‘The Bee’ which mentions that ‘… your Lord inspired the bee, saying ‘Build yourselves houses in the mountains and trees and what people construct. Then feed on all kinds of fruit and follow the ways made easy for you by your Lord.’ From their bellies comes a drink of different colours in which there is healing for people. There truly is a sign in this for those who think.’ The Bee 16:68. We’ll also look at the role of bees in other religions.
Shortly we’ll look at bees in the modern world. Starting from the 17th century with the spread of bees across the world, aided by human migration. In the 19th century we’ll learn about the invention of the smoker and moveable frames with foundation. We’ll finish in the 21st century looking at the role of bees today and our vital role in securing their future.
The Origins of Bees
Bees have an extraordinary history and have changed considerably over time resulting in the bees we see today.
Bees first appeared during the Cretaceous period 130 million years ago. During this time, the first fossils of many flowering plants, insect groups, birds and modern mammals were found. The earliest recorded bee was found in Myanmar, where it was encased in amber, dating approximately 100 million years old. (Pictured below).
In this early stage, it is thought that bees were actually predatory, eating other insects for survival rather than seeking nectar and pollen..
Bees in Ancient Egypt
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This image shows the Sedge symbolising Upper Egypt and the Bee symbolising Lower Egypt. © Kenneth J. Stein. |
The hive designs were very different from the modern hives in use today. The basic design was a skep - an upturned basket. The problem with these was that the hive, and therefore the colony, had to be destroyed in order to extract the honey. So the system was only sustainable if the colony swarmed and then this was actually caught...
In Tutankhamen’s tomb, pots of sealed honey were found and incredibly were still edible more than 3000 years later. Furthermore, the discovery of 300 golden bees in the tomb of Childeric in 1653 emphasises the importance of the humble bee in Ancient Egypt. So impressed was Napoleon with Childeric’s bees that they subsequently became the heraldic symbol of the French Empire.
Beekeeping activity in Ancient Greece and Rome
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This coin, depicting a bee, originates from the Ancient Greek city Ephesus. The city was famous for the Temple of Artemis (completed circa 550BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and later became a major Roman settlement. |
Although Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, never kept bees himself – he made many important and detailed observations which can be found in his text titled History of Animals. He documents some interesting views on reproduction of bees which was clearly not well understood – there was the belief that bees did not give birth and fetched their young from flowers!
Bees in Religion
We will look at the role of bees in different religions focusing on the three Abrahamic monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will also touch on scriptural references to bees in other religions. This is by no means exhaustive but will hopefully give an interesting insight into the significance of bees in religion.
Bees in Judaism and Christianity
Bees and honey are mentioned widely in the Bible and clearly have significance in Judaism and Christianity.
In Judaism, their symbolic role can, for example, be seen in the celebration of Rosh Hashana. On the eve of the holiday it is customary to eat symbolic foods which may include dipping challah (leavened bread) and an apple into honey. This can symbolise the hopes for a happy and healthy new year.
In Christianity, the bee has historically been seen as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s attributes. The honey reflecting his sweet and gentle character, whilst the sting pertaining to justice and the cross.
Bees in Islam
Chapter 16 of the Quran, believed by Muslims to be the revelation of God, is called ‘The Bee’. The specific reference to the bees is in verse 68 (the translation by M.A.S Abdel Haleem (Oxford University Press) is used throughout):
‘… your Lord inspired the bee, saying ‘Build yourselves houses in the mountains and trees and what people construct. Then feed on all kinds of fruit and follow the ways made easy for you by your Lord.’ From their bellies comes a drink of different colours in which there is healing for people. There truly is a sign in this for those who think.’ The Bee 16:68 ...
The Future of Bees
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Beekeeping in 1772 as illustrated in L’Encyclopédie ou Dictionaire Raisonné Des Sciences et Arts et des Métiers (a major French encylopaedia of the 18th century |
17 and 18th century
With the help of human migration bees spread across the world. Honey bees were brought to America by English colonists in the early 17th century.
19th century
Beekeeping became a commercially viable activity aided by the several important inventions including: frame hives, the smoker, comb foundation, and honey extractor.
20th and 21st century
Global warming is a major phenomenon of our times having widespread effects on our ecosystem. Although bees are resilient and able to adapt to changes in temperature, subtle changes may have unexpected effects such as the accelerated growth of pathogens which could harm bees. With the rise of industrialisation in the less econonomically developed world and the lack of consensus on how to tackle this at the G8 summit this may become a major problem in the decades ahead.
These examples serve as a reminder that we need to work with nature in order to sustain the benefits nature provides for mankind. Unless we do this, we risk denying future generations the benefits of nature we enjoy today.
