GARDEN
The first garden or park mentioned in the Bible is that of Eden, which God created for man who was still innocent (Gen. 2:8-3:24; Ezek. 28:13; 31:8, 9).
In Egypt, gardens were watered (Deut. 11:10) with water from the Nile, stored in tanks and diverted into irrigation canals by a waterwheel or an endless chain fitted with buckets, kept in motion by one foot. .
By opening or closing gates it was possible to irrigate the desired area.
Irrigation was also practiced in Palestine (Eccl. 2:6; Is. 58:11; Jer. 31:12).
There were cultivated plants in the gardens (1 Kings 21:2), lilies and other flowers (Song 5:1; 6:2), fruit trees (Jer. 29:5, 28; Am. 9:14).
The garden of Gethsemane was, apparently, a grove of olive trees with an oil press.
Jerusalem had a royal garden (2 Kings 25:4), as did Etham near Bethlehem (Ant. 8:7, 3; Song 6:11; Eccl. 2:5).
The royal palace at Susa included a garden (Est. 1:5).
In order to protect the gardens against plunderers, they were surrounded by a wall or hedge (Song. 4:12; Is. 5:2, 5); Sometimes there was a watchman in a hut in the garden (Isa. 1:8).
People walked in the refreshing retreat of the garden (Susanna 1:7), and sometimes bathed (v. 15) and settled down for a meal (Esther 1:5), praying there (Matt. 26:36).
In them idolatrous rites were practiced privately (Is. 1:29; 65:3; 66:17; cf. 2 Kings 16:4), and sometimes the dead were buried there (Jn. 19:41).