Mary, the Tree of Life

In the Akathist Hymn, from the Orthodox tradition, Mary is described as "the Queen and Mother, the fiery throne, the dwelling place of the light, the lampstand, the fiery chariot of the Word, the food that replaced the manna, the tree of glorious fruit from which believers are nourished, the scent of Christ's fragrance, and the unburned bush.

The roots of all this imagery lie in the first temple (Jerusalem), which had been the house of Wisdom, the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Lord."

- Margaret Barker

We will talk in depth later on about the Divine Mother as Wisdom and Her place in the ancient temples of the Israelites. I point us to the iconography and language from the Orthodox tradition as they have better preserved the memory and importance of the Holy Mother. It's not surprising that the great churches were dedicated to the Holy Wisdom.