Frequently asked questions and answers:

Question 36: What was manna?

Answer:

It is supposed that the manna of the Israelites was a saccharine exudation of a species of tamarisk, the sap of which was set flowing by an insect. Several trees yield manna, as the flowering ash of Sicily and the eucalyptus of Australia. In India a sweet exudation comes from the bamboo and a similar substance is obtained from the sugar-pine and common reed of the USA.