Juicy, crunchy, tart: with its multitude of seeds and juice akin to blood, it’s not hard to see why the pomegranate has so appealed to the imagination. After being held in high esteem in the rituals of the polytheistic religions of the ancient world, the pomegranate came to be revered in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. This book explores how people throughout history interacted with pomegranates, featuring a cast of well-known characters from the Ashurnasirpal to Anne Boleyn, from Sandro Botticelli to Salvador Dali. It is a cornucopia of strange and fascinating anecdotes about this very special fruit whose health benefits are so highly regarded today.