This legend, etc, may be told somewhere, but the dogwoods that we in America
are most familiar with, and also the people in Europe, are native to the
Americas, and would not have been found anywhere in Israel at any time.
Other dogwoods, such as Cornus kousa, and the c. siberica, are native to
eastern Asia, and would also have never been found in Israel. It makes a
sweet, if terribly naive legend, however.
"B & J" wrote in message
...
I did a Google search and came up with the following information about the
name "dogwood."
I'd give the address of the site, but the computer has suddenly developed
a
stomach ache.

The Dogwood Legend
According to legend, the dogwood once grew as tall and mighty as the oak.
For that reason, it was chosen as the tree on which Jesus Christ was
crucified. As the legend goes, the dogwood, forever ashamed of its duty,
begged Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus took pity on the poor tree and decided
that forevermore the dogwood would be slender and twisted so that its wood
could never again be used for a cross. He also shaped the dogwood's
blossoms
into the form of a cross. In the center of each bloom is a crown of
thorns,
and on each of its petals are nail prints stained with red.

As for how the dogwood got its name, one explanation is that dog owners
once
made a tonic from the bark to wash their pets. A more likely derivation
comes from the Old English term doggerwood, meaning "a stick once used to
skewer meats."

I knew about the legend, but does anyone know any other logical
explanation
for the name?

John