If something unexpectedly falls on our heads, if fate gives an incredible gift, if you are already desperate to wait for the desired outcome of the case, and everything is decided as if by itself - for these cases there is a well-established expression "manna from heaven"
As "manna from heaven", a person is waiting for a solution to the situation in his favor. Like "manna from heaven", an unexpected lottery win falls on him. "Heavenly manna" is a good expression of when something unexpected and very good happens to a person. And it has its roots.
Longest hike in history
Some are well aware, while others know practically nothing about the longest trek of the Jews in the desert. Without going into details, the essence is as follows. In time immemorial, the Jews were driven into slavery in Egypt. Pharaoh refused to let them go until the usual shepherd Moses appeared. He was given a sign that he would free the people of Israel from bondage.
This enterprise consisted of several "Egyptian executions", including: locusts, bloody water, darkness and so on. In the end, Pharaoh realized that it was easier for him to let the Jews go than to endure all these "executions." And Moses stood at the head of the Israelites and led them through the wilderness. And since this campaign was somewhat delayed, the people got hungry and Moses prayed to God. This is how the "manna from heaven" was sent down, a special food that literally fell from the sky, feeding all people to their fill.
According to the biblical description, these were peculiar white grains, similar to coriander seeds, and also on bdellium - the resin of one Indian shrub. The name "manna" comes from the fact that the Jews asked Moses "Man-gu?" - "What is it?". And he explained to them that this is the bread that God gave. When they ate, young men tasted bread, old people tasted honey, and children tasted butter. Manna could be collected until noon, and then it melted under the rays of the sun.
What modern science says
In an attempt to find an explanation for the phenomenon, various theories have been created. The most tenacious among them were two:
1. The Bible deals with special lichens, aerophytes. One type of "lichen manna" can be transported long distances through the air. And besides, it is quite edible.
2. This is the sap of the Tamarix plant, processed by aphids. It can be airborne and "melt" under the sun. And in shape and appearance, as some naturalists describe, these droplets are very similar to coriander seeds.
Be that as it may, divine providence or a natural phenomenon, the phrase "manna from heaven" is firmly entrenched in the Russian language and serves its purposes as a phraseological unit. In the meaning of "fallen from the sky, an unexpected, incredible, pleasant surprise."
