Mandragora (mandrake)

While working in a field I noticed that the mandragoras started to bloom.
The plant is called "dudaim" in Hebrew and I never looked up the name in English or German. As I did so yesterday, I finally understood that this plant is actually the mandragora, or as some would call it; mandrake. In German it is called "alraune" and in Arabic "baid al-djin".

I will get back to the names later.

One elderly man in our community is making a liquor from the fruits but you should not eat the fruits or any part of the plant because it is toxic.
Like other members of the Solanaceae family the plant contains highly active substances and thus the mandragora have a long use in traditional medicine. Extracts are being used for their real or supposed aphrodisiac, hypnotic, emetic, purgatice, sedative and pain-killing effects.
The root can be found in the shape of a human in many illustrations. It is said that the root shrieks when pulled from the ground. I still have to try this although I think I prefer the plant alive...

From "Hortus Sanitatis", Mainz 1491 (Wikipedia)

The plant is mentioned in the bible twice. One time in Genesis 30:14 and one time in the Song of Songs 7:12-13. Both times the connection is to the aphrodisiac effect that is attributed to the plant.

Back to the names: 
The Hebrew name (dudaim) can be translated to "love".
The German name (alraune) probably comes from an old German word of "sorceress" or from the Gothic word for "secret".
The (or one of the) Arabic name (baid al-djin) can be translated to "the house of the ghost".