Pomegranates have been a highly historical fruit as far back as mankind has left records(1,2). "Most scholars support the belief that the pomegranate was native to Iran and the Himalayas in Northern India, then cultivated over the whole Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe, migrating as far east as China where it has been cultivated since the pre-Christian era."(1) "Almost every major [ancient] culture" had a thing for them; they were a symbol of fruitful life and chaste living (including being a traditional wedding gift), and seeds, flowers, rind, and juice figured in various roles "foods,...medicines and... cosmetics."(2)
Egyptian pharaohs considered pomegranates mandatory pharaoh food, to be stocked in their residences. Egyptians used the juice for intestinal worms, the blossom for a red dye, and the peel for dying leather(1). "In Greek medicine the flowers were used to treat diabetes, while the root and bark were used to stop bleeding, dysentery and heal ulcers." In India, Ayurvedic medicine used pomegranate for fevers. (Modern science has revealed that the fruits have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds among tons of other properties)(2)
The pillars of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and the priestly robes there both had pomegranates. Xerxes' Persian army invaded Greece in 480 BC with pomegranates instead of spikes on their spears' tips (they symbolized strength). The plants "were introduced to Rome via Carthage", the offshoot of the Phoenicians to the south, and so they got the name of "Phoenician apple"; Pompeii had the most notable representation of them in any Roman mosaic(1).
Granada, Spain's famed Alhambra palace, built by the Moors in the late Middle Ages, featured pomegranates around the archways. That same niche of Spain would be conquered in 1492 by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. "According to local lore, Queen Isabella stood with a pomegranate in her hand and declared, 'Just like the pomegranate, I will take over Andalusia seed by seed.'" Spanish missionaries planted some trees in Mexico close on the heels of the 1520s conquest of the Aztecs. Missions in California and Texas would come to acquire and grow them as well(1).
References:
1. "Pomegranate History & Timeline." Food Reference.com. James T. Ehler. Web. 18 Feb. 2021. https://www.foodreference.com/html/a-pomegranate-history.html.
2. "Pomegranate Story." pomhealth.com. Pomegranate Health. Web. 18 Feb. 2021. https://www.pomegranatehealth.com/Pomegranate-Story_ep_7.html.