Showing posts with label food history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food history. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Nature's Treasure: The Olive Tree

Lemon tree very pretty.  Olive tree very pretty too!  In fact, the olive tree has always had a significant role in much of the history of mankind.

During biblical times, olives were one of the most important crops.  In addition to being used for food, they were crushed and made into cooling oil, fuel for lamps, medicine to soothe cuts or bruises or dress wounds, and used as a skin moisturizer.  Olives are still used that way today.

The Mount of Olives, a prominent place in Bible times, is covered with dense olive groves.  The name "Gethsemane" means "oil press".

The Aramites revered it as a blessed tree and the Canaanite and Philistines tried to spread its cultivation. There are Egyptian reliefs with images of olive trees.

Oil from the olive crops was and still is used for cooking, ointments, medicines, and perfumes.

Health benefits of olive oil include: aiding in the growth of normal bones; reducing bad cholesterol levels, and the risk of gallstones development; and preventing constipation.

Van Gogh clearly loved olive trees.
Van Gogh


The Olive Tree in Palestine
  • Another name for olive tree is Olea Europaea.  
Palestine was known as Canaan during Bible times and olive trees grew on the hillsides in Samaria. These trees were also plentiful in Galilee, the childhood home of Jesus.

The olive tree not only played a vital part in the economic development of both the Greek and Roman empires; but olive wood carving was and still is a cottage industry, i.e. a common home business for many families living and working in Palestine.

There are artists today who live and work in the Holy City of Bethlehem and together they create unique gift items and art treasures. Their area of expertise is olive wood carving or sculptures. They craft statues, ornaments, music boxes, pendants and other decorative gifts which can easily become heirlooms to be kept in the family for generations.

This artwork is made available through an export house, an international marketing company which is based in Jerusalem, Israel, to customers in the United States of America and other world markets. The gifts may have religious significance for most people but they are also beautiful artistic expressions and some are very practical.

Below are examples of my favorite pieces of olive wood sculptures.

* * IMPORTANT NOTE: Products are not made by killing live olive trees. The wood is taken from the branches that have been cut off for pruning or those trees that have died due to old age.




A Very Interesting Fact About the Olive Tree: 
Some would like to believe a drop of rain touched by the leaves of the legendary ancient "Angel Olive" or the "Angel Tree" will cure anything. The Angel Tree: The Enchanting Quest for the World's Oldest Olive Tree

More Reading

Use 100% Pure Olive Oil Soap to deep clean skin and enhance your body's ability to moisturize itself.
An olive tree in a container or planted directly into the ground will bring a Mediterranean atmosphere to the garden, terrace or patio. They can also be grown indoors.
The first time I heard about the whole 'drinking olive oil' concept, I thought: OK, big detail, isn't that the same as cooking with and eating olive oil? But the idea IS different

- Do you know who first brought the olive tree to Spain? Answer

- Do you know why black olives are black?  Answer


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