The
olive tree and its oil were a major component in the
Ancient Israelite society, and have been important to the
Jewish people for millennia.
[1]
[2] Olives are often mentioned in Jewish religious texts and are generally seen as a symbol of peace,
[3]
[4] wisdom,
[5] and vitality.
[6] It had a key role in the
agricultural life, industry and religious practices of
ancient Israel and
Judah .
The olive tree is endemic to
Israel and the greater
Mediterranean Basin .
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10] The cultivation of olive trees has been important to the agricultural life in the
Land of Israel since the
Neolithic period .
[11]
[12]
[13] The world's oldest
oil press , dating to the
Chalcolithic period, was discovered in an
underwater excavation near
Haifa .
[14]
[15]
[16] Pottery containing olive pits, remnants of olives and olive presses discovered on archaeological sites provide evidence of early olive oil production.
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20] In the
Kingdom of Israel and
Judah , industrial villages dedicated to oil production, likely under royal patronage, were established.
[21]
[22]
[23] These villages housed dozens of presses, exemplified by discoveries at sites such as Khirbet Khadash.
[24]
[25] During the ~8th-7th centuries BCE, the olive oil industry experienced a boom in mass production across the two
Israelite Kingdoms .
[26]
[27]
[28] Even after the
Assyrian conquest of the northern Kingdom , the production of
Olive oil continued in
Kingdom of Judah .
[29]
[30] It was then shipped to other
vassal states of the
Assyrian Empire .
[31] Olives in general were used as a source of food, light, hygiene and healing.
[32]
[33]
Israelite and later Judean populations mostly planted the trees in the
Galilee ,
Judea and
Samaria .
[34]
[35]
[36] Olives remained a key product for the Jewish population in
Israel , despite the land
changing control under various powers . Following the
First Aliyah , jews established new olive plantations.
[37]
[38]
Ancient jewish olive production sites
In Judaism, Jewish tradition and culture
The olive tree is one of the most important trees in
Judaism and
Jewish culture .
[65]
[66]
[67]
[68]
[69] They symbolize
Jewish rootedness to their historic homeland .
[70]
[71] Olives are a part of the
Seven Species
[72]
[73] and were and still are used in the
Ancient Israelite and modern
Israeli and
Jewish cuisine .
[74]
The Seven Species with associated Biblical verse depicted on a set of
Israeli stamps issued in 1958
In the times of the
Holy Jewish Temple , olive trees, olive oil, and olives played significant roles in various aspects of religious rituals and practices. Olive oil was crucial for lighting the
Menorah inside the Temple. The Menorah was a central fixture in the Temple's sanctuary. Pure olive oil was used to keep the Menorah burning continuously.
[75]
On
Tu BiShvat , the Jewish holiday known as the New Year for Trees, olive trees hold a special significance along with other fruit-bearing trees.
[76] Olive trees are among the seven species (shiv'at haminim) that are traditionally associated with the Land of Israel's fertility and abundance.
[77]
[78]
[79]
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the
Second Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the
Seleucid Empire . According to Jewish tradition, during the
Maccabean Revolt , only a small amount of pure olive oil sufficient for one day's lighting of the Menorah miraculously lasted for eight days until new oil could be prepared.
[80] This miracle is celebrated as a symbol of divine intervention and perseverance.
[81]
[82]
Following the Great Flood,
Noah sent out birds from the
ark to check if the waters had receded. First, he sent a raven, but it found no place to rest and returned. Then, he sent a dove, but it also came back.
[83] On the 301st day of the flood, Noah sent the
dove again.
[84] This time, the dove stayed away all day and returned in the evening with an olive leaf in its mouth. Noah then knew that the waters had abated from the earth.
[85]
[86]
[87]
Anointing Oil : Olive oil was used to anoint
kings ,
priests , and
prophets in ancient Israel. The anointing oil, known as "
shemen hamishchah ," symbolized sanctity and was a critical element in various rituals.
[88]
Shabbat and Festivals: Olive oil is often used in the preparation of traditional Jewish foods. Foods like
challah are sometimes made with olive oil, and dishes like
latkes are fried in it during Hanukkah.
The olive tree is the national tree of
Israel .
[89]
[90] It's branches are depicted on the Emblem of the State of Israel and the insignia of the
Israel Defence Forces (Incl.
The Military Rabbinate ).
[91]
In Israel, olives are an
economically important fruit.
[92]
[93] Within Israel’s olive plantations, some olive trees have stood for centuries. The trees can be found in various regions, from the elevated mountain areas to the coastal plains. The landscape contains ~340,000 dunams (84,000
acres ) of olive plantations.
[94] These expansive groves are home to a variety of olive types. Among them are the: Zuri , Barnea, Manzanillo, Picual, Muhasan, Nabali, Souri, Kalamata, Picholine, Maalot and Coratina .
[95]
[96]
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