The history of the olive tree

Die Geschichte des Ölbaums

The olive tree has been existed around 7000 years. Probably the home of the olive tree is North Africa. There were remnants of olive leaves found around 5000 BC. Often Syria and Palestine are also called as the homeland of the olive tree. Other sources are mentioning olive stones, have been excavated used in houses of Palaeolithic (35,000 to 8000 BC). Despite the many uncertainties is nevertheless indisputable that the olive tree is one of the oldest tree which is cultivated.

Many traditions come from the Orient. On the islands of the Aegean and in Asia Minor (now Turkey) already since 2500 BC olive trees are planted and oil from the fruits was obtained.

Berbers, Greeks and Romans planted olive trees in honor of the deceased. And with the Romans the altars were from olive wood. Even in the Old and New Testament, the olive tree is mentioned over 200 times.

The olive tree conquered via southern Italy and Rome the entire Mediterranean area around 500 BC. Mariners like Columbus brought it into the "New World" (America).

SYMBOL OF PEACE AND WISDOM

The olive tree is also called the "tree of trees", and it is closely linked to human history. Myths and legends are woven around the olive tree, until now, it is still a myth. It is regarded as a symbol of peace.

In Greek mythology, it was Athene, daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, who won in the contest with Poseidon to rule over Attica - because she planted an olive tree, while Poseidon merely revealed a source of salt water from a rock with his trident. Zeus, the father of the gods, ruled that Athena’s power had the greater value. The capital of Attica was named after her - Athens.

THE OLIVE TREE IS DERIVED FROM THE GODS

Because it was seen as a gift of the gods, for the ancient Greeks the olive tree was a sacred tree. Those who felled it, were punished with death. On the birth of a son, an olive branch was hanged at the doorstep, and the winners at the Olympic Games were honored with chaplets of olive branches. The winners reward were amphorae with olive oil!

Homer writes that the participants in the Olympic Games were prepared at the competitions with olive oil - internally and externally. They prepared their meals with plenty olive oil and also rubbed their bodies with it. The oil kept the pores against the ingress of dirt and also protected the skin from cold and sunburn.

The Romans revered the olive tree as sacred. To them the goddess Minerva was the guardian of this tree. In Rome it was called the "first among all the trees" and Roman citizens were exempt from military service, if they were able to prove that they planted a certain number of olive trees.

Also in Islam, the olive tree is important as a symbol; in the Koran Mohammed compares the holy light of Allah with the light of a lamp which is nourished by the oil of that "blessed tree, which is not growing in the East nor the West". As a symbol of wisdom the oldest Islamic university in Tunisia is called: "al-Zitouna" (the olive tree).