Oil from this tree’s fruit fueled the eternal flame of the original Olympic Games. This plant has been a symbol of peace and abundance from ancient times and is one of the most cited in recorded literature: Old and New Testaments, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and Homer's Odyssey (~700 BC)…
The Olive tree has been cultivated for thousands of years. Among the earliest evidence for the domestication of olives comes from a Chalcolithic Period (4500-3500 BC) archaeological site in what is today modern Jordan.
The olive’s healing powers are extensive and olive oil has long been considered sacred. It was used to anoint kings and today it is still used in many religious ceremonies. And considerable modern research supports the health-giving benefits of consuming olives, olive leaf and olive oil.
Olive leaves are used in medicinal teas. Olive oil nourishes and conditions the hair and scalp. And studies show that eating only two tablespoons of virgin olive oil a day for one week may significantly lower cholesterol levels; olive oil may also reduce colon cancer rates. And while all olive oil is healthy, extra virgin olive oil contains the highest level of antioxidants such as vitamin E because it is less processed, less pressed.
The less the olive oil is handled the better quality and health benefit it retains. For example, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is comprised from the first pressing of olives and considered the best olive oil vs. Extra Light Olive Oil which is made using considerable processing.
According to Greek mythology, Athena’s gift of the Olive tree to the people of Attica, won Athena the patronage of the city of Athens.The Olive is one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible; it was an olive branch that a dove brought back to Noah to demonstrate that the flood was over. The olive leaf has been a symbol of abundance, glory and peace since ancient times; some were even found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
Olive tree can live to great ages; several trees in the Garden of Gethsemane (from the Hebrew words "gat shemanim" or olive press) in Jerusalem are claimed to date back to the time of Jesus and are still producing olives!
The Olive is the national tree of Albania, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Syria (original home of the olive tree) and Tunisia.
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