Olive Tree In Israel
A land of wheat and barley of vines figs and pomegranates a land of olive trees and honey deuteronomy 8 8.
Olive tree in israel. The olive tree is not israel. Also the olive tree cannot be israel. The olive tree is mentioned many times in the bible associated with blessings fertility and health. Some olive trees in israel are estimated to be around a thousand years old.
Rather common in the holy land the olive tree is a multi branched evergreen with a knotted trunk smooth ash colored bark and oblong leathery leaves that are silvery green. The rocky soil in israel is conducive to the drainage necessary for the olive tree to prosper and they thrive in the mediterranean climate. Mature cultivated olive trees grow to 20 or more feet in height and produce small flowers of yellow or white around the first of may. The olive tree was cultivated in israel as far back as the sixth century bce and spread to egypt.
Some natural branches are broken off the olive tree representing jews who do not believe in jesus the messiah even though they are physically still alive. But due to unbelief rebellion stumbling transgression god broke off national israel the natural branches from the tree and grafted gentiles the wild branches into the place of blessing rom 11 17. Phoenician traders brought olives from israel to greece rome and spain and from there to other areas of the mediterranean basin. They are physically alive but are spiritually dead broken off branches.
Over the course of time it acquired the connotation of rootedness and dwelling on the land which is why an olive branch appears in the emblem of the state and in the emblems of.