You can not visit Israel without witnessing the significant place olives play in the agriculture and diet of the people of the land. Olive trees are to be found in the majority of the land. When you sit down to a meal and find olives on the table, even for breakfast, it is hard to imagine that fruit of the olive being served as a food is a relatively new development.
Some trees are rumored to be over 1000 years old. A good olive tree will produce 45 to 60 liters of oil per year (that’s 10-15 gallons). Yes, oil has been the prominent use of the olive tree over the centuries.
Yet we find the olive mentioned in the Bible numerous times. The first tree mentioned by species is the olive tree as Noah’s dove returns with an olive leaf in its mouth. Perfumed oil was among the treasures, which Hezekiah revealed to Merodach – Baladan (II Kings 20:13, Isa 39:2). In Deuteronomy 8:8 The good land into which G-d brings his people is a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey. Olive oil served as an element in food ( I Kings 17:12), as a cosmetic (Eccles. 9:7-8), as a fuel for lamps (Ex 25:6), as a medicine (Isa 1:6), and as a principal export in foreign trade (I Kings 5:25). As oil was apparently applied to leather shields to keep them supple, the expression “to oil a shield” (mashah magen) came to be an idiom for “to make war” (Isa 21:5). As an extension of its use in the preparation of food, oil occupied a place in sacrifices. The wood of the olive tree is a hard wood and beautifully knotted and grained to make some of the most wonderful woodcrafts you will ever see. The “olive plants” of Psalm 128:3, are the shoots that sprout from its roots and protect the trunk and, if it is cut down, they ensure its continued existence. This is the simile referred to in the words “thy children like olive saplings round thy table.” We are called to be as the olive tree. We are to protect each other. We need to be available for any of the varied uses to which the L-rd might call us.
The oil of the olive has many uses, but one would be reticent to not look at the joys it can bring to the palette. Not only is the olive delicious it has been found to be a very healthy food. Studies have shown that people who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) - about 2 tablespoons - of virgin olive oil daily for 1 week showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood. But while all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives, contains higher levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed. Next time you are thinking of putting a fattening spread on your bread try the delicious nutrition of the fruit of the olive tree and remember to pray for the Land of Israel.
: : Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Herbed Dipping Sauce
: : Serves 36, 28 Calories per serving
: : 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
: : 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
: : 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
: : 1 teaspoon fresh garlic cloves, mashed
: : 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
: : 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
: : 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped fine
: :
: : Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 4 hours.
: : Serve as a dipping sauce for bread, veggies, etc.
: : NOTE: 1 TSP. Equals a Serving.
This article written by Dr. Richard Bristol appeared in Dispatch from Jerusalem, a publication of Bridges for Peace.
