Sacred Meaning of the Olive Tree

“The dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth...”

This is possibly the most frequently cited quote from the Bible regarding the olive tree. In the Old Testament, Noah sent this winged messenger of peace on a mission to find dry land after the Flood. The dove returned to the ark with an olive leaf in her beak, announcing the retreat of the waters from the earth in the olive groves located in the area of what is now called Mount Ararat, in western Turkey.

Promises, admonitions, precepts and prophecies of the Old Testament frequently refer to olive trees, which is unsurprising given that they were considered indispensable and vital for the people’s health and sustenance. The Promised Land, the land of the Hebrews, is described as the country of wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, olives and honey. King Solomon and King David placed great importance in the cultivation of olive trees; King David even had guards watching over the olive groves and warehouses to ensure the safety of the trees and their special oil, which was used for commerce and trade.

Prophets often warned the population to behave or God would punish them either by destroying olive trees, or by making them produce bad olive oil. The prophet Joel foresaw that God’s punishment would consist of devastating the fields, ruining the corn, drying the wine supply and ending oil production forever. When the population repented, God restored their crops, wine and oil (Joel 2:19-24).

The Jews, and then the Christians, began using olive oil to anoint kings, priests and believers. In fact, the word “Christ” means “anointed, consecrated.” The prophet Malachea mentions that rivers of oil flowed during libations, and Samuel refers to the consecration of Saul with a jar of oil.

Nowadays, the olive tree is still considered sacred, mysterious and mythical—a majestic tree that can survive for thousands of years and watch history fly by.