Olive

Olive A tree that outlives its planters

זיתOlea europaea

Olive trees have grown in the land for thousands of years, and some groves are said to be centuries old. Their silver-green leaves and twisted trunks are a familiar sight in the Galilee, the Judean hills, and Samaria. The olives are picked in autumn and pressed into oil, which has been a staple of local cooking and trade since ancient times. Two olive branches also frame the menorah on the emblem of the State of Israel, a sign of peace.

Glossary: Olive