**3. The olive and the monotheistic religions**

The presence of the olive tree as a symbol and in myths goes back a long way and has its roots in prehistory. Over time, these plants have lent themselves to numerous

interpretations—for Homer, the olive tree was a symbol of peace and life. The Greek poet also included it in the Odyssey—it was in fact an olive tree trunk, a plant sacred to Athena, the one with which Ulysses blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus. It was also considered an emblem of strength and victory, in ancient Greece, the winners of the Olympics were offered a wreath of olive trees and a cruet of oil. The deep bond between the Hellenic country and the olive tree is certified by the legend according to which the goddess Athena struck the rock with her spear, giving birth to the first olive tree in the world. Even in ancient Rome, olive oil, an indispensable product in daily life and an ingredient of Roman cuisine, and the plant from which the precious fruits were born were revered. The myth has it that Romulus and Remus, the twin protagonists of the Roman mythological tradition, were born right under an olive tree. The ancient Egyptians believed instead that it was the goddess Isis who revealed the properties of the olive tree to man and taught him the art of cultivating and producing oil.

The Olive tree is so strongly associated with peace, rebirth, and victory, that it is hardly surprising that it has become one of the main symbols of Easter, a sign of rebirth and regeneration [7].

According to the scriptures, it was after the Great Flood that Noah received an olive branch from a dove, which from that moment became the symbol of the promise of rebirth, of a new beginning, and of regeneration [8].

The history of the Olive tree is lost, intertwined, in the history of humanity. All we can get from the symbolism of this tree are some Greek/Roman customs and practices that attest to its importance also for polytheistic religions.

For example, in Greece, the olive tree was considered a sacred tree, to the point that anyone caught damaging or cutting it was exiled. At the Olympics, an olive crown was given to the winner, along with an oil cruet. But not only—in Athens, a particular olive tree was recognized as the first olive tree in the world, which was, therefore, treated with great respect and considered sacred, as connected to the goddess Athena, Patroness of the city.

The custom of crowning with an olive tree was not lost and it seems was also imported to Rome, where this particular crown was used to honor the most valiant citizens, against the more famous laurel wreath which was instead taken as a symbol of victory and domain.

More likely, however, the Catholic symbolism of the Olive tree derives from a synthesis of these pagan meanings and the more well-known Hebrew meaning, mentioned earlier in reference to the Old Testament [9].

It is not clear whether the Olive Tree has any connection with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as when Adam – dying – sent his son Seth to bring him the three seeds of the Tree of Sin, he obeyed and, after his father's death, he planted the seeds on Adam's tomb, from which a cypress, a cedar, and an olive tree grew.

Whatever the origin of the symbol behind this particular plant, it teaches us the need for renewal and regeneration, as well as the great ability to pacify one's feelings with those of God or the Universe, however you want to call it (**Figure 4**).

The only certain thing about the history of the olive tree is that it could not be a more suitable plant in the vegetable kingdom to represent the Christian Easter and the whole spring period in general.

The olive tree and olive oil have always seemed to instill in the observer a profound sense of the sacred. It is no coincidence that they play an important role in the three monotheistic religions of the Mediterranean, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The oldest written testimony on the olive tree is found in the Old Testament, the sacred

**Figure 4.** *Peace dove.*

book of Judaism, in the episode of the Great Flood: Noah waited another seven days and again sent the dove out of Ark. In the evening, the dove returned to him: and behold, it had an olive branch in its beak. In Christianity, we remember Palm Sunday, which commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem welcomed by the crowd waving olive branches and palm trees. The oil is also used in baptism, in the consecration of priests, in the anointing of the sick, and in confirmation. As for Islam—in Paradise, there are two taboo trees, the olive tree and the fig tree.

The very name of Christ means "anointed," a Greek translation of the Hebrew term mašíakh used as an adjective that designates the person who was anointed with oil in the consecration ceremony. In the Christian religion, the olive tree has a strong symbolic value, the olive branch pinched in the dove's beak, for example, marks the end of the flood, symbolizing peace and regeneration. Even in Jewish religious rites, oil is very important and the theme of anointing as a consecration to the Lord returns. A series of food taboos have also emphasized its importance, the Torah, the fulcrum of the Jewish religious tradition, in fact, prohibits the consumption of most animal fats, helping to make olive oil the main ingredient of Jewish cuisine. The olive tree, in addition to being present in Greek mythology in an important way, is also known in the Arab tradition, which, however, based most of its current doctrine on the teachings of Muhammad and also traces to a large extent pre-existing beliefs that, so as happened within the Christian religion regarding pagan cults, they had to be implemented by the Prophet in the global order of the new religion. In the Koran, the sacred text of Islam, the olive tree is defined as "the blessed tree," while the anthropologist Edvard Westermarck, in the essay Ritual and Beliefs in Morocco, wrote: "in Islam, it is the cosmic tree par excellence, center and pillar of the world, symbolizes the universal man, the prophet."

Generally, in religious language, the olive tree has always represented the promised land; it has always been a message of fertility and divine blessing (a message which, among other things, is common to several religions). In old times, olive growing was in fact among the main agricultural activities, and oil, obtained from this tree, along

with cereals and wine, represented one of Israel's heritage. The olive tree and the resulting oil were in fact signs of abundance and well-being.

In the Bible, more than in other religious texts, it is present in numerous episodes and has a much stronger symbolism than in other religions. However, the fact that the olive tree is present in the most ancient texts and that it is part of several different and distant cultures historically and geographically, makes us understand how important and ancient the culture is linked to this tree.
