Daily Archives: August 26, 2010

What is the first tree mentioned by name in the Bible? After a visit to the art museum one might say, “the apple.” But there is nothing about the apple in Genesis. I don’t mean the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” either.

The first is the fig. Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness by sewing together fig leaves.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths (Genesis 3:7 ESV)

I really want to write about the second tree named in Scripture. It is the 0live. After the flood, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had receded.

And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. (Genesis 8:11 ESV)

The land of Canaan, promised by the LORD to Abraham and his descendants, was to be a land that included figs and olives.

a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey (Deuteronomy 8:8 ESV)

Olive trees flourish in the mountainous terrain of the land of Canaan/Israel/Palestine (this is not a political discussion). Here are some photos of olive trees. The first is one of the older trees in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. In fact, it appears that two trees grew together.

An older Olive trees in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Here are a few trees at Sepphoris in Galilee.

Olive Trees at Sepphoris in Galilee. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

And this photo is a close up of a branch and some of the leaves. The photo was made at Neot Kedumim in the Shephelah of Israel.

Olive Branches at in the Shephelah of Israel. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Later we will follow up with more about the uses of the olive.