The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1919-09-10
THE OLIVE TREE.

ship of Mr.. !. Wilkomsky, contains
some valuable additions by the Editor
on the olive tree and its produce in
Palestine and Syria, with which the
original does not deal.
In the opinion of various natural
historians, the olive tree originated in
Palestine and Syria. In any case
there is no doubt that this tree has
a very long history in Palestine; and
that it was one of the principal ar
ticles of food in the land in ancient
times is abundantly proved by the
Bible. in which oil as food is con-
stantly mentioned, together with corn
and wine The abundance Of oil en-
abled King solomon to export the sur
plus to neighboring lands in exchange
for timber and other commodities
Similarly. references in the Talmud
show how widely the olive was used
in the time of the second Temple.
Josephus, again. in his Wars Of the
Jews, praises the olive tree, which
grew abundantly in Galilee. in the
Eeighborhood of the Lake of Tiierias.
The remnants of ancient oil presses III
different parts of the country indi-
cate that the present cultivation of
the olive tree in Palestine falls he
low the standard of development of
those ancient days.
The olive tree appears IN district
of Syria and Palestine which is bound-
ed on the north by the Taurus and on
the south by the desert, and extends
to about 60 miles from the Mediter-
ranean. 1t is particularly abundant
and fruitful close to the seaboard,
from Latakia and Antioch in the north.
to GAIA in the south. In this district
il finds exceptionally favorable eli
mate conditions on both mountain and
plain. All the slopes of the Lebanon
and Carmel are well covered with
olive trees: on the plains of ancient
Fhilistia. in the vicinity of GAIA. Ask
alon. Ashdod etc. extensive tracts OF
sandy land are covered With olive
plantations and in the district around
.Iaffa. near LYDIA and Ramleh. large
forests of olive trees are the econo-
mic mainstay of the local inhabitants.
These forests, by the way, were plant
ed by the Crusaders. and the natives
called them 1.-THE Roman Olive"
The olive also flourishes further in
land. on the mountain range. Mt a
height of 2,OOO-2,500 feet above sea
level, as on the mount of Olives and
On the hill called "Nebi Samwill, '
close to Jerusalem. which is ECO feet
above sea level The owes which
flourish on the mountain terraces of
Bethlehem and in the village of Elm
Kerem add a peculiar beauty and pie
turesqueness to the surroundings of
Jerusalem, and the olive trees on the
hills around Shcchem tNablusl. Ma
Rareth, and Safed give each of these
towns a beautiful setting. Tile Jor-
is thickly set with olive trees, and
even east of the Jordan, where the
climatic conditions are not favorablc
to vegetation owing to the excessive
heat which prevails during the great
err part of the year. groves of olive
trees are found in abundance. particu-
l. al, xr-1,t Tl, .tfIt
water.
In short. the olive tree may rightly
be regarded as the typical tree of Pal
cstine. and there is hardly village in
the whole land where it is not to be
found. To some districts it shares
with the fig tree the blessings of the
population, while III others it enjoys
undivided supremacy as the only tree
in the district. Nowadays, rs of old
olives and oil are staple articles of
food. They are also eNtensively used
as IA raw material for the soap in.
dustry, and are therefore not exported
in large quantities. What export
there is goes chiefly by way Of Acre.
In 1901, 100000 kilograms of oil pass
ed thru this port alone 10 foreign
lands.
One of the advantages of the olive
tree is that ii is not very particular
about the nature Of the soil in which
it grows. sIts roots force their way
even thru rocks, and absorb the mois-
ture beneath. as on the mountains of
Judca and Galilcc. The most favor
able soil for the olive is that which
contains plenty of carbonate of pot
assium, magnesium and phosphates.
Lut it repays cultivation even on land