Tree of Life
The noble olive tree and the olive branch have been symbols of peace and success since the dawn of civilisation. The olive's golden oil is respected by medical communities worldwide for its health-giving nutrition and its link to the decreased incidence of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers in the Mediterranean region.
There are many legends about the olive tree. In Greek mythology it was said to have been be created by Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, as 'the most useful invention for mankind.' The olive is also mentioned more than 200 times in the Bible where it was proclaimed as the King of the Trees (Judges 9:8-9) and some even consider it to be the biblical Tree of Life (Rev. 22:2).
More than 2,500 years ago Pliny, and Hippocrates the father of modern medicine's Hippocratic Oath, prescribed medications containing the oil and leaves of the olive tree. They prescribed it as a cure for a number of disorders, including inflammation of the gums, insomnia, nausea, and boils.
The olive is also revered in Muslim texts where the Prophet stated, 'Eat the olive oil and apply it, since there is cure for seventy diseases in it.'
In modern times, a golden olive branch was left on the moon by the 1969 Apollo mission with the statement, 'We came in peace for all mankind.' The olive wreath is used as the United Nations logo and olive wreaths are still the symbol of Olympic victory.
