The olive tree in ancient times
The olive tree appears to have played a central role in the cult of ancient Mediterranean civilizations.
The Minoans used to make libations of olives, oil and wine to their chthonic deities, while the ancient Athenians considered the olive tree sacred and protected it by law.
That veil of sanctity that covered the olive oil made them believe that objects covered in olive oil were protected by the gods.
For this reason they commonly used olive oil to anoint the statues and altars of their gods, as well as the objects used for libations made in their honor.
Furthermore, they included olive oil among the main ingredients of offerings and sacrifices to their deities.
The olive tree and the role of oil always lead back to harmony and inner peace.
The plant is originally linked to Iran, where the olive and oil culture was born and where the Cosmic Olive Tree has been celebrated since ancient times , its foliage becoming a channel of connection between the earth and the divine and for all humanity.
The Quran speaks of the Blessed Olive Tree from which oil is drawn as divine light and which guides one towards inner enlightenment.
In Egypt, olive oil was a gift from the goddess Isis.
The role of oil in the Greek world
In Greek mythology, Zeus gave the olive tree to humanity. It was also a sacred symbol for the kings of Israel and the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.
It is interesting to note that the olive tree also played a significant role in burial rituals in the ancient Greek world.
According to the well-known historian Plutarch, the great king of Sparta Lycurgus wanted his dead to be buried on olive branches.
As Kallimachus of Cyrene suggests, this practice was quite common throughout Greek territory at that time.
According to his stories, olive leaves and branches were carefully placed under the deceased , while the relatives present at the ceremony were crowned with garlands made with olive branches.
In some cases, even the dead were crowned with such wreaths to protect them from evil spirits.
In general, it is believed that the presence of the olive tree in burial rituals was associated with the purification of the deceased, a few moments before departing on the journey to Hades, the world of the dead.
It is important to note that the tradition dictating the use of the olive tree in burial rituals was so strong that even the strict Athenian laws prohibiting the felling of sacred olive trees were commonly favorable to it.
In ancient Greece, there were many legends and symbols about olive oil: it was the nectar of the gods, which is why the Mediterranean peoples created many stories and symbolic tales inspired by the fruit of the olive tree and its incredible nutritional properties.
The meaning of the olive tree in Christian tradition
The meaning of the olive tree in ancient worship was preserved in the Christian religion that succeeded Dodecatheism in Greek territory.
Especially for Orthodox Christians, olive oil has a special meaning.
The Bible refers to the olive tree more than 170 times , while the dove, sent to Noah immediately after the end of the historic cataclysm of the Cosmos, carried an olive branch to indicate divine mercy and peace.
A sacred symbol of the cycle of life, olive oil has been used to this day in the most important Christian rituals including Baptism, Anointing, Marriage and Burial.
Along with wine, olive oil is offered by Christians to their churches where it is used to light votive lamps and prepare chrism.
Finally, sanctified olive oil is commonly used by believers as a talisman of divine protection.
Our seabed is dotted with amphorae, which for millennia were used to transport oil and to share the goodness of this product with all the populations of the Mediterranean, up until the present day, when the benefits of the Mediterranean diet , often associated with Italy, and the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are definitively demonstrated.
The oil is pressed from the fruit just like juice, and extra virgin olive oil is the only vegetable oil obtained only by applying pressure, without manipulation or the use of chemical additives.
In fact, extra virgin olive oil preserves most of the nutrients and antioxidants present in the fruit, unlike any other oil, thanks to the simple extraction process used.
For this reason, extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality product in olive oil production.
