I loved reading this! Our family moved from Utah to Jerusalem in 1983 and stayed for 8 years. Our Palestinian friends taught us much and fed us well, completely changing how we would choose and prepare food into the future. We planted an olive tree in our yard, and I really did try to process the olives so they would taste good. I didn't succeed, but I learned a lot and grew to love olive trees, their importance, and their symbolism.
Andrew joyMay 11, 2025
The olive harvest in the Land of Israel is not merely a seasonal agricultural routine; it is a sacred remnant of divine patterns established by the God of Israel in ancient times. It connects the people of the covenant to their land, their scriptures, their prophetic identity, and their foreordained role in world history. For Jews and Latter-day Saints alike, the Land of Israel is not simply a backdrop for symbolic religious narratives—it is the epicenter of sacred history, covenantal obligation, and eschatological destiny. The cycles of sowing, reaping, and pressing olives in the Land of Israel are not incidental to faith; they are constitutive of it. The harvest, including the olive harvest, is a divine ordinance rooted in Torah law, echoed in the prophetic writings, and celebrated in the Psalms. This sacred labor is also infused with latter-day meaning, for the harvest is also a symbol of gathering—the gathering of Israel, the gathering of families, and the gathering of hearts to the covenants of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
In ancient times, the olive tree was ubiquitous throughout the Land of Israel. Scripture identifies it as one of the “seven species” that defined the fertility and covenantal blessings of the land: “a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey” (Deuteronomy 8:8). The olive tree’s significance was not only economic but deeply spiritual. It was a sign of divine favor and a symbol of peace, as when the dove returned to Noah with an olive leaf in its beak (Genesis 8:11). It was the source of the anointing oil used for kings and priests, and its oil fueled the golden menorah in the Temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 27:20–21). In the Land of Israel, the olive harvest was sanctified by law and custom. The Torah commanded that during harvest, a portion must be left for the poor and the stranger: “When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:20). This commandment preserved the dignity of the poor and reminded Israel of their own status as strangers in Egypt. Even in this, the olive harvest in the Land of Israel was a vehicle of divine justice and social order.
The symbolism of the olive tree was not lost on the prophets. Jeremiah referred to Israel as a “green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit” (Jeremiah 11:16). Hosea used the olive tree to symbolize the restoration of Israel’s beauty and strength (Hosea 14:6). In Zechariah’s apocalyptic visions, two olive trees stand beside the menorah, representing the “two anointed ones” who stand by the Lord (Zechariah 4:3, 14). Thus, in the prophetic worldview, the olive tree was a living metaphor for Israel’s covenantal role in the world. The fruit, the oil, and the tree itself all bore witness to Israel’s divine mission and election. And this olive tree could only grow, thrive, and produce when rooted in the Land of Israel, the land chosen by God and consecrated for divine purposes.
The New Testament also affirms the olive tree as a symbol of covenant and restoration. The Apostle Paul, writing in Romans 11, speaks of the “natural olive tree” as Israel and of Gentiles as wild branches grafted into it. He warns the Gentiles not to boast against the branches, for they “bear not the root, but the root thee” (Romans 11:18). This metaphor is only meaningful in the context of a people deeply tied to a land—the Land of Israel—where the original olive tree grew and flourished. The olive tree is not a free-floating symbol; it is grounded in the soil of the Promised Land. The Land of Israel is not incidental to these covenants; it is integral.
Latter-day Saints will also recognize the olive tree as central to their own revealed scripture. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Zenos’s allegory of the tame and wild olive trees (Jacob 5) is a sweeping prophecy of Israel’s scattering and gathering. It begins with a master of the vineyard who seeks to preserve his olive trees, and it follows the fate of various branches—some wild, some grafted, some burned. The entire allegory presumes a sacred geography, with the “mother tree” symbolizing the house of Israel in its covenantal homeland, the Land of Israel. The branches represent the various diasporas and gathering efforts throughout the world. The Lord of the vineyard is active, not passive. He digs, nourishes, prunes, and grafts, all in hope of preserving good fruit. And in the final chapter, the Lord returns to the vineyard and labors alongside his servants to gather the good fruit and burn the bad. This allegory—stretching across the whole of sacred history—presupposes the centrality of the Land of Israel.
In modern revelation, the olive tree continues to bear symbolic weight. In Doctrine and Covenants 101:44–62, the Lord gives a parable of the redemption of Zion using the imagery of a vineyard with olive trees. The vineyard is let go, the watchmen are negligent, and the enemy breaks down the hedge and destroys the olive trees. But the Lord of the vineyard promises to redeem his land and reestablish his people. The parallels with the scattering and gathering of Israel are unmistakable. The olive tree, again, is the house of Israel, and the Land of Israel is the holy soil from which that tree must grow.
The harvest itself, particularly the olive harvest, is bound up with divine timing. In the Torah, the festivals of the year were coordinated with the agricultural cycle in the Land of Israel. Passover occurred during the barley harvest, Pentecost during the wheat harvest, and Sukkot during the fruit harvest, which included olives. These harvests were not only agrarian events; they were appointments with God, “moedim,” sacred times of covenantal renewal. In Leviticus 23, the Lord commanded Israel to celebrate these festivals in the Land of Israel as perpetual statutes. The olive harvest was part of Sukkot, the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16), a time when all Israel rejoiced before the Lord for the bounty of the land. Even today, the traditional Jewish liturgy during Sukkot includes prayers for rain and agricultural blessing upon the Land of Israel.
Modern Israel continues this sacred rhythm. Jewish families, religious Zionist communities, and even secular kibbutzim gather each autumn to harvest olives. These olives become the oil used in homes, synagogues, and Hanukkah menorahs. For many, this is more than tradition—it is a form of prophetic participation. Each olive tree, each branch, and each bottle of oil is a testimony that the Jewish people have returned to their land, and the covenant is being fulfilled. The harvest in the Land of Israel is not an isolated cultural anecdote—it is the heartbeat of redemption.
The Mount of Olives itself is a prophetic site of supreme importance. It is the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, where he prayed and bled in Gethsemane, and where he ascended to heaven. According to Zechariah 14:4, it is also where he will return. The olive trees that grow on that mount are witnesses of the past and the future. The oil pressed in Gethsemane was symbolic of the Atonement—just as olives are crushed to bring forth oil, so the Savior was crushed to bring forth redemption. That crushing, that sacred act, took place in the Land of Israel.
Latter-day Saints are commanded to assist in the gathering of Israel. This is not only a metaphorical mission. It includes a literal recognition of the Jewish people’s divinely appointed role in returning to the Land of Israel. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once stated, “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion… will be built upon the American continent, but that Jerusalem [in the Land of Israel] will also be rebuilt” (Articles of Faith 10). The restoration of olive trees, vineyards, and farms in the Land of Israel is not a secular miracle—it is a prophetic sign.
Thus, when a Latter-day Saint of Arab descent speaks movingly of olive harvests, that cultural memory must be situated in a larger theological and historical context. The Land of Israel is not merely “home” in a nostalgic sense. It is the land chosen by God for His purposes. The olive trees of the Land of Israel do not belong to modern political categories or rebranding efforts—they belong to the covenants of God. While many Arab Christians or Muslims may also have agricultural roots in the land, the divine designation of the Land of Israel belongs to the descendants of Jacob. The Torah does not speak of “Palestine”; it speaks of the Land of Israel. The prophets did not weep over “Palestine”; they wept for Zion and Jerusalem. Jesus did not suffer in “Palestine”; he suffered and died in the Land of Israel.
The word “Palestine” is a Roman and later British colonial term, imposed by empires to erase Jewish sovereignty. It was used by Hadrian after the Bar Kokhba revolt to sever Jewish identity from the land. That term has been perpetuated in modern times to delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to their ancient homeland. But Latter-day Saints should be especially cautious in adopting that terminology, for we believe in prophecy, restoration, and the covenantal destiny of the house of Israel. We believe that the return of Jews to the Land of Israel fulfills Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. We believe that the olive trees in the Land of Israel are signs of life, of hope, of divine favor.
The olive harvest, then, is not a neutral cultural practice. It is a sacred act embedded in the sacred geography of the Land of Israel. Latter-day Saints should affirm that the olive trees, the land, the harvests, and the covenants belong to the divine pattern established by God Himself. When we speak of the land, let us use the language of scripture. Let us say “the Land of Israel,” not “Palestine.” Let us honor the God of Israel by honoring the land He chose, the people He covenanted with, and the future He has revealed through ancient and modern prophets. The olive harvest is a testimony of that divine pattern. And there is no Palestine—it is the Land of Israel.
---
Footnotes
1. Deuteronomy 8:8.
2. Exodus 27:20–21.
3. Genesis 8:11.
4. Deuteronomy 24:20.
5. Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6; Zechariah 4:3, 14.
6. Romans 11:17–24.
7. Jacob 5, Book of Mormon.
8. Doctrine and Covenants 101:44–62.
9. Leviticus 23; Exodus 23:16.
10. Zechariah 14:4.
11. Articles of Faith 10; Jeffrey R. Holland, “Israel, Israel, God Is Calling.”
Garry WilmoreMay 9, 2025
One of the best articles I have ever read on this site, which is saying a whole lot. I loved it!
KathleenMay 8, 2025
BeeUtiFul - I could picture everything you described!
Comments | Return to Story
GaleMay 12, 2025
I loved reading this! Our family moved from Utah to Jerusalem in 1983 and stayed for 8 years. Our Palestinian friends taught us much and fed us well, completely changing how we would choose and prepare food into the future. We planted an olive tree in our yard, and I really did try to process the olives so they would taste good. I didn't succeed, but I learned a lot and grew to love olive trees, their importance, and their symbolism.
Andrew joyMay 11, 2025
The olive harvest in the Land of Israel is not merely a seasonal agricultural routine; it is a sacred remnant of divine patterns established by the God of Israel in ancient times. It connects the people of the covenant to their land, their scriptures, their prophetic identity, and their foreordained role in world history. For Jews and Latter-day Saints alike, the Land of Israel is not simply a backdrop for symbolic religious narratives—it is the epicenter of sacred history, covenantal obligation, and eschatological destiny. The cycles of sowing, reaping, and pressing olives in the Land of Israel are not incidental to faith; they are constitutive of it. The harvest, including the olive harvest, is a divine ordinance rooted in Torah law, echoed in the prophetic writings, and celebrated in the Psalms. This sacred labor is also infused with latter-day meaning, for the harvest is also a symbol of gathering—the gathering of Israel, the gathering of families, and the gathering of hearts to the covenants of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In ancient times, the olive tree was ubiquitous throughout the Land of Israel. Scripture identifies it as one of the “seven species” that defined the fertility and covenantal blessings of the land: “a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey” (Deuteronomy 8:8). The olive tree’s significance was not only economic but deeply spiritual. It was a sign of divine favor and a symbol of peace, as when the dove returned to Noah with an olive leaf in its beak (Genesis 8:11). It was the source of the anointing oil used for kings and priests, and its oil fueled the golden menorah in the Temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 27:20–21). In the Land of Israel, the olive harvest was sanctified by law and custom. The Torah commanded that during harvest, a portion must be left for the poor and the stranger: “When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:20). This commandment preserved the dignity of the poor and reminded Israel of their own status as strangers in Egypt. Even in this, the olive harvest in the Land of Israel was a vehicle of divine justice and social order. The symbolism of the olive tree was not lost on the prophets. Jeremiah referred to Israel as a “green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit” (Jeremiah 11:16). Hosea used the olive tree to symbolize the restoration of Israel’s beauty and strength (Hosea 14:6). In Zechariah’s apocalyptic visions, two olive trees stand beside the menorah, representing the “two anointed ones” who stand by the Lord (Zechariah 4:3, 14). Thus, in the prophetic worldview, the olive tree was a living metaphor for Israel’s covenantal role in the world. The fruit, the oil, and the tree itself all bore witness to Israel’s divine mission and election. And this olive tree could only grow, thrive, and produce when rooted in the Land of Israel, the land chosen by God and consecrated for divine purposes. The New Testament also affirms the olive tree as a symbol of covenant and restoration. The Apostle Paul, writing in Romans 11, speaks of the “natural olive tree” as Israel and of Gentiles as wild branches grafted into it. He warns the Gentiles not to boast against the branches, for they “bear not the root, but the root thee” (Romans 11:18). This metaphor is only meaningful in the context of a people deeply tied to a land—the Land of Israel—where the original olive tree grew and flourished. The olive tree is not a free-floating symbol; it is grounded in the soil of the Promised Land. The Land of Israel is not incidental to these covenants; it is integral. Latter-day Saints will also recognize the olive tree as central to their own revealed scripture. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Zenos’s allegory of the tame and wild olive trees (Jacob 5) is a sweeping prophecy of Israel’s scattering and gathering. It begins with a master of the vineyard who seeks to preserve his olive trees, and it follows the fate of various branches—some wild, some grafted, some burned. The entire allegory presumes a sacred geography, with the “mother tree” symbolizing the house of Israel in its covenantal homeland, the Land of Israel. The branches represent the various diasporas and gathering efforts throughout the world. The Lord of the vineyard is active, not passive. He digs, nourishes, prunes, and grafts, all in hope of preserving good fruit. And in the final chapter, the Lord returns to the vineyard and labors alongside his servants to gather the good fruit and burn the bad. This allegory—stretching across the whole of sacred history—presupposes the centrality of the Land of Israel. In modern revelation, the olive tree continues to bear symbolic weight. In Doctrine and Covenants 101:44–62, the Lord gives a parable of the redemption of Zion using the imagery of a vineyard with olive trees. The vineyard is let go, the watchmen are negligent, and the enemy breaks down the hedge and destroys the olive trees. But the Lord of the vineyard promises to redeem his land and reestablish his people. The parallels with the scattering and gathering of Israel are unmistakable. The olive tree, again, is the house of Israel, and the Land of Israel is the holy soil from which that tree must grow. The harvest itself, particularly the olive harvest, is bound up with divine timing. In the Torah, the festivals of the year were coordinated with the agricultural cycle in the Land of Israel. Passover occurred during the barley harvest, Pentecost during the wheat harvest, and Sukkot during the fruit harvest, which included olives. These harvests were not only agrarian events; they were appointments with God, “moedim,” sacred times of covenantal renewal. In Leviticus 23, the Lord commanded Israel to celebrate these festivals in the Land of Israel as perpetual statutes. The olive harvest was part of Sukkot, the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16), a time when all Israel rejoiced before the Lord for the bounty of the land. Even today, the traditional Jewish liturgy during Sukkot includes prayers for rain and agricultural blessing upon the Land of Israel. Modern Israel continues this sacred rhythm. Jewish families, religious Zionist communities, and even secular kibbutzim gather each autumn to harvest olives. These olives become the oil used in homes, synagogues, and Hanukkah menorahs. For many, this is more than tradition—it is a form of prophetic participation. Each olive tree, each branch, and each bottle of oil is a testimony that the Jewish people have returned to their land, and the covenant is being fulfilled. The harvest in the Land of Israel is not an isolated cultural anecdote—it is the heartbeat of redemption. The Mount of Olives itself is a prophetic site of supreme importance. It is the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, where he prayed and bled in Gethsemane, and where he ascended to heaven. According to Zechariah 14:4, it is also where he will return. The olive trees that grow on that mount are witnesses of the past and the future. The oil pressed in Gethsemane was symbolic of the Atonement—just as olives are crushed to bring forth oil, so the Savior was crushed to bring forth redemption. That crushing, that sacred act, took place in the Land of Israel. Latter-day Saints are commanded to assist in the gathering of Israel. This is not only a metaphorical mission. It includes a literal recognition of the Jewish people’s divinely appointed role in returning to the Land of Israel. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once stated, “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion… will be built upon the American continent, but that Jerusalem [in the Land of Israel] will also be rebuilt” (Articles of Faith 10). The restoration of olive trees, vineyards, and farms in the Land of Israel is not a secular miracle—it is a prophetic sign. Thus, when a Latter-day Saint of Arab descent speaks movingly of olive harvests, that cultural memory must be situated in a larger theological and historical context. The Land of Israel is not merely “home” in a nostalgic sense. It is the land chosen by God for His purposes. The olive trees of the Land of Israel do not belong to modern political categories or rebranding efforts—they belong to the covenants of God. While many Arab Christians or Muslims may also have agricultural roots in the land, the divine designation of the Land of Israel belongs to the descendants of Jacob. The Torah does not speak of “Palestine”; it speaks of the Land of Israel. The prophets did not weep over “Palestine”; they wept for Zion and Jerusalem. Jesus did not suffer in “Palestine”; he suffered and died in the Land of Israel. The word “Palestine” is a Roman and later British colonial term, imposed by empires to erase Jewish sovereignty. It was used by Hadrian after the Bar Kokhba revolt to sever Jewish identity from the land. That term has been perpetuated in modern times to delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to their ancient homeland. But Latter-day Saints should be especially cautious in adopting that terminology, for we believe in prophecy, restoration, and the covenantal destiny of the house of Israel. We believe that the return of Jews to the Land of Israel fulfills Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. We believe that the olive trees in the Land of Israel are signs of life, of hope, of divine favor. The olive harvest, then, is not a neutral cultural practice. It is a sacred act embedded in the sacred geography of the Land of Israel. Latter-day Saints should affirm that the olive trees, the land, the harvests, and the covenants belong to the divine pattern established by God Himself. When we speak of the land, let us use the language of scripture. Let us say “the Land of Israel,” not “Palestine.” Let us honor the God of Israel by honoring the land He chose, the people He covenanted with, and the future He has revealed through ancient and modern prophets. The olive harvest is a testimony of that divine pattern. And there is no Palestine—it is the Land of Israel. --- Footnotes 1. Deuteronomy 8:8. 2. Exodus 27:20–21. 3. Genesis 8:11. 4. Deuteronomy 24:20. 5. Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6; Zechariah 4:3, 14. 6. Romans 11:17–24. 7. Jacob 5, Book of Mormon. 8. Doctrine and Covenants 101:44–62. 9. Leviticus 23; Exodus 23:16. 10. Zechariah 14:4. 11. Articles of Faith 10; Jeffrey R. Holland, “Israel, Israel, God Is Calling.”
Garry WilmoreMay 9, 2025
One of the best articles I have ever read on this site, which is saying a whole lot. I loved it!
KathleenMay 8, 2025
BeeUtiFul - I could picture everything you described!
Andre J MostertMay 8, 2025
A beautiful story by an inspired writer.
TanyaMay 8, 2025
Beautiful article!
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