Image Credit: "Olive trees on Thassos, Greece" by Petr Pakandl © CC BY-SA 2.5

The Olive tree has an unique and rich history of being one of the first domesticated trees between 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. After many years of cultivation, the olive fruit as we know it is much larger and juicier than its wild ancestors. In Biblical times, the Olive tree represented sacredness, peace and unity.[1][2] Before the Biblical times, the Olive was said to be a gift to the Greeks from Athena the Olympian God, Daughter of Zeus.[3] A precious gift indeed, for a period of 200 years during that time the Greek Laws of Solon stated that cutting down the trees warranted the death penalty.[4] Only recently have scientists started to trace back the genetic history of the tree, revealing such information such as where the first large and oily olives originated.[1]