| The rise and fall of ancient empires has developed | | | | which Jesus prayed before his arrest in the garden of |
| parallel also to the establishment and destruction of | | | | Gethsemane that led to his conviction by the Governor |
| advanced fruit tree orchards. Ancient fruit trees such | | | | Pilate, and the resulting infamous crucifixion by the |
| as olive tree orchards increased the wealth and health | | | | Romans. Pomegranates were well known and |
| of nations by feeding the populations, providing | | | | revered by the Israelites who carved images of the |
| nutritious olive oil to light lamps in ancient houses at | | | | pomegranate fruit, that were used to decorate pillars |
| night, as food and a cooking medium, and for the | | | | at the Temple in Jerusalem. Perhaps the most famous |
| purpose of anointing Kings and Queens. Olive trees | | | | fruit of the Bible was the grape that grew in vineyards |
| could not produce continuous crops unless the | | | | and was highly prized to eat fresh, to dry as raisins |
| gardeners growing them could provide a secure, | | | | and to ferment into wine and further into vinegar. |
| peaceful growing environment. The original plantings of | | | | Numerous references are made in the Bible to grapes, |
| olive trees were slow growing and could not produce | | | | the products of grapes and the wealth provided them |
| a satisfactory crop of fruit, until the trees matured to | | | | from the grape vineyards to the property owners. |
| bear crops in 10 to 15 years. It was well known by | | | | Many tropical fruit trees such as citrus trees, jujube |
| ancient warrior conquerors and Kings, that hostile | | | | trees, banana trees, and loquat trees probably |
| nations could be neutralized for many years, if the fruit | | | | originated from Oriental origins such as China and India. |
| orchards were destroyed. The ancient Greek soldiers | | | | It is also probable that the stone-fruits, such as peach |
| either confiscated the enemy orchards for their own | | | | trees, cherry trees, apricot trees, nectarine trees |
| future use, or they destroyed the trees, if they planned | | | | (smooth skin peach), and plum trees containing a large |
| to move on to prevent the defeated nations from | | | | seed in the center, originated in the Orient. Many |
| rebuilding agriculturally and to later return as a threat in | | | | botanists speculate that the fruits of mulberry trees, fig |
| the future. The Romans fought the citizens of | | | | trees, pomegranate trees, and crabapples may have |
| Carthage in North Africa, defeating them many times, | | | | originated in the mid-East territories. |
| only to experience a resurgence of Carthage attacks | | | | There is little doubt that Oriental persimmons originated |
| and invasions. Finally the Romans destroyed every | | | | in China and was spread to the Japanese mainland. |
| building in the city of Carthage, leaving no stone atop | | | | Several fruits are native to America and after the |
| another and spread salt to poison the agricultural land | | | | discovery of mayhaw trees, red mulberry trees, guava |
| to prevent any possible rebuilding, since food could not | | | | trees, pawpaw trees, Chickasaw plum trees, and |
| be produced on salt contaminated land. | | | | Ogeechee lime trees, considerable efforts have been |
| Two centuries later, Israel destroyed 50,000 olive trees | | | | made to improve these fruits by the selection of |
| in Palestine, also located in North Africa like the city of | | | | superior cultivars and grafting them onto various cold |
| Carthage, to prevent the Palestinian nation from | | | | hardy rootstocks. |
| enjoying the fruit and wealth of the olive orchards. | | | | To those interested in the natural history of fruit trees, |
| The Hebrew Bible, in the book of Genesis, records that | | | | it is clear that many fruits exist today, because those |
| the first fruits eaten by Adam and Eve were in the | | | | ancient gardeners selected the seed of favorable |
| Garden of Eden; however, they were forbidden to eat | | | | fruits and planted the seed gradually resulting in fruit |
| the fruit from the tree in the center of the garden, that | | | | improvements. Some of these fruit trees could be |
| was growing on the tree of knowledge about good | | | | increased by vegetative rooting of twigs and branches |
| and evil, but they ate the fruit anyway. Many Bible | | | | or by increasing multiple trunked plants by division and |
| translators suspect that this fruit was the apple, but | | | | replanting them in gardens for cultivation. Some fruit |
| other botanists say that the fruit of the apple was not | | | | trees could not be increased by rooting or division and |
| known then--that the quince was the most likely | | | | the planting of the seed gave unpredictable results. |
| forbidden fruit, the most ancient relative of the apple. | | | | Some delicious sweet peaches with large juicy fruits |
| After eating this controversial fruit, Adam and Eve | | | | might produce seed that when planted, the trees |
| were expelled from their paradise on Earth, and after | | | | would produce a wide assortment of flavors, shapes, |
| realizing their nakedness, they covered their bodies | | | | and sizes; some bitter or sour, some irregularly shaped, |
| with leaves from the fig tree. King Solomon of Israel | | | | some large or small. This unpredictable outcome of |
| spoke poetically and in songs about his gardens | | | | planting seed of superior fruit trees was finally |
| growing lushly with fruits of the Earth. Figs and fig | | | | overcome by the art of grafting, which was well |
| trees are often mentioned in Hebrew Scriptures, most | | | | known and practiced as evidenced by the ancient |
| profoundly when Jesus cursed a barren fig tree that | | | | Romans' historical accounts. |
| instantly became dead, when it didn't provide figs to | | | | By examining the historical record of fruit trees in the |
| eat as he passed by. | | | | Hebrew Bible, we discover that fruit trees fed the first |
| Ezekiel 47-12: "All kinds of fruit trees will grow along | | | | earthly man and woman in a fruitful garden of paradise |
| the river banks, the leaves will never turn brown and | | | | at the site and birthplace of civilization--the Tigris and |
| fall, and there will always be fruit. There will be a new | | | | Euphrates Valleys near the modern nation of Iraq. For |
| crop every month- without fail! For they are watered | | | | an extended period of history, man was expelled from |
| by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be | | | | his earthly paradise, but today a gardener can buy his |
| for food and the leaves for medicine." | | | | own wish list of fruit trees, and experience his own |
| Olive oil was used to anoint the Kings of Israel. Olive | | | | man-made heaven beneath the ageless, ancient, |
| trees are often mentioned in the Scriptures--the most | | | | delightful sky. |
| memorable story, the Mount Olive trees, underneath | | | | |