the fruit of the olive-tree. This tree yielded oil which was highly valued. The best oil was from olives that were plucked before being fully ripe, and then beaten or squeezed (
Deuteronomy 24:20 ;
Isaiah 17:6 ;
24:13 ). It was called "beaten," or "fresh oil" (
Exodus 27:20 ). There were also oil-presses, in which the oil was trodden out by the feet (
Micah 6:15 ). (
James 3:12 ) calls the fruit "olive berries." The phrase "vineyards and olives" (Judg. 15:5 , A.V.) should be simply "olive-yard," or "olive-garden," as in the Revised Version. (See
OIL .)
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.