November 17, 2000

Picking olives is an all-family activity.

This family’s trees are unusual, planted on the plain rather than the hills.

One of the last days of the olive harvest this year. Further away from Zababdeh, because of the slightly differing climate, the harvest is later than near the town. We joined one of the families that has become dear to us to harvest their olives in nearby Burqin. Tradition holds that it was in Burqin that Jesus healed the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), and there is an Orthodox church on the site that we hope to visit soon.

Beating the higher branches to loosen the olives.

Olives.

An early Palm Sunday?

Because of the size of the olive grove, local families are hired to help. Some, in order to speed up the process, beat the trees with a stick (it sounds like rain as the olives hitting the tarp below). Others sift the olives from the leaves with the help of gravity, weight, and the wind. Even others help by riding the donkey (we're not sure how this helps, but it happened). It was kind of like Palm Sunday far too early.