Because The Man is a Tree of the Field

On the Olive Trees Photographs

Dr. Shlomo Lee Abrahmov August 2010

In Israel, during the Tu beshvat Holiday, it was common to hang this saying Because the Man is a tree of the Field from the Torah, on the walls of the classrooms of elementary schools. I clearly remember looking at it and pondering it meaning, feeling by intuition that it has a much deeper meaning than its simple interpretation. This feelings for trees as the ultimate metaphor for the spiritual existence for man has remained with me ever since.

In a period when contemporary culture bombard us with elusive scenarios of greatness I believe that it is essential for us to remember and experience proven situations that are much greater in scope than our common daily lives. For me the ancient olives trees which are at least thousand years old represent such an experience. They are living entities which endured eons of adversity and are still flourishing and fruit bearing. It is interesting to note that the context of this quote Because the man is a tree of the field (Deuteronomy 20:19) (1) pertains to a military campaign. Even here the profound meaning of this proverb relates to the implications of the trees which transcends the immediate local scenario of a battlefield and the limited scope of human perception and action which wishes to destroy the trees without considering the long lasting moral and social implications of such actions.

In contemporary Israel the ancient olives trees are representing entities that transcend the clashing cultures and religions. The oldest olives trees are called by Israeli Arabs Romi meaning that their origin is in the Roman period. We know that in order to survive and flourish, olive trees need ongoing tending and pruning. Thus the majority of ancient olive trees are situated next to Israel Arabs settlements and it is obvious that they have be cultivated and harvested for hundreds of years as they are still are being harvested today.

According to Joseph Klausner (pp. 101-104) one of the decisive moments in the narrative of the New Testament is the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah to his disciples. This important event takes place in what is known today as Banias.

During my extensive exploration I found next to the archeological site an ancient olive grove in which one tree in particular stood out in its size. One could easily imagine that this historical event took place next to this tree or that this grove was planted in order to mark its location. In Christian tradition there are much famous olive trees. These are the olives of Gethsemane which stand as markers for one of New Testaments most dramatic narratives. Whether we want to acknowledge or not, in that period these were olive trees that functioned in Hebrew society as the name Gat (press) Shemanim (oils) attests to.

The photographs I created of the olive trees have dual interwoven functions. The first by their indexical nature they remind us that their existence is real and that they are approachable. The second is, that the manner in which the olives were captured

photographically, aims to represent their non-physical nature - their spiritual Being so to speak. The photographs allude to the trees immediate immensity (2) (Bachelard, 1994) both by their physical size and by their sense of grandeur. Here we can be reminded that immensity is an inexhaustible poetic theme (2) (Bachelard, 1994). In their old age many olive trees trunks become hollow, this natural phenomena does not affect the trees health as they continue to grow normally. Symbolically speaking (3) we can observe this

hollowness as a metaphor to the emptiness, shallowness and loneliness we face and feel in contemporary society (4). However, as stated above, in the olive trees this hollowness resides next to greatness and grandeur, making it possible to believe that within us we are capable of the same transcendence. An olive tree with an ancient wide trunk and young slim branches is the ultimate symbol for survival. As such it is also a moving metaphor for hope and hope is an indispensible part of human existence.

Notes: ( 1) Original Hebrew text: , . - , -- -- () Because the man is the tree of the field, which comes in priority to you in time of seize. Only a tree that you know is not a fruit-bearing tree - this is the one that you shall destroy. (Deuteronomy 20:19)

(2) Bachelard, G. Jolas, M (1994) The Poetics of Space Boston: Beacon Press

(3) In Jewish and Arabic folklore the hollowness of the olive trees is connected to mourning as a result of the destruction of the Temple or the death of the prophet Muhammad.

(4) This issue also relates to: We can sense that the simulacras of our age leave us with a profound sense of emptiness, with a feeling of loneliness as we do not know if what we touch (perceive) is real (i.e alive like us) or simulated (lifeless). Abrahmov, S.L. (2009) If not now when: beyond indexical transparency: On Boaz Tal Still lifes Catalogue for Boaz Tal exhibition at the Tel Aviv University Gallery, Curator Prof. Moti Omer