🌳 Gethsemane
Also known as: Garden of Gethsemane, Gethsemane olive grove, Gethsemane olive trees
A garden of old olive trees at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where, in the Gospels, Jesus prayed and was arrested.
Gethsemane is an olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. According to the Gospels of Matthew (26:36) and Mark (14:32), Jesus came here with his disciples, to “a place called Gethsemane”, to pray before his arrest. The Gospel of John (18:1) calls the place a garden across the brook Kidron.
The name is explained from Aramaic “gat shmane”, “oil press”. In the Grotto of Gethsemane next to the garden there are traces of agricultural use, possibly of an oil press. Since the 17th century the garden has belonged to the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land. One friar looks after the eight oldest olive trees, and others help him with the harvest and pruning. Olive trees planted in the last century grow nearby as well.
How old are the eight trees? Samples were taken from them in 2010, and in 2012 Italian scientists from the National Research Council (CNR) announced the results. Only three of the eight trees could be dated: the trunks are hollow and their oldest wood is gone. All three date to the 12th century. DNA analysis showed that all eight share one genotype: they were propagated from cuttings of a single plant.
Next to the garden stands the Basilica of the Agony, also known as the Church of All Nations. Its foundation stone was laid in 1919 and it was consecrated in 1924; the architect was Antonio Barluzzi. It stands on the site of a 4th-century Byzantine church and a 12th-century Crusader church.
Why it matters to you. It is often said that the olive trees of Gethsemane are two thousand years old. Science is more cautious: the oldest wood of the three dated trees is from the 12th century, and the age of the rest is unknown. This does not diminish the significance of the place; it helps tell tradition apart from verified fact.
How it connects to Olives
🌳 Gethsemane → image → 🌳 Olive tree → gives → 🫒 Olives
Links
- Related to
- 🌳 Olive tree, 🏭 Olive oil mill, 🕊️ Olive branch
- Part of
- 🏛️ The olive in culture and history
- Similar and different
- 🌳 Sisters Olive Trees of Noah
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the olive trees of Gethsemane are two thousand years old?
Only three of the eight trees have been scientifically dated, and their oldest wood is from the 12th century. The age of the rest is unknown.
Why are all eight trees genetically identical?
DNA analysis (Petruccelli et al., 2014) found a single genotype: the trees were propagated from cuttings of one plant.
Which church stands next to the garden?
The Basilica of the Agony, or Church of All Nations, built in 1919–1924 to a design by Antonio Barluzzi.
What does the name “Gethsemane” mean?
It is explained from Aramaic “gat shmane”, “oil press”.
Who looks after the garden?
The Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land; the garden has belonged to them since the 17th century.
What to read next
- 🏭 Olive oil mill — A facility where oil is extracted from olives.
- 🕊️ Olive branch — A branch of the olive tree, an ancient symbol of peace; since 1947 two olive branches have framed the emblem on the UN flag.
- 🌳 Sisters Olive Trees of Noah — A grove of very old olive trees in the Lebanese village of Bchaaleh (Batroun District); according to radiocarbon dating, the oldest tree is about 1,160 years old.
Similar
Sources
- Bernabei M. The age of the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. Journal of Archaeological Science 2015, 53: 43–48
- Petruccelli R. et al. Observation of eight ancient olive trees (Olea europaea L.) growing in the Garden of Gethsemane. Comptes Rendus Biologies 2014, 337(5): 311–317
- Custodia Terrae Sanctae — Gethsemane, Basilica of the Agony
- Avvenire: Ulivi del Getsemani testimoni viventi (19.10.2012)