Since the olive is a slow-growing tree and may take ten years or more to begin bearing good harvests, the fact that these trees were already growing was a decided advantage for the Israelites. The tree is exceptionally long-lived, producing fruit for hundreds of years, and it is suggested that some of the olive trees in Palestine date back more than 1,000 years.

Harvesting is done in the autumn (October-November), and the ancient method of beating the tree with rods is still frequently employed. (De 24:20; Isa 24:13) In Bible times gleaners gathered the remaining fruit. (Isa 17:6) By nature the tree is an alternately bearing one, that is, its good harvest is followed by a slack one the following year. The fresh fruit contains a bitter substance that is removed by soaking the olives in brine, and the olives are then eaten raw or pickled. Their chief value, however, is in their oil, which composes as much as 30 percent or more (by weight) of the fresh fruit. One good tree can yield from 38 to 57 L (10 to 15 gal) in a year.