How ancient eastern civilizations linked trees to resurrection

CAIRO – 12 October 2022: In the past, humans used to meticulously observe the world around them. Trees  caught their attention the most. 

The tree of life in ancient Eastern civilizations - social media

Trees always had a great connection with kings and shepherds. Carvings and depictions around trees and water dating back to the fourth millennium BC were discovered, that is, to the era that writing systems did not yet exist. This is evidence of human interest in trees and water. The glowing lines indicate the presence of water, as there are scenes that represent animals with water, or animals with a tree. 

The presence of water and trees is not an adornment, but rather contains deep symbolic meanings that affect the existence of man and his means of subsistence.

The relationship between trees and water is the same as that between the shepherd and his livestock. The shepherd is not different from the ruler who is responsible for his people and for securing the foundations of their lives. Both are responsible for their ‘flock’. The pastoral life is all embodied in the tree of life.

The gods chose the king to feed and water his people in fertile pastures like flocks of cattle. He must bear the burden of the flock, as a shepherd does to the cattle. People in the ancient eras compared the king with the tree of life, where they described the kings as palm trees or the plant of eternal life or the great stream of water. Through many ancient drawings, the king is often depicted holding a tree branch in his hand. Men of the ancient eastern civilizations depicted the universe as a giant tree as the tree has the ability to permanently renew. It is not only a symbol of the universe, but rather an expression of life, renewal of youth and immortality.

Trees also represented the cosmic ability, carried a spiritual dimension, and possessed sacred powers. Trees grow vertically and renew leaves every year, meaning that they play the game of resurrection, die and then come back to life.

The Canaanites used to make their offerings over the hills and under the green trees. In Babylon, the tree was the seat of the god of fertility and the seat of rest for the mother (the goddess), the goddess of reproduction for livestock and for agriculture.

In addition, the ancient Indians represented trees with upturned roots towards the sky in the universe. To them, removing a person from the universe is similar to removing a tree from its roots.

As for the ancient Egyptians, the tree carried the divine arms and were responsible for giving and fertility. In some African tribes, the tree symbolized the mother goddess, and women sanctified her.