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Sisters Olive Trees of Noah facts for kids

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Sign given to the village by the Ministry of Tourism after the trees' possible age was publicized in 1999

The Sisters (also known as the Sisters Olive Trees of Noah) are a special group of sixteen olive trees. You can find them in the town of Bcheale in Lebanon. These trees are very old and have an amazing story!

Discovering The Sisters: Ancient Olive Trees

The Sisters are famous because people believe they are some of the oldest living trees on Earth. They stand tall and strong in the Lebanese landscape. Each tree is a living piece of history.

How Old Are These Amazing Trees?

Local stories say these olive trees are at least 5,000 years old. Some even believe they could be 6,000 years old or even older! If this is true, they might be the oldest living trees that grew from a single seed, not from a group of clones.

It's tricky to know their exact age. Scientists usually count tree rings to find out how old a tree is. This method is called dendrochronology (say: den-dro-kron-OL-uh-jee). But for The Sisters, it's hard to use this method. The inside parts of these very old trees have changed too much over time.

The Legend of Noah's Ark

There's a famous old story about The Sisters. People say that one of these very trees gave the olive branch to Noah's Ark. In the story of the great flood, a dove returned to Noah's Ark carrying an olive branch. This showed that the floodwaters were going down and land was appearing again. It's a beautiful legend that connects these trees to ancient times.

Still Producing Olives Today

Even after thousands of years, The Sisters olive trees still grow olives! These olives are used to make special olive oil. A group called Sisters Olive Oil worked to protect these ancient trees. They also helped sell the oil made from their olives. This effort helps keep these amazing trees healthy for future generations.

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