On the Present-day Veneration of Sacred Trees in the Holy Land

This article surveys the current pervasiveness of the phenomenon ofsacred trees in the Holy Land, with special reference to the official attitudes of local religious leaders and the attitudes of Muslims in comparison with the Druze as well as in monotheism vs. polytheism. Field data regarding the reasons for the sanctification of trees and the common beliefs and rituals related to them are described, comparing the form which the phenomenon takes among different ethnic groups. In addition, I discuss the temporal and spatial changesin the magnitude of tree worship in Northern Israel, its syncretic aspects, and its future.