Oil, often called “black gold,” was first discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1859 by Edwin Drake. Iraq did not make its discovery until the 1920s, and Saudi Arabia only in the 1930s.
Yet, even before these modern discoveries, the struggle for oil in the Mideast has raged for millennia.
In ancient times, oil was known as bitumen—a sealant and insulator. Unlike today’s petroleum, bitumen was neither an energy source nor a contributing element of production in scores of products. It seeped from the ground and was scooped up and used by early civilizations.
The ancient Phoenicians, also referred to as sea people, lined their ships with bitumen to keep boats buoyant.
Long before petroleum became the dominant oil of the Mideast, olive oil reigned supreme.
Petroleum is a fossil fuel, whereas olive oil is renewable. In both eras, olive oil was used for food, medicine, lubrication, and as light—playing a central role in religious rituals.
Exported across land and sea, Mideast olive oil was highly demanded. It stored well without spoiling and could be easily transported in large amphorae—jugs with handles on each side. Each amphora bore a stamp identifying the producer, an ancient form of label.
To load onto ships, amphoras had pegs that fit into racks with matching holes to prevent shifting during turbulent seas.
This olive oil reached Greece, Italy, and even Egypt—a region unable to grow its own olives in ancient times.
Olive oil provided recurring income for orchard owners, representing generational wealth. It was a respected and lucrative profession passed down through generations.
The Bible references olive oil multiple times: Exodus 27:20, Exodus 30:22, and Leviticus 24:2 all discuss its role in temple rituals.
In Christianity, the Greek word “Christos” means anointing—a process involving olive oil. In Islam, a chapter of the Quran is titled the “Verse of Light,” describing a “blessed olive tree” that provides “light upon light.”
Olive oil lamps were far superior to wood fires or torches: they were cleaner, more efficient, portable, and less dangerous. Even remnants of pressed olives served as fuel for fire, cooking, and heating.
Alternatives like beeswax, animal fat, and vegetable oils were harder to harvest. Olives were ideal, and their oil was in high demand even across Britain and Italy.
In ancient Israel and present-day Syria and Jordan, olive oil was integral to daily life and religious practice, carrying an aura of holiness.
The olive oil industry could be scaled significantly. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of large-scale production—enormous presses capable of generating vast quantities of oil and extensive collections of amphorae.
Olive oil was an irreplaceable part of ancient life and remained so for centuries. Today, petroleum is essential.
Petroleum has become a geopolitical resource due to the world’s dependence on it—a factor of both wealth and power.
The United States is the largest producer of oil globally, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Modern dependency on oil differs radically from past eras: petroleum fuels industries and mobility, generating power at national and state levels. In contrast, olive oil illuminated homes and sanctuaries, nourished people, financed trade, and supported religious rituals.
Olive oil centered around orchards, households, and temples. Petroleum, by contrast, revolves around drilling wells, refineries, global markets, and state power.
It is no surprise that Rockefeller’s Standard Oil of California was the first to sign drilling agreements with Saudi Arabia.
Different eras have different needs. Both oils profoundly shaped their regions and the world. Lives once defined by olive groves are now shaped by oil fields and global energy markets.
