The walnut was cultivated early in Palestine. As early as the 1st century A.D., the Roman-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus reported on the blossoming walnut trees in the fertile valleys around Galilee.
Oil is pressed from walnuts, they complement the menu and can be stored well. In addition, the green fleshy shells of the nuts served as a dye for wool and fabrics. The leaves provided tannic acid for the treatment of animal skins, the wood was used as building and heating material.