In the desert culture of Oman, camels are more than a transport system, camels are status, heritage, used for health products – especially their milk, and sometimes camels are beauty queens. But at this year’s 2026 Camel Beauty Show Festival in Al Musanaa in Oman, judges had to disqualify some of the contestants for the enhancements used to look their best.

Some 20 camels were disqualified by contest inspectors who found cosmetic enhancements used on the camels including Botox, dermal fillers, hyaluronic acid injections, and silicone used to inflate humps or alter facial features or the skin on the camels neck. Maybe one day the same beauty standards will be applied to women who undergo insane procedures to enhance their looks.

Related: the benefits of camel milk

We wrote about Botox on camels in 2018 at Saudi Arabian festivals and the practice hasn’t stopped. Camel beauty competitions judge animals on a variety of measures such as coat shine, neck strength, head shape and the size and symmetry of their humps. Winning camels, and those with the longest lashes and fullest lips, can increase their value by the thousands when used in breeding markets.

Festival organizers say they are starting to take a serious stance and are cracking down on beauty forgery and use X-rays and scans to see what Botox can’t hide: the beauty under the skin.

The stakes for beautiful camels are high. Some camels can fetch millions of dollars in prizes, including pageants at the Saudi Arabian King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, where similar cosmetic cheating has led to disqualifications in past years.

Festival organizers have said they are working to halt “all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels,” adding that they would impose “strict penalties on manipulators” going forward.

Veterinarians and animal-welfare advocates warn that injecting camels with cosmetic substances can cause pain, infection and long-term health complications. In some cases the animal body parts are plumped by elastic bands that restrict blood flow and which can cause animal suffering and pain.

In Saudi Arabian camel contests that fetch prizes worth $60 million USD, owners are also required to swear on the Quran that they are telling the truth about camel appearance and ownership. Judges report that this is proving to be the best tactic to weed out cheaters.

In the desert, it seems even camels are not immune to the global pressure to look perfect. What’s worse is it’s a form of animal abuse, and such critiques should be passed on to people choosing wives, even if you don’t have to trade a certain number of camels to get one.

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Between 1840 and 1907, tens of thousands of one-humped dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) were imported into Australia to help with inland transport and exploration. Estimates range from about 10,000 to 20,000 animals brought into the country in that period.

The very first camel brought into Australia arrived in 1840, shipped from the Canary Islands; only one of that small group survived the voyage. This camel was named Harry.

But over the years the camel population grew to a point where they have become a nuisance. Australia is home to the world’s biggest feral camel population to the point they are considered a pest. There about one million roaming in the outback, damaging ecosystems.

To ease the burden, some countries are happy to take camels, as in this flight of camels headed on a plane to Saudi Arabia.

Quick facts about camels:

Camels are choking and dying from plastics in Dubai

Camel milk is considered superior to cow milk for many reasons. Here are 6.

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Sheep, goat, and buffalo milk create some of the world’s most flavorful cheeses. And if you are going an extra step and can find it, camel milk cheese might be one to try.

We tend to think of dairy as synonymous with cows, and it’s true that most commercial milk products start there. But cheeses made from the milk of other animals—sheep, goats, and water buffalo—are becoming increasingly common and often easier on digestion. Many people with mild lactose intolerance report they can tolerate these alternatives. If you’re curious about widening your cheese horizons, here’s a starter list of cheese made from non-cow milk. (DairyX makes a stretchy vegan cheese).

Feta

True feta is never cow-based. This classic Greek cheese is traditionally made from sheep’s milk, or a blend of sheep and goat. It’s firm, salty, tangy, and ideal for salads or pastries like spanakopita. Authentic feta is usually sold in blocks, with a crumbly, dry texture full of little fissures. Cow-milk “feta-style” products exist, so check labels if you want the real deal. Here is a feta dish you can make worthy of a Michelin star.

Manchego

This is an iconic Spanish cheese comes exclusively from the milk of Manchega sheep raised in the La Mancha region. It ranges from semi-soft to firm depending on how long it’s aged. A buttery interior and a signature herringbone pattern on the rind signal authenticity, along with the official D.O. (Designation of Origin) marking. Curado (aged 3–6 months) is smooth, slightly sharp, and perfect on sandwiches or a tapas plate.

Buffalo Mozzarella

Mozzarella di bufala is produced from the milk of Italian water buffalo, especially in the provinces of Caserta and Salerno. Its creamy, silky texture is notoriously difficult to replicate with cow’s milk. Real buffalo mozzarella carries protected status in Italy. Counterfeits exist globally, but the authentic version has an unmistakable richness and delicate tang. Loads of TikTok videos suggest how easy it is to make. It’s not. But this salad, a caprese is easy to make after you’ve bought some mozzarella from the deli. Fresh mozzarrela should be floating in water, not hard in a bag like cheddar. The hard stuff will work for pizza but the fresh stuff is a million times tastier.

Labbaneh / Lebbene

Common across Israel and the Mediterranean, labbaneh, labne, or labaney is a soft, tangy yogurt-style cheese made largely from sheep’s milk (though goat versions exist). It’s often shaped into small balls and stored in olive oil, sometimes rolled in herbs like za’atar. It might taste “off” when you first try it but the tang of the cheese grows on your. Spread it on bread, serve with vegetables, or add it to a breakfast mezze. It’s so simple that many home cooks make their own. We take 2 parts labne, 1 part heavy youghurt with a quarter cup of olive oil and wrap it inside laffe bread. Yummy. Here is a recipe for labne here you make from yoghurt.

Humboldt Fog

Created by Cypress Grove in Northern California, Humboldt Fog is an American original made from goat’s milk. Its signature ash line running through the center helps it ripen from the outside inward. The result is a cheese that starts crumbly but becomes increasingly creamy over time, with gentle acidity and a more intense flavor near the rind. It’s excellent on a cheese board or melted over vegetables.

Halloumi

Originating in Cyprus, halloumi is a mixture of sheep and goat milk. Its springy texture and high melting point make it ideal for grilling or frying—so much so that people often mistake grilled halloumi for chicken. Traditionally aged and unpasteurized, it’s now beloved throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and far beyond.

We even have an Amish friend in Ontario, Canada making her own halloumi and selling it in markets in Toronto. It’s texture is a delight and it’s best served fried or grilled. Our friend says that one avoids a strong goat cheese flavor when the goats are kept clean and no urine makes it into the cheese. Reminds us of the expensive cat poop coffee, or argan oil made from nuts that come from a goat’s butt.

Halloumi chews squeaky. Sort of like rubber sneakers in a newly painted mall parking lot floor. It’s kind of neat though, also a bit annoying.

Pecorino

Pecorino simply means “sheep’s milk cheese” in Italian, and it’s a key member of the great Italian cheese families. Pecorino Romano is the version most commonly found outside Italy—salty, sharp, and a great substitute for parmesan. Other regional styles include Pecorino Sardo (Sardinia), Pecorino Siciliano (Sicily), and Pecorino di Filiano (Basilicata). All add depth to pastas, pizzas, and anything deserving a savory kick.

Tzfat Cheese

Produced in the northern Israeli city of Tzfat since the 19th century, this semi-hard cheese was originally made from sheep’s milk. Today you’ll find versions made from goat and cow milk too. The HaMeiri family—descendants of the early cheesemakers—still crafts a traditional sheep-milk variety using free-range animals milked by hand. The small family factory offers tastings and tours. (See also Goat’s With the Wind)

Roquefort

One of France’s most renowned blue cheeses, Roquefort is made from the milk of Lacaune sheep and aged in limestone caves. Legend says a shepherd abandoned his lunch—bread and fresh ewe’s cheese—to chase after a woman. Months later he returned to find the cheese transformed by blue-green mold into what we now call Roquefort. Its veins create a sharp, smoky tang that pairs beautifully with nuts, figs, or crusty bread.

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Once a prized source of protein among Bedouin tribes, the Arabian spiny-tailed lizard—known locally as ḍabb or dhab—is finding new attention as a window into folk traditions, desert ecology, and sustainability in Saudi Arabia. Like locusts eaten by Jews in Egypt and Yemen (get the recipe here), lizard tails are delighting Saudi Arabians as news of this dish circles social media. The roots of lizard tails are rooted in survival, like Americans who eat prairie oysters, Gazans eating whales that swim close to shore, or pickled pigs’ feet were for slaves in the Caribbean.

In the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, long before farms and refrigeration, desert communities relied on their surroundings to survive. Among the most unusual yet enduring examples of this resilience is the tradition of eating the spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia), a reptile that thrives in the arid sands of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE. Known in Arabic as ḍabb or dhab, the creature has been hunted, roasted, and stewed for generations by Bedouins who considered it a gift from the desert.

In many tribes, dhab stew was seen not as an exotic but as essential—a reliable protein source that could be found during long migrations. Historical accounts from travelers and early British explorers describe entire desert feasts centered on lizard meat, cooked slowly over open fires and served with flatbread. The meat, they wrote, was “white, mild, and a little like chicken.”

The Arabian spiny-tailed lizard is herbivorous, feeding on desert grasses, making it clean and permissible (halal) to many desert dwellers. The Prophet Muhammad reportedly neither ate nor forbade the consumption of ḍabb, leading Islamic scholars to conclude that while it’s not a delicacy for all, it is permissible—especially in times of need. Bedouins respected the animal for its toughness and spiritual symbolism: surviving where few other creatures could. To eat it was to honor the desert’s wisdom.

Traditionally, the lizard was hunted using snares or chased into burrows, then roasted whole or cut into chunks for dhab stew—a mix of meat, desert herbs, salt, and occasionally camel milk. The dish embodied the values of resourcefulness, adaptation, and gratitude—hallmarks of Arabian desert culture that began in what is known as Saudi Arabia today.

From a sustainability perspective, the lizard stew tradition is more than a curiosity—it’s a reflection of a closed-loop ecosystem. Bedouins hunted only what was needed, never to excess. The spiny-tailed lizard helped maintain insect and grass balance in the fragile desert biome. Understanding how traditional diets aligned with natural cycles offers modern lessons for food security in the Gulf.

Today, as Saudi Arabia reexamines its cultural identity through Vision 2030, heritage foods like dhab are being discussed not just as relics but as pathways to sustainable living. Perhaps this dhab will be a featured dish at one of the Saudi’s so-called sustainable resorts.

How do you hunt the reptiles:  “There are several ways to hunt the dabb lizard, one is to let it sink in water by pouring water into the hole and forcing it to come out, another way is by chasing it and hunting it especially if it is far from the hole, the other way of hunting it is to use a firearm,’’ said Saudi lizard hunter Majed al-Matrudi to Al Arabiya News.

This blog woldbirder provides photos and a recipe from Jordan:

Recipe for Dhub Mansaf  (recipe from eastern Jordan)

2 whole dhubs

½ kilo rice

5 pieces Arabic bread (Khubz mashrouh)

¼ kilo laban or yoghurt

100 g ghee

50 g pine nuts

Salt, pepper, allspice, cardamom

Serves 2 to 3.

Method: Catch two adult, well-grown dhubs, skin them and remove organs (except liver). Cut the dhubs into small pieces, wash them and cook in a small amount of water together with spices until the meat is half done. Add the laban and simmer until tender. Add the browned ghee, reserving a small quantity to brown the pine nuts. Meanwhile in another saucepan cook the rice. Keeping some bread aside to dip, break open the rest over a large tray, leaving an edging around the rim.  Spread more of the laban sauce over this and pile with rice. Arrange the pieces of dhub on top of the rice. Sprinkle the entire plate of rice and dhub, with browned pine nuts.

Eat with right hand.

Like the problematic hunting of birds and owls in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, modernization has made lizard hunting largely symbolic. They are a protected animal in the UAE but are still reportedly eaten in Jordan.

The ḍahb population is under pressure from habitat loss, 4×4 vehicle use, and over-hunting. Conservationists now warn that without regulation, this ancient species could disappear from Saudi sands. The Saudi Wildlife Authority has begun monitoring populations and promoting education to protect the reptile’s role in the desert ecosystem. Since there is no free press in Saudi Arabia, your guess on how that’s going is as good as mine.

Related Reads on Sustainable food:

The Birth of Bread in Jordan and Israel

The Sacred Ritual of Arabic Coffee

Saudi Vision 2030 and the Revival of Folk Culture

Sustainable Food From Desert Landscapes

UAE Green Finance and Cultural Sustainability

Eco-Tourism and Bedouin Heritage

By exploring forgotten folk dishes like lizard stew, Green Prophet continues to connect the dots between culture, ecology, and the future of sustainable living in the Middle East.

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We love Dr. Bronner’s sustainable and regenerative chocolate. Chocolate lovers are always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors, and camel milk chocolate is quickly gaining attention as a delicious and sustainable alternative to traditional dairy-based chocolates. But what makes camel milk chocolate special? Where can you buy it? And why is camel milk considered a more sustainable choice? Let’s explore.

What Does Camel Milk Chocolate Taste Like?

Camel milk chocolate has a distinct flavor that sets it apart from regular cow’s milk chocolate. It is often described as being creamier, with a slightly salty and caramel-like undertone. The natural sweetness of camel milk allows for reduced sugar content in chocolate, making it a healthier option for those looking to cut back on added sugars.

Additionally, it lacks the strong aftertaste that goat’s milk chocolate can have, making it an appealing choice for those seeking something new yet familiar.

Why Is Camel Milk More Sustainable?

Lower Environmental Impact – Camels require significantly less water than cows, making them a more sustainable option in arid and drought-prone regions. They can thrive in desert environments where other dairy-producing animals would struggle, reducing the need for artificial irrigation.

No Need for Intensive Farming – Unlike large-scale dairy farms that often contribute to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, camels can be raised in natural desert ecosystems without destroying native flora and fauna.

Nutritional Benefits – Camel milk is rich in vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins, while being lower in fat and lactose than cow’s milk. This makes it a suitable alternative for those with lactose intolerance or those looking for a more nutrient-dense dairy source.

Where to Buy Camel Milk Chocolate

If you’re curious to try camel milk chocolate, several brands and retailers offer this unique treat:

Al Nassma (UAE) – One of the pioneers in camel milk chocolate, offering a variety of flavors including whole milk, dark chocolate, and nut-infused varieties. Available online and in select luxury stores worldwide.

Dubai-based chocolate shops – Many specialty confectioners in the UAE sell camel milk chocolate, making it a must-try if you visit the region.

Amazon and Online Specialty Stores – Some online marketplaces offer camel milk chocolate for international delivery.

Local Health Stores and Gourmet Shops – Some high-end or organic stores may stock camel milk chocolate, particularly in regions that promote sustainable and ethical food choices.

Can camel milk work in a keto diet?

Camel milk can be considered keto-friendly in moderation. One cup of full-cream camel milk contains approximately:

• 100 calories
• 5g protein
• 8g carbohydrates
• 5g total fat
• 3g saturated fat

Since the ketogenic diet typically limits daily carbohydrate intake to 20-50g per day, camel milk’s 8g of carbs per cup may fit within that range if consumed in moderation. However, compared to other keto-friendly dairy alternatives like almond milk (which has fewer carbs), camel milk is on the higher end in terms of carbohydrate content. If you’re strictly following a keto diet, it’s best to use camel milk sparingly or opt for a lower-carb alternative.

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One hump or two? Feisty camels might have a bad rap, but their milk is low in fat, and full of vitamin C and iron. The next thing to hit Whole Foods?

At the tail end of breastfeeding week, we thought we’d draw attention to another kind of milk widely touted in the Middle East to be the magical elixir of health.

A staple of their diet, along with dates, camel milk has long provided Bedouins with the proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins necessary to survive a desert-dwelling existence.

And unlike cow’s milk, which creates allergies in many consumers, camel milk is blessedly allergen free. Camelicious bottles this humped concoction in different flavors and sizes that are available at supermarkets throughout Dubai.

1. The healthier choice:

Considered to be the closest substitute for mother’s milk, camel milk is not only low in fat and full of vitamin C, but it doesn’t curdle in the stomach. Therefore, it’s easy for the body to process it.

2. The Bedouins swear by it:

Travel to any Bedouin home, and you’re likely to find a camel nearby. After giving birth, mama camel can easily produce 5 liters of milk a day, though friendly coercion and good diet can stimulate more production. The Bedouins insist on the milk’s holistic properties, as indeed, it was used as a moisturizer and sunscreen as well as food. The Bedouin have plenty of health hacks. Find lots more here.

3. Free range:

The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk And Products (EICMP) Have Diversified Camel Stock, which is relatively free range.

No business in their right profit mind would admit to dodgy conditions for their animals, but the company Camelicious claims that their animals are happy and healthy. In addition, the camels bred for milk are  interbred with camels from Pakistan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, producing a superior genetic strain.

4. Camel milking is potentially more humane:

Camels are typically milked for 12-16 months after giving birth, before they are encouraged to breed again; the equipment used to milk them is designed to be safe for their udders and to avoid mastitis – a common condition among dairy cows.

5. Camel milk tastes good too!

Free of cow’s allergens, and milder than goat’s milk, camel milk just might be the perfect compromise. It’s not too sweet, and drinking it won’t cause an upset stomach either.

6. No chemicals added:

With 5 times the amount of Vitamin C in camel’s milk, and full of iron, camel’s milk needs no nutritional help. It has a shelf life of 5 days before pasteurization, after which it will survive for up to 3 weeks. Camel’s milk is just as versatile as other milk, used as it is to produce low-fat varieties of cheese, chocolate, and a fermented delicacy that is used in areas that lack refrigeration.

So, put away your carton of steroid-infused cow’s milk and genetically modified soy, and find yourself a liter of choco-camel milk instead. That is, for those who observe Ramadan, after the sun has set.

Fermented camel milk products include chal or shubat in Central Asia and Iran, khoormog in Mongolia, garris in Sudan, suusac in Kenya, leben (lben) in Arab countries, and ititu and dhanaan in Ethiopia

Updated, Feb 2025

More Food and Health News From the Middle East:

Chemicals Colouring Our Food – A Rainbow to Avoid

Organic Farms Growing in Dubai

Interview With Locavore Expert Leda Meredith

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The post Camels make a comeback in Iran appeared first on Green Prophet.

DUBAI — Mention Dubai, and people immediately think of soaring skyscrapers, enormous shopping malls and insanely expensive sports cars. But 30 kilometers south of this world-class city-state — along the E66 highway towards Al Ain, and just past a Chuck-e-Cheese outlet — the glitz gives way to desert.

Here at Umm Nahad, there are no architectural wonders to behold, other than a lonely strip of asphalt stretching into the distant horizon. The quiet is punctuated only by the occasional screech of jets taking off and landing at a nearby military air base.

What a perfect place for a camel farm.

Known by its playful brand name, Camelicious — the farm represents one of Dubai’s very few attempts at actually producing something: healthy, natural camel milk.

About 250 people work at Camelicious, on a huge tract of land covering 25 to 30 square kilometers.

“Dates and camel milk are part of the staple diet of Bedouins. This is what people here used to live from,” said company communications director Kirsten Lange, speaking to GreenProphet.com during our recent visit to Camelicious. “Quite a few locals have camels. They drink the raw milk from their own camels, even though they might live in the city.”

At the moment, about 3,600 camels make up this operation, said Lange, though the idea is to have 10,000 animals within the next two or three years.

So how do the workers keep track of all these dromedaries?

“The camels have numbers, but of course our vets know the old ones,” Lange said as she guided us around the farm. “Once in awhile, we give them names. Once we had a camel with lots of hair; we called her Tina Turner. They have GPS trackers on their collars, and we have a very extensive database. On every camel we have a huge database, and they get regular blood and urine tests.”

The point, of course, is to get these camels to produce as much milk as possible. The average camel gives seven liters a day, though not all camels are producing at all times. Daily production averages 5,000 to 6,000 liters, she said.

Last February, the company got permission from UK authorities to export its camel milk to the British market. The Camelicious brand is now available in selected ethnic stories in London, Brighton, Manchester and Bradford. Milk powder has also been shipped to potential partners in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Milk “Camel” Chocolate

In addition, there are two sister companies: The Majlis and Al Nassma. In July, Al Nassma — which distributes fine chocolate products made from camel milk — reported a 100% growth in sales over the previous 12 months. The Majlis, meanwhile, runs a retail outlet at Dubai Mall, selling a range of bread loaves, muffins, Danish pastries and ice cream.

“Camel milk has always been known in the Middle East, but the accessibility for the wider public has been limited. We at EICMP have been reaching out to the broader community in the UAE to encourage a healthy lifestyle since 2006,” said Mutasher Al Badry, the company’s manager of business development. “Our goal is to promote the benefits of camel milk as a natural and pure resource of the region, and as a healthy alternative to cow’s milk.”

While not everyone likes the taste of camel milk — Camelicious tends to have a pleasing, slightly salty taste — the experts seem to agree that it’s far healthier than the kind that comes from cows.

Besides having three times more Vitamin C and 10 times more iron than cow’s milk, it’s antibacterial, low in lactose and shows promise in treating everything from diabetes to Crohn’s disease. A 2005 study showed that just 500 milliliters of raw fresh camel milk daily improves the quality of life for diabetics, thanks to a protein found in this particular milk that has characteristics similar to insulin but doesn’t coagulate.

“About 25 years ago, Dubai’s Central Veterinary Research Lab set up a research facility to explore what a camel could really be used for. Before that, no one thought of commercially exploiting camel milk,” she explained. “After awhile, when it became clear that this might be profitable, the company was set up on the same premises under the leadership of CVRL. It was founded in 2003 and became operational three years later.”

Lange, a German development and PR consultant who speaks Arabic fluently, previously worked in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Yemen before resettling in Dubai.

Lange said the Camelicious operation is heavily subsidized by the government, to the tune of “tens of millions of dollars,” though she wouldn’t be more specific.

“It is a private company, of course, owned by several shareholders. It’s not at the break-even point yet, but right now, with exports to Europe and the prospect of getting FDA approval — as well as getting into new industries like pharmaceuticals — inshallah it will be profitable soon. We see a lot of market potential.”

Camelicious comes in a variety of tempting flavors — so far, it’s available in plain, chocolate, saffron, date and strawberry. With the brand’s humorous logo of a cartoon camel with sunglasses, one might think this would be the perfect off-the-beaten-path destination for tourists and their kids.

But this isn’t Dubai Waterpark. As Lange said, “we are not a tourist attraction. We are running a business operation here with ISO and EU standards.”

Most of this operation is even off-limits to members of the media, who are not allowed anywhere near the milking facility. And visitors may enter the production and bottling line only after donning disposable blue outer garments to reduce any possible contamination from outside.

Many of the workers, it appears, come from India, Bangladesh and Nepal — along with several Arabic-speaking employees — though none of them would talk to this reporter. Asked how they all communicated, Lange said, “the ones who don’t speak English take classes. We have people who started here eight years ago not knowing English, and now their English is excellent. We take pride in caring for our workers.”

On the other hand, she said, “running a camel farm is not only about having camels. Here, we have 10 years of company experience and 25 years of research, but we are not done. No one is ever done,” she said. “Everyone who sets up a camel farm will eventually face problems.”

One such problem surfaced last June, when a team of Dutch and Qatari medical researchers found that the virus which causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is found in camel milk. That prompted the Qatari government to issue guidelines warning against drinking raw camel milk, and that milk be boiled before consumption.

In Dubai, Camelicious is available through the Waitrose supermarket chain for 10 dirhams per liter; its price is fixed by local municipal authorities.

But in the States, camel milk costs more than some premium liquors, when it’s available at all. Walid Abdul-Wahab, founder and CEO of Desert Farms, told the trade industry publication DairyReporter.com there are 18,000 cows for every camel in the United States. That’s why pasteurized whole camel milk goes for $16 per pint (473 ml).

“Camel milk retails for double the price of cow’s milk, but when it comes to European prices and maybe later on the U.S. once we get FDA approval, it’s up to the retailers,” said Lange. “It’s all about creating standards for camel milk. How do you judge whether the quality is good or bad? For other milk, there are already standards. The FDA basically has to do the same.”

Larry Luxner is a freelance journalist and photographer who writes frequently about Latin America and the Middle East. Photo credit: Larry Luxner, 2014, for Green Prophet

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At the time of the Bible as described or long after? New clues from Tel Aviv University challenge the Book.

Camels are mentioned as pack animals in the biblical stories of Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob in the Bible. But archaeologists have shown that camels were not domesticated in the Land of Israel until centuries after the Age of the Patriarchs (2000-1500 BCE). In addition to challenging the Bible’s historicity, this anachronism is proof that the text was compiled after the events it describes, according to researchers. 

Erez Ben-Yosef and Lidar Sapir-Hen from Tel Aviv University have used radiocarbon dating to pinpoint the moment when domesticated camels arrived in the southern Levant, pushing the estimate from the 12th to the 9th century BCE, according to them.

The findings, published recently in the journal Tel Aviv, further emphasize the disagreements between Biblical texts and verifiable history, and define a turning point in Israel’s engagement with the rest of the world.

I would like to point out that Tel Aviv University swings very much to the left so much to the point where they go out of their way to disprove biblical texts. This is in direct contrast to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a right-wing university which swings in the other direction.

“The introduction of the camel to our region was a very important economic and social development,” said Ben-Yosef in a press release. “By analyzing archaeological evidence from the copper production sites of the Aravah Valley, we were able to estimate the date of this event in terms of decades rather than centuries.”

Copper mining and camel riding

Archaeologists have established that camels were probably domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula for use as pack animals sometime towards the end of the 2nd millennium BCE. In the southern Levant, where Israel is located, the oldest known domesticated camel bones are from the Aravah Valley, which runs along the Israeli-Jordanian border from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea and was an ancient center of copper production.

At a 2009 dig, Ben-Yosef dated an Aravah Valley copper smelting camp where the domesticated camel bones were found to the 11th to 9th century BCE. In 2013, he led another dig in the area.

To determine exactly when domesticated camels appeared in the southern Levant, Sapir-Hen and Ben-Yosef used radiocarbon dating and other techniques to analyze the findings of these digs as well as several others done in the valley. In all the digs, they found that camel bones were unearthed almost exclusively in archaeological layers dating from the last third of the 10th century BCE or later — centuries after the patriarchs lived and decades after the Kingdom of David, according to the Bible.

The few camel bones found in earlier archaeological layers probably belonged to wild camels, which archaeologists think were in the southern Levant from the Neolithic period or even earlier. Notably, all the sites active in the 9th century in the Arava Valley had camel bones, but none of the sites that were active earlier contained them.

The appearance of domesticated camels in the Aravah Valley appears to coincide with dramatic changes in the local copper mining operation. Many of the mines and smelting sites were shut down; those that remained active began using more centralized labor and sophisticated technology, according to the archaeological evidence. The researchers say the ancient Egyptians may have imposed these changes — and brought in domesticated camels — after conquering the area in a military campaign mentioned in both biblical and Egyptian sources.

Humping it to India

The origin of the domesticated camel is probably the Arabian Peninsula, which borders the Aravah Valley and would have been a logical entry point for domesticated camels into the southern Levant. In fact, Dr. Ben-Yosef and Dr. Sapir-Hen say the first domesticated camels ever to leave the Arabian Peninsula may now be buried in the Aravah Valley.

The arrival of domesticated camels promoted trade between Israel and exotic locations unreachable before, according to the researchers; the camels can travel over much longer distances than the donkeys and mules that preceded them.

By the seventh century BCE, trade routes like the Incense Road stretched all the way from Africa through Israel to India. Camels opened Israel up to the world beyond the vast deserts, researchers say, profoundly altering its economic and social history.

Tony Moran / Shutterstock.com

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But when you pick up a bottle of olive oil, you’re probably thinking of salad, not imagining the physical labor involved in making it. I learned about Israel’s olive crops and the mix of ancient and modern methods of producing olive oil, on a tour of the Galilee olive festival this week. Laurie Balbo reported on the olive tree’s historical origins in this fascinating post.

Every October and November, the the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee,  the Galilee Development Authority and the Olive Council sponsor the Olive Branch Festival celebrating the olive harvest. Enjoying the cool fall weather, visitors tour villages throughout the Galilee, the Golan and the valleys where olives and their oil are a culture unto themselves.

In the north of the country, it’s an opportunity to meet Druze villagers whose livelihood depends largely on olive oil production. We’ve reported on our Druze culinary experience in this post. And if you like olive oil, you can take advantage of the chance to buy it fresh – almost right off the tree.

This year’s olive festival was in full swing when Green Prophet visited Kibbutz Parod, where the Saba Habib olive oil manufacturer is housed. Saba Habib produces olives, oil, and soaps and other cosmetic products based on olive oil. We met Saba Habib, grandson of the farm’s original founder, and head of the business today. Our tour guide translated as Saba Habib explained in Arabic about the farm and its products.

Saba Habib showed us how to judge the quality of olive oil: if a drop held between thumb and forefinger holds its shape and doesn’t dribble away, the oil is pure olive and fresh.

I was taken not only by the fresh oil and olives, but by the hand-made soaps, some of which are based on camel milk. Just looking at those soaps, you know that only pure, skin-friendly ingredients are in it, unlike commercial personal hygiene products that are suspected of being carcinogenic.

The Israel Olive Board (website in Hebrew) has its offices nearby on the Hananyah Farm. Prof. Adi Naali, CEO, took us for a stroll in the orchards and gave a short talk about Israel’s olives and how the country has modernized production.

“Until two years ago, Israel couldn’t even keep up with the local demand,” says Naali. “The Galilee has 250 dunams of olive groves that survive on rainfall alone, mostly in Druze villages. The annual average of those trees is 50 kg of olive oil per dunam. The Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to grow  more olive trees, introducing modern agricultural methods like drip irrigation.”

“Farmers were reluctant to irrigate at first,” he notes. “It went against tradition. But it soon became clear that irrigated trees produce four or five times as much oil as non-irrigated trees: an average of 200 kg. oil per dunam.

“We can’t compare our output with Europe’s massive olive oil production. On the other hand, Israel is too small to produce bad olive oil.  Large olive farms can’t handle their huge quantities of ripe olives at once; some of their olives may ferment and lose quality while waiting for processing. We have enough labor and mills to process the harvest immediately. There’s a proverb in Arabic: olives should go ‘from the tree to the stone’ – the grinding stones of the mill. Israeli olive oil has earned prizes in international competitions. ”

“Olive trees are tough and resistant to diseases,” adds Naali. “If attacked by the olive fly, we use an organic spray to get rid of it. Olive trees are sustainable agriculture par excellence. They don’t need much water, fertilizer or pesticide. No part of the harvest goes to waste. We compost the pomace, or the mass left over from crushing the fruit. Even the vegetable water that separates from the oil during processing is spread out over the soil in the orchards as fertilizer.”

The Olive Board has recently issued certification of olive oil purity, to assure consumers that the product with the oil-drop logo on the packaging is the real, unadulterated thing. The wonderfully cheap olive oils that consumers were eagerly picking up in supermarkets a while ago turned out to be a fraud.

And olive trees can live for hundreds, even thousands of years. We enjoyed a jeep drive  to serene olive groves where ancient trees said to be 2000 years old are still bearing good fruit.

The next sight to meet our eyes was the Druze grandmother winnowing the leaves out of just-picked olives (top photo). It looked like mild exercise that an elderly woman used to a lifetime of outdoor work might like. I reflected on how much human labor goes into artisanal olive oil.

We strolled on and watched the harvest itself. Traditionally, harvest was accomplished by beating the branches, which breaks many of them. These workers used an Italian-made rotating device that knocks the olives off the tree without harming the branches.

The Olive Branch Festival is winding down, with sites open on weekends until November 9th. If you can’t make it this year, be assured that next year it promises to be even richer in events and attractions for domestic and foreign tourists. However, all is not lost – all during Hanukkah week, there will be more tours, activities and workshops (November 28th – December 5th).

More on olives and olive on Green Prophet:

10 Weird and Wonderful Uses For Olive Oil

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Trees

Green Waste Processes For Boutique Olive Presses and Wineries

Preserving Olives The Green Prophet Way

Are your black olives safe to eat 

Do you know these 17 olive varieties?

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