The Olive Tree Dictionary: A Translated Dictionary of Conversational Eastern Arabic (Palestinian) J. Elihay The Olive Tree Dictionary will help English speakers unlock the mystery and beauty of the Arabic language. Until now, the necessity of mastering Arabic script has prevented many from speaking and understanding the language. Utilizing a unique and innovative method, Arabic words are looked up phonetically in English. Each entry contains a modern, up-to-date translation that includes at least one sentence demonstrating correct conversational usage. The dictionary is named after the symbol of the Levant, the olive tree and its branches, which symbolize peace. In some small measure The Olive Tree Dictionary makes a contribution towards building bridges of understanding between English and Arabic speakers. J. Elihay , has devoted his life to studying and teaching colloquial Arabic. Although born in France, he has spent the last 50 years living in the Middle East (in Beirut, Jaffa, Galilee and Jerusalem), where he has helped thousands of non-Arabs learn Arabic. He has published complete spoken-Arabic courses for French and Hebrew speakers, a French-Arabic dictionary and a Hebrew-Arabic dictionary, all of which, like this dictionary, use transliteration as an aid to pronunciation. The Olive Tree Dictionary - which comprises 780 pages, 9,000 entries, 17,000 phrases and an index of 14,000 English words - is his most recent project. Here, as in his earlier works, his down-to-earth approach to language and his extensive learning have produced a user-friendly dictionary which will provide both the learner and the more advanced speaker with a comprehensive vocabulary of words and phrases.