The Genus Ficus — Figs:

Figs may have been the , with evidence of their farming dating back roughly 11,400 years to the Neolithic period in the Jordan Valley—predating even wheat and barley.

The most remarkable part of the Ficus story is its biological secret: the fig "fruit" is not actually a fruit but an called a syconium. Its blossoms are hidden inside a fleshy, hollow stem, meaning they can never be pollinated by wind or typical bees. Figs: The Genus Ficus

Their presence is etched into the foundations of world religions and folklore: Figs may have been the , with evidence