Among all the ancient Eastern nations olive oil was one of the most
precious of products. It was used lavishly by the Egyptians for
the hair and the skin, as well as in all sorts of ceremonies. The
Israelites held it in the highest esteem before they went to Egypt, the
earliest allusion to it in the Scriptures being in Genesis, xxviii, 18,
where we read that Jacob poured oil on the stone which he set up at
Bethel, evidently with the idea of consecrating it. The Apocalypse of
Moses has a legend of Adam’s experience of its medicinal virtues in the
Garden of Eden. When he was in his 930th year he was seized with great
pain in his stomach and sickness. Then he told Eve to take Seth and go
as near as they could get to the Garden, and pray to God to permit an
angel to bring them some oil from the tree of mercy so that he might
anoint himself therewith and be free of his pain. Eve and Seth were,
however, met by the Archangel Michael, who told them to return to Adam,
for in three days the measure of his life would be fulfilled.
To the Israelites in the Desert the anticipation of the “corn and wine
and oil” of Canaan was always present, and throughout their history
there are abundant evidences of how they prized it.
The prescription for the “holy anointing oil” given in Exodus, xxx,
23, is very remarkable. It was to be compounded of the following
ingredients:--
Flowing myrrh 500 shekels.
Sweet cinnamon 250 "
Sweet calamus 250 "
Cassia (or costus) 500 "
Olive oil One hin.
It is the Revised Version which gives “flowing myrrh,” apparently the
gum which exudes spontaneously. The Authorised Version reads “pure
myrrh.” The Revised Version also suggests costus in the margin as an
alternative to cassia. This oil was to be kept very sacred. Any one who
should compound any oil like it was to be cut off from his people.
A hin was a measure equivalent to about 5½ of our quarts. The shekel
was nearly 15 lbs., and some of the Rabbis insist that the “shekel of
the sanctuary” was twice the weight of the ordinary shekel. At the
lowest reckoning, less than 6 quarts of oil were to take up the extract
from nearly 90 lbs. of solid substance. It will be seen on reference
that the shekel weights are not definitely stated, but the verses can
hardly be otherwise read. Some critics have suggested that so many
shekels’ worth is intended, but this reading under the circumstances
is almost inadmissible. Maimonides, a great Jewish authority, says the
method was to boil the spices and gum in water until their odours were
extracted as fully as possible, and then to boil the water and the
oil together until the former was entirely evaporated. Doubtless the
expression “after the art of the apothecary” (or “perfumer,” R.V.) was
a sufficient explanation to those Israelites who had practised that art
in Egypt. The consistence of the oil could not have been thick, for
when used it trickled down on Aaron’s beard.
Rabbinical legends say that the quantity of the holy oil prepared at
the time when it was first prescribed was such as would miraculously
suffice to anoint the Jewish priests and kings all through their
history. In the reign of Josiah the vessel containing the holy oil
was mysteriously hidden away with the ark, and will not be discovered
until the Messiah comes. Messiah, it need hardly be said, means simply
anointed; and Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word.