A substance most often produced from the olive berry. In the Bible, oil could also apply to other oils, including myrrh (Esther 2:12).
How Did People Use Oil in Daily Life?
Oil was used primarily in cooking. Other known uses for olive oil include:
as a cosmetic for anointing the body
for medicinal purposes
as a source of light
for anointing kings and priests
in religious offerings
Olive trees were plentiful, and the Israelites used this major crop to establish a thriving trade in oil with Tyre and Egypt. Like precious metals and animals, oil became a common economic exchange item. Solomon used oil as part of the payment to Hiram for construction expenses connected with the temple (1 Kings 5:11; Ezra 27:17).
Because oil was essential for everyday life, it was an effective and acceptable medium of barter exchanges. Oil was used to prepare most food (1 Kings 17:12–16). The common cake or patty of grain, the basis of the noon meal, would be cooked on a griddle with a little oil.
Oil was used for anointing the body after a bath (Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 12:20). It was used on festive occasions, and at Egyptian banquets, the heads of both the guests and the female entertainers were anointed. The New Testament mentions anointing sick people with oil (James 5:14). Olive oil could also be taken internally as a medicine for the relief of gastric disorders. It had a soothing effect and was also used as a mild laxative. Olive oil was applied externally as an ointment for bruises, burns, cuts, and abrasions (Isaiah 1:6; Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34).
As soon as the sun set, the only source of light was oil lamps. Small, portable lamps could be placed easily on a shelf. In large homes, palaces, synagogues, or temples, the lamp could rest on a tall metal base. The wick of flax (Isaiah 42:3) or hemp was placed in the oil and gave out a flame until it was extinguished, or the supply of fuel ran out. Torches were used in the streets both to light the way and for more security.
How Was Oil Used in Worship and Ceremonies?
Torches added to the festive atmosphere of evening processions. They were an essential part of the wedding procession. In the event of a delay in the procession, those who carried the torches usually brought extra oil in a container. This scene is vividly portrayed in Jesus’s parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).
In other ceremonial events, oil had a special meaning when used for the anointing of priests and kings (Exodus 29:7; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Kings 1:39). It was symbolic of the office and of the recognition of God’s blessing on the officeholder.
Oil was used in the temple. It was donated as part of the first fruit offering and was also subject to tithing (Exodus 22:29; Deuteronomy 12:17). Oil was used for ceremonial parts of temple life or as part of the offering. The grain offering was mixed with oil (Leviticus 8:26; Numbers 7:19). The oil in the lamp that burned in the sanctuary needed frequent refilling (Leviticus 24:2). The daily sacrifice required oil (Exodus 29:40). But the sin offering and the jealousy offering did not use oil (Leviticus 5:11; Numbers 5:15.
How Did People Make Oil?
A pestle and mortar, or a stone press, pressed oil from the olives (Exodus 27:20). Where the latter was used, the pulp produced by the press was often pressed again. Stone presses were set up to process the olives available at the Mount of Olives. The word for "oil press" was gatt-semen, and this is why the Garden where Jesus prayed was called Gethsemane.
What Did Oil Mean to People in Bible Times?
Oil was symbolically associated with joy, festivity, ceremony, honor, and light. Physical and spiritual health were also associated with the presence of oil. The absence or loss of oil meant sorrow and the withdrawal of all that is good in life (Joel 1:10).