Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_anointing_oil

The holy anointing oil (Hebrew: shemen “oil”, ha-mishchah “of anointing” שמן המשחה) formed an integral part of the ordination of the priesthood and the high priest as well as in the consecration of the articles of the tabernacle (Exodus 30:26) and subsequent temples in Jerusalem. The primary purpose of anointing with the holy anointing oil was to cause the anointed persons or objects to become qodesh – most holy (Exodus 30:29).

Originally the oil was used exclusively for the priests and the Tabernacle articles but was later extended to include prophets and kings (I Samuel 10:1). It was forbidden to be used on an outsider (Exodus 30:33) or to be used on the body of any common persons (Ex. 30:32a) and the Israeliteswere forbidden to duplicate any like it for themselves (Ex. 30:32b).

Hebrew Bible

The holy anointing oil described in Exodus 30:22-25 was created from:^[1][2]

• Pure Myrrh (מר דרור mar deror) 500 shekels (about 6 kg)
• Sweet Cinnamon (קינמון בשם kinnemon besem) 250 shekels (about 3 kg)
• Sweet calamus (קנה בשם keneh bosem) 250 shekels (about 3 kg)
• Cassia (קדה kiddah) 500 shekels (about 6 kg)
• Olive oil (שמן זית shemen sayith) one hin (about 5 quarts according to Adam Clarke; about 4 liters according to Shiurei Torah, 7 liters according to the Chazon Ish)

Anointing kings

The Hebrew term “Messiah (in Greek Christos) means “the anointed one”, and relates to anyone anointed to be king.

Anointing oil in the Ancient Near East

Customs varied in the cultures of the middle east, however anointing with special oil was in Israel either a strictly priestly or kingly right. When a prophet was anointed it was because he was first a priest. When a non-king was anointed, such as Elijah’s anointing of Hazael and Jehu it was a sign that Hazael was to be king of Syria and that Jehu would king of Israel.^[3] Extra-biblical sources show that it was common to anointing kings in many ancient Near Eastern monarchies, therefore in Israel anointing was not only a sacred act but also a socio-political one^[4]

In modern western societies the odors of decay (such as the stench of dead bodies, feces, and sweat) are largely eradicated or at least cosmetically covered. The modern olfactory organ is much less depended on for survival than are those of sight and hearing.^[5] The Old Testament Israelite way of life came from a cultural environment in which the sense of smell was highly depended on for survival and was highly esteemed. It contributed to the ability of man to orientate himself and to find his way in a world where life and death were permanently struggling. Where stench arose, he diagnosed the presence of disease, decay, rotting processes and death (Exodus 7:18)^[6] and where pleasant aromas existed were places biologically clean and conducive to habitation and/or food production and harvesting. Spices and oils were chosen which assisted man in orientating himself and in creating a sense of safety as well as a sense of elevation above the physical world of decay. The sense of smell was also considered highly esteemed by deity. In Deuteronomy 4:28 and Psalms 115:5-6 the sense of smell is included in connection with the polemics against idols. In the Hebrew Bible God takes pleasure in inhaling the “soothing odor” (reah hannihoah) of offerings (Genesis 8:21 etc.).^[7]

To the ancient Israelite there was no oil or fat with more symbolic meaning than olive oil. It was used as an emollient, a fuel for keeping their lamps lit, as a food, and for many other purposes. The first mention of the olive tree in the Torah is in the Book of Genesis after the Great Flood, when the dove carries an olive branch in its beak announcing that the new world had emerged. It was scented olive oil which was chosen to be a holy anointing oil for the Israelites.^{[original research?]}

In Rabbinical Judaism

The symbolism of the components in the holy anointing oil are no longer completely known but, as the other articles in the Tabernacle had great meaning to the early Israelites, it is believed that the Ha’Mishchah has spiritual connections with the Ketoret (holy incense).^[8]

Early rabbis ^[9] stressed the importance of the succession of classical semikhah (rabbinical ordination).^[10]

One Jewish tradition teaches that the ashes of the last red heifer sacrificed were always mixed with the ashes of each new red heifer^[11] The Temple Institute states, “Some opinions maintain that the newer ashes were always mixed together with a combination of the previous ashes. One way of understanding this, is to the view this mixture of old and new ashes as being yet another precautionary measure… Additionally, mixing in the newer ashes we have produced now with those from olden times is a way of connecting through time with the original heifer that was slaughtered and prepared by Moses. As such, in a sense, it is a way of connecting with the level of Moses himself.”^[12][13] Since the last succession of ashes ^[14] of the red heifer were either hidden or lost after70 AD ^[15] Vendyl Jones searched for the original ashes by following the map on the Copper Scroll that purports to tell the location, so that the old ashes can be added to the new, thus in his view continuing the “continuity factor.”^[16]

There is a traditional Jewish mitzvah that when making challah one should separate and set aside part of the dough. Some Jewish people remove a small piece of the challah dough (the word “challah” means to remove) and give it away to someone else as a challah starter.^[17] In one Jewish custom a portion of the challah is set aside (refrigerated) until the making of new challah when the old is added to the new. It is recorded in Exodus 30:31 “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.” (Exodus 30:31). Commenting on this verse Rashi quotes a teaching of the Sages [Horiyos 11b] that the original Shemen HaMishcha that Moses made, to anoint the priesthood and the tabernacle furnishings, would remain intact in its entirety into the distant future (l’asid lavoh). When the Temple was to be rebuilt they would then need that very same Holy Anointing Oil to anoint the priests prior to their service in the Third Temple as well as to anoint the furnishings of the mishkin.^[18] Vendyl Jones claimed that such a small quantity of oil (around a gallon) would not last that long. It is claimed that one juglet of oil lasted over 800 years.^[19] To explain this discrepancy it is claimed that one of two things occurred: Either the container of Holy Anointing Oil miraculously multiplied when supply became low (as did the cruise of oil mentioned in the story of Elijah and the widow woman or the oil that lasted for eight days without being consumed during the Jewish Chanukka) or, following new oil was added to the old, thus continuing the original oil for all time.

[edit]Rabbinical identifications of kaneh bosem

The Septuagint, Nachmanides, Saadya Gaon and Ibn Janach all identify the keneh bosem (Hebrew “sweet cane,” “fragrant reed”) of the Old Testament as sweet calamus. Ancient sources identify this with the acorus calamus (Latin “sour-tasting cane”).^[20] (Septuagint; Rambam on Kerithoth 1:1; Saadia; Ibn Janach). This is the sweet flag or flag-root, acorus calamus, which grows in Europe. It appears that a similar species grew in the Holy Land, in the Hula region in ancient times (Theophrastus, History of Plants 9:7). Other sources apparently indicate that it was the Indian plant, rosha grass (Cymbopogon martinii), which has the form of red straw (Maimonides Yad, Kley HaMikdash 1:3).

On the basis of cognate pronunciation and Septuagint readings, some identify Keneh bosem with the English and Greek cannabis, the hemp plant. Most biblical authorities and commentators also identify the keneh bosem as the cane balsam^[21] of the plant variously referred to as sweet cane, sweet flag, or calamus. The Targum Onkelos, however, clearly translates this Hebrew kaneh bosem as Aramaic q’nei busma, which is the same phrase used in the Mishna (concerning textiles) to refer to hemp.^{[citation needed][22]} Citing the Targum in his annotated Torah translation, The Living Torah, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan notes cannabis as one among several other possible interpretations of keneh bosem as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil.^[23]

The main advocate of the idea that kaneh bosm was cannabis was Sula Benet in her Early Diffusion and Folk Uses of Hemp (1967),^[24] Benet identifies it as the hemp plant, or cannabis. Benet argues that in support of the theory that reads cannabis as an ingredient of the holy anointing oil is that most of the other ingredients, if not all, are also theorized to come from Central Asian lands in which, Benet claims, cannabis was frequently used for spiritual (Scythian) and medicinal use (sana of the Buddhist vinya shared by many ancient schools of Buddhism).^{[citation needed]}

In Christianity

In Christianity, the formula for the holy anointing oil influenced the traditions regarding the preparation, consecration and use of Chrism. The Churches of the East keep back a portion of their liturgical bread, called the Holy Malka, and when new bread is made the old is added to the new. It is claimed this continuity reaches back to the original loaf used by Christ and his disciples at the last supper.^[25] They also add a portion of the old anointing oil to the newly made anointing oil to establish a continuity of the oil, believed to reach back to the early disciples.^{[original research?][citation needed]}

The Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church emphasized the importance of Apostolic succession, the continuity of laying on of hands for ordination, in an unbroken chain.^{[original research?]}

The Armenian Church

The Holy Anointing Oil of the Armenian Church is called the Holy Muron.^{[citation needed]} The church holds a special reverence for the continuity factor of the oil.^{[citation needed]} According to tradition, a portion of the Holy Anointing Oil of Exodus 30, which Moses and Aaron had blessed, still remained in Jesus’ time. Jesus Christ blessed this oil and then gave some of it to Thaddeus, who took the holy oil to Armenia and healed King Abkar of a terrible skin disease by anointing him with the holy oil. Saint Thaddeus is said to have buried a bottle of the Holy Anointing Oil in Daron under an evergreen tree. Saint Gregory the Illuminator discovered the hidden treasure and mixed it with muron that he had blessed. It is said that “To this day, whenever a new batch of muron is prepared and blessed, a few drops of the old one go into it, so that the Armenian muron always contains a small amount of the original oil blessed by Moses, Jesus Christ, and Gregory the Illuminator.”^[26][27]

The Holy Muron is composed of olive oil and forty-eight aromas and flowers. The remaining portion of the previous blessed holy oil is poured into the newly prepared oil during the blessing ceremony and passes the blessing from generation to generation. It is said that this very procedure has been followed for nearly 1700 years. The Catholicos of all Armenians in Etchmiadzin combines a new mixture of Holy Muron in the cauldron every seven years using a portion of the holy muron from the previous blend. This is distributed to all of the Armenian churches throughout the world. Before Christianity, Muron was reserved solely for the enthroning of royalty and for very special events. In later years, it was used with extreme unction and to heal the sick, and to anoint ordained clergy.^[28]

The Assyrian Church of the East

It is said by the Assyrian Church that the Holy Anointing Oil “was given and handed down to us by our holy fathers Mar Addai and Mar Mari and Mar Tuma.” The Holy Anointing Oil of the Assyrian Church is variously referred to as the Oil of the Holy Horn, the Oil of the Qarna, or the Oil of Unction. This holy oil is an apostolic tradition, believed to have originated from the oil consecrated by the Apostles themselves, and which by succession has been handed down in the Church to this day.^[29] The original oil which the disciples blessed began to run low and more oil was added to it. This has allegedly^[who?] continued to this very day with new oil being added as the oil level lowers. This succession of holy oil is believed^[who?] to be a continuity of the blessings placed upon the oil from the beginning.^{[citation needed]}

Both the Oil of Unction and the Holy Leaven are referred to as “leaven” although there is no actual leavening agent, so the nomenclature Holy Leaven seems to be a bit misleading. Yohanan bar Abgareh referred to it in 905 as did Shlemon d-Basra in the 13th Century. Yohanan bar Zo’bee in the 14thCentury integrated the Holy Oil of unction with baptism and other rites. Isaaq Eshbadhnaya in the 15th Century wrote the Scholion which is a commentary on specific theological topics. It tells us that that John the Baptist gave John the Evangelist a baptismal vessel of water from Christ’s baptism, which was collected by John the Baptist from water dripping from Christ after his baptism in Jordan River. Jesus gave each disciple a “loaf,” at the Last Supper, but the Scholion informs us that to John he gave two with the instructions to eat only one and to save the other. At the crucifixion John collected the water from the Lord’s side in the vessel and the blood he collected on the loaf from the Last Supper. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost the disciples took the vessel and mixed it with oil and each took a horn of it. The loaf they ground up and added flour and salt to it. Each took a portion of the holy oil and the holy bread which were distributed in every land by the hand of those who missionized there.^[30][31]

The Assyrian Church has two types of holy oils; the one is ordinary olive oil, blessed or not blessed, the other is the oil of the Holy Horn which is believed to have been handed down from the Apostles. The Holy Horn is constantly renewed by the addition of oil blessed by a bishop on Maundy Thursday. While most anyone can by tradition be anointed with the regular oil, the oil of the Holy Horn is restricted for ordination and sancitfication purposes.

The Coptic Church

The Holy Anointing oil of the Coptic Church is referred to as the Holy Myron. The laying of hands for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit is believed to have been a specific rite of the Apostles and their successors the Bishops, and as the regions of mission increased, consequently numbers of Christian believers and converts increased. It was not possible for the Apostles to wander through all the countries and cities to lay hands on all of those baptized, so they established anointment by the Holy Myron as an alternative, it is believed, for the laying on of the hands for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

The first who made the Myron were the Apostles who had kept the fragrant oils which were on the body of Jesus Christ during his burial, and they added the spices which were brought by those women who prepared them to anoint Christ, but had discovered he had resurrected. They melted all these spices in pure olive oil, prayed on it in the Upper Room in Zion and made it a Holy Anointing Oil. They decided that their successors the Bishops, must renew the making of the Myron whenever it is close to dimishing, by incorporating the original oil with the new. Today the Coptic Church uses it for ordination, in the Sanctification of Baptismal water, ordination of Churches, and church altars and vessels.

It is said that when St. Mark went to Alexandria, he took with him some of the Holy Myron oil made by the Apostles and that he used it in the Sacrament of Chrism, as well as the Patriarchs who succeeded him. This continued until the era of Athanasius the Apostolic – the 20th Patriarch, who then decided to remake the Myron in Alexandria. Hence, it is reported, he prepared all of the needed perfumes and spices, with pure olive oil, from which God ordered Moses to make the Holy Anointing Oil as specified in the recipe in the thirtieth chapter of the book of Exodus. Then the sanctification of the Holy Myron was fulfilled in Alexandria, and Athanasius was entrusted with the holy oil (leaven), which contained spices which touched the Lord’s body whilst in the tomb, as well as the original oil which had been prepared by the Apostles and brought to Egypt by St. Mark. He distributed the oil to the churches abroad : to the See of Rome, Antioch and Constantinople, together with a document of its authenticity, and all of the patriarchs are said to have rejoiced in receiving it.^[32]

The Coptic Church informs that the Fathers of the Church and scholars like St. Justin Martyr, Tertullian, St. Hippolytus, Origen, St. Ambrose, and St. Cyril of Jerusalem, spoke about the Holy Myron and how they received its use in anointing by tradition. For example, St. Hippolytus in his Apostolic Tradition, speaks of the holy oil “according to ancient custom” ^[33] Origen writes about the holy oil “according to the tradition of the church” ^[34] St. Cyril of Jerusalem goes into further detail in speaking about the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Holy Myron: “this oil is not just any oil after the epiclesis of the Spirit, it becomes charism of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit through the presence of the deity” ^[35]

The early fathers and scholars mention the use of the Holy Myron, as well as a documentation by Abu l-Barakat Ibn Kabar, a 14th century Coptic priest and scholar, in his book Misbah az-Zulmah fi idah al-khidmah (The Lamp of Darkness in Clarifying the Service). According to his account, the holy apostles took from the spices that were used to anoint the body of our Lord Jesus Christ when he was buried,^[36] added pure olive oil to it, and prayed over it in Upper Zion, the first church where the Holy Spirit fell in the upper room.

This holy oil was then distributed among all of the apostles so that wherever they preached, new converts would be anointed with it as a seal. They also commanded that whenever a new batch of Holy Myron was made, that they add to it the old Holy Myron to keep the first Holy Myron continually with all that would ever be made afterwards.

According to the available resources, the Holy Myron in the Church of Egypt has been made 34 times. ^{[37][38][39] [40][41]}

The Saint Thomas Christians

According to tradition St. Thomas laid the original foundation for Christianity in India. It is reported that Jewish communities which were already present in India were the contributing factors which enticed Thomas on his missionary journey there. It is said that he brought the Holy Anointing Oil with him and that the St. Thomas Christians still have this oil to this day.^[42]

Patriarch Ya`qub, of the Syrian Malabar Narani Church, is fondly remembered for his spiritually uplifting celebration of the liturgy and his humble encouragement to accept the simple way of life. After he consecrated sacred myron in the Mor Gabriel monastery in 1964, holy myron reportedly flowed from the glass container the following day and many people were said to have been healed by it.

References