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 Israelites were forbidden to duplicate any like it for themselves (Ex. 30:32b).
Read more about Holy Anointing Oil: Hebrew Bible, In Rabbinical Judaism, In Christianity
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