Ancient Israel: Anointing Analysis

This paper will examine various sources to obtain how anointing was used in ancient Israel. The purpose is to determine what value anointing had and who was privy to such service. I will attempt to give a true interpretation to the best of my knowledge to answer the question, how was anointing used in Ancient Israel? Much of this research will rely on the Bible and my interpretation. However I have found other interpretation and will included those points of view. The conclusion that I hope to derive at will be how and why were people anointed.

As a Catholic today one cannot go a year without attending a baptismal, wedding or a funeral. But what does that mean? To the casual observer it may be a right of passage or the next step in relationship or the passing of a loved one. To a Catholic there are certain things you look for, such as what passage will be used and if the priest will use water and oil or just water in baptisms. Will he bless the crowd at a funeral with holy water after he has blessed the casket. In a death we look for a priest or someone to places oil on the forehead, hands and feet of the deceased. To someone that does not know, they ask why would someone do that. This paper is going to

The Hittites occupied present day Turkey, Egypt and parts of Asia seventeen thousand years before Christ. This gives us a good starting point to where oil comes from. Their oil came from olive trees, sesame, juniper, nuts and animals (Hoffner Jr, 1995). This is a good starting point be cause seventeen hundred years before Christ and twenty thousands years after Christ, the common dominator is the same. Oil is found from the same resources, except today some oils have added preservatives. Although I mention we need to find out what time of oil was used, I think we have answered that question that we know were it came from and that would be the most natural resource in abundance, olive