Topical Bible: Oil: Exported

◄ Oil: Exported ►

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In the ancient Near East, oil was a valuable commodity, often associated with wealth, trade, and religious practices. The Bible provides several references to the exportation of oil, highlighting its significance in the economic and cultural exchanges of the time.

Biblical References and Context

Oil, particularly olive oil, was a staple in the diet, religious rituals, and daily life of the Israelites. It was used for cooking, anointing, lighting lamps, and as a base for perfumes and ointments. The production and exportation of oil were crucial for the economy of ancient Israel and its neighboring regions.

One of the earliest mentions of oil in the context of trade is found in the dealings of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 5:11 , it is recorded that Solomon provided Hiram, king of Tyre, with "twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty thousand baths of pure olive oil." This exchange underscores the importance of oil as a traded commodity and its role in diplomatic relations.

The prophet Ezekiel also references the exportation of oil in his lament over Tyre, a major trading hub. In Ezekiel 27:17 , it is noted that "Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise." This passage illustrates the extensive trade networks and the inclusion of oil as a significant export from Israel.

Cultural and Economic Significance

The exportation of oil was not only an economic activity but also a reflection of the agricultural abundance and divine blessing upon the land of Israel. Deuteronomy 8:8 describes the Promised Land as "a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey." The abundance of olive oil was seen as a sign of prosperity and God's favor.

Oil's role in trade also facilitated cultural exchanges and the spread of Israelite influence. The demand for oil in surrounding regions contributed to the development of trade routes and interactions with various peoples and cultures.

Religious and Symbolic Aspects

Beyond its economic value, oil held significant religious and symbolic meaning. It was used in anointing rituals for priests, kings, and sacred objects, symbolizing consecration and the presence of the Holy Spirit. The exportation of oil, therefore, also carried a spiritual dimension, as it represented the sharing of God's blessings with the nations.

In summary, the exportation of oil in biblical times was a multifaceted activity that encompassed economic, cultural, and religious elements. It played a vital role in the prosperity of Israel and its interactions with neighboring regions, reflecting both the material and spiritual richness of the land.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 5:11
And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 27:17
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your merchants: they traded in your market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hosea 12:1
Ephraim feeds on wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
... The wine, although not so plentiful as the oil, was generous and rich. ... lake was
Tarichaea, the great fishing place, whence preserved fish was exported in casks ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 3 in galilee at.htm

Visit to Ceylon and Return to Benares.
... The kernel is an article of food, but its principal value comes from the oil made
from it after it has been dried. ... It is largely and profitably exported. ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xviii visit to ceylon.htm

A Provision Ground
... Why should not Plantain-meal {318a} be hereafter largely exported for the use of ...
Can nothing be done in growing the oil-producing seeds with which the Tropics ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvi a provision ground.htm

What Carey did for Science --Founder of the Agricultural and ...
... faulty mode of expressing the oil, which made Indian linseed oil unfit for ... would
diffuse throughout the country, the surplus of grain exported, besides "her ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xii what carey did.htm

The Memphite Empire
... iron, oxides of copper and manganese, and turquoises, which they exported to the ...
inhabitants generally used as food, which with dates, milk, oil, coarse bread ...
/.../chapter iithe memphite empire.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... to Amenothes III.; the King of Mitanni refers to bottles of oil which he is ... raw
condition were, by means of native industry, worked up and exported as ornaments ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

The Transformation of Rome from a Pagan into a Christian City.
... of pottery and terracottas, named Annius Ser..... whose lamps were exported to many ...
standard measure of capacity for wine, the metreta for oil, the modius ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter i the transformation of.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... Almost the only remains of these people which have come down ti us consist of
indestructible wells and cisterns, or wine and oil presses hollowed out of the ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... as the "anointers," whose duty it was to anoint the holy images with oil, the ordinary ...
Wheat was exported in large quantities, as well as dates and date-wine. ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm