Shemen Afarsimon
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Shemen Afarsimon is an oil that was used to add fragrance to sacrifices and in the anointment of priests, prophets and kings.
In April 1988, archeologists discovered a small jug of oil in the Qumran region that has been identifed as the oil used in the Temple after testing by the Pharmaceutical Department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The find was announced by the New York Times on February 15, 1989, and a feature article was published in National Geographic Magazine in October of that year. [1]
However, this identification remains controversial. No one today knows exactly what plant was used to produce the biblical shemen afarsimon. In modern Hebrew, the word afarsimon is translated as persimmon.
According to one theory, it is the plant Commiphora opobalsamum - a small shrub, 10 to 12 feet high, with wandlike, spreading branches. The oil extracted from the seeds or branches of this plant has been used as a medicine, but more commonly as incense or perfumed oil.
The biblical afarsimon was considered very valuable, and worth its weight in gold.[2] The ancient community of Ein Gedi was known for its cultivation of the afarsimon.
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