“And Oil out of the Flinty Rock” (Deut 32:13)
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Olive press caves are widespread in the archaeology of Judea but have not received due attention. This paper provides an integrative analysis of the caves and explains their use in oil production. The phenomenon has clear geographic and chronological parameters as a feature of early Roman period Judean settlement. This article proposes that olive press caves represent ethnically-bounded practices identified with Jewish society and are linked to production of ritually pure oil for temple rites and pilgrimage festivals in Jerusalem. It is argued that their architectural layout helped to maximize the ability to supervise, monitor and control the purity of workers.
Source: Journal of ancient Judaism
Authors: Omri Y. Abadi, Yosef Spiezer
Institutions: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4403081887