Anointing oil, mentioned 20 times in Scripture, was used in the Old Testament for pouring on the head of the high priest and his descendants and sprinkling the tabernacle and its furnishings to mark them as holy and set apart to the Lord ( Exodus 25:6 ; Leviticus 8:30 ; Numbers 4:16 ). Three times it is called the "holy, anointing oil," and the Jews were strictly forbidden from reproducing it for personal use ( Exodus 30:32-33 ). The recipe for anointing oil is found in Exodus 30:23-24 ; it contained myrrh, cinnamon and other natural ingredients. There is no indication that the oil or the ingredients had any supernatural power. Rather, the strictness of the guidelines for creating the oil was a test of the obedience of the Israelites and a demonstration of the absolute holiness of God. Only four New Testament passages refer to the practice of anointing with oil, and none of them offer an explanation for its use. We can draw our conclusions from context. In Mark 6:13...
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