Its origins go back to ancient Sumer and Egypt where costly oil was poured over the head as a sign of kingship. It may be a practice as old as 8,000 years ago.
2006-10-05 00:38:57
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answer #1
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answered by Isis 7
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This practice was here when Jesus walked this earth, It represents God's preance. Today we do it to represent The Holy Ghost annointing on a prayer cloth.
2006-10-05 07:41:41
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answer #2
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answered by birdsflies 7
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It's not really in the New Testament. However the oil represents the Holy Spirit, and to annoint soemthing is to set it aside for a special purpose.
2006-10-05 07:39:48
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answer #3
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answered by TiM 4
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All good answers, but actually it was because the heat caused skin to crack and wear, so oiling the body helped keep it in good condition, preventing sores and cracks that bled. Plus the lack of bathing was a big thing, and scented oils were used to hide the smell of body odor, but not by much.
2006-10-05 07:48:26
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answer #4
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answered by Judith O 3
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Anointing with fragrant oil is a custom, and a sign of hospitality practiced in the east and middle east for thousands of years.
Certain oils and ointments have also been known to have anti-bacterial or other types of medicinal powers.
In a religious sense, anointing with oil also represents God's favor coming to rest on the anointed one.
God is thought to emit a personal glorious light.
One who has been anointed "glistens" in natural light.
Traditionally, priests, prophets, and kings were the subject of anointing.
Notably, the prophet Samuel expended an entire "horn" of oil when he anointed David as the 2nd king of Israel.
"Chrism" is another word for the oil of anointing.
The term "Christ" or "Christos" means "anointed one".
Today, the most common anointing oil is pure olive oil, with a little balsam added for fragrance, and to act as a preservative.
Jesus Christ is the anointed one of God, the Messiah, spoken of in all the prophecies and types of the old testament.
Many believe that Jesus, although he was God, relied only on normal "means" to accomplish his miracles and other work.
Those "means" require anointing by the Holy Spirit, a process where a person is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, with God's power being "transferred" to the anointed one, to enable him/her to accomplish God's purpose.
In that respect, the Blessed Virgin Mary may also be considered to have been anointed, as well as the apostles.
Jesus was supernaturally anointed at his baptism in the Jordan, by the Holy Spirit, and again, shortly before his death, by Mary of Bethany, who made use of a very expensive and rare type of oil based ointment.
In the Catholic Church, anointing is part of the sacramental rites of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.
St. James, in his Epistle, recommends that the sick present themselves to the "elders" (another word for priests) for anointing and prayer, in order to be healed.
Many non-Catholic Christians practice a form of anointing, as well.
2006-10-05 08:41:58
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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James 5:14, NIV, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord."
Exodus, Chapter 30 is the first I know of the practice of anointing, but I am no Bible scholar by a long shot. I looked it up in my KJV concordance and found twenty New Testament entries for "anoint," and its variations.
2006-10-05 07:57:11
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answer #6
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answered by reinadelaz 6
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Because we're ashy?
This practice, which uses olive oil, originated in the middle east where all our religious and civilization practices originated.
2006-10-05 07:39:16
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answer #7
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answered by nora22000 7
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