I. Name

The term yiṣhar describes the quality of oil as ‘shining’, and denotes oil freshly-pressed. This term for oil is used almost exclusively in OT in variations of the formula ‘corn, new wine and oil’ 22 times, sometimes within a longer list of commodities. The usage is always distinctive, falling into the following categories: i) as tithe, to be eaten by faithful at central shrine (Deut. 12.17) or by priests alone (Num. 18.12); ii) as sign of original blessings of election (Hos. 2.8; Joel 1.10) or restoration (Hos. 2.22; Joel 2.19 etc…