Oil-press in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What is an Oil-press?
OIL-PRESS
" The oil of Palestine is expressed in a rude way. The olive is subjected to pressure in a mill consisting of a great millstone with a hole in its centre; this stone is laid on one of its flat surfaces, and a beam of wood fastened upright in the axis. The upper surface of the stone is slightly depressed, except at its margin and around the central hole. Another millstone is set up on its edge in the depression of the upper surface of the lower stone. Through the axis of this stone passes a long beam, which is fastened at one end by a pin to the axis of the horizontal stone, and at the other to a whiffle tree, to which a horse or ox is geared when the mill is in operation. The upright stone is moved around the axis of the lower, and crushes the olives by its great weight. The oil which is expressed by this crushing mill is incorporated with the crushed mass, which is then transferred to baskets of flexible structure, 18 inches wide and 6 inches deep. A pile of these baskets, 8 feet or more in height, is raised within a hollow erect cylinder of stone, which is open in front by a slit, 4 inches in width, from top to bottom of the cylinder. Into the top of this cylinder passes a piston, which is connected with a lever, to which are attached heavy stones, and by means of the piston the baskets of olives are subjected to as much pressure as is necessary to extract the oil. The quality of oil thus made is quite inferior to that imported from Italy and France. It is largely used in making soap, and was formerly much more used for burning than now." - Dr. Post, of Beirut. (Contributed.) See Olive.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'oil-press' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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