Page 126 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook w videos

about the Garden as it was probably owned by a private individual who had given Jesus permission to
frequent the place. It was the location that Jesus had taken his disciples to frequently – a place of
solitude and prayer. Judas was very aware of the location on the Mount of Olives.

The Garden yielded the olive fruit. People in Israel ground olives up and
extracted the oils from them for medicines, salves, lotions and facial ointments,
base for perfumes, cooking, and illuminating their rooms at night. They also
enjoyed the olives as a part of their meals.

To extract the oil from the olives, the farmers ground the olives using a large
millstone. The ground pulp was then placed in large leather bags and stacked
on top of one another to about a height of 4 feet.

Then the farmer would lower a press on the bags by adding a gethsemane
stone, as they called them, on the press. Each gethsemane stone weighed
about 1,000 lbs.

As the first stone was added to the press, about 1/3 of the oil would flow out Green Olives
which was the very purest and best of the oil. This oil was consecrated to the
Lord and given to the temple or synagogue for service there. Once the oil ceased to flow, a second
stone was added to the press. Now there is 2,000 pounds pressing the mesh. About 1/3 more of the oil
would begin to flow. This oil was used for cooking, lotions, and in eating with bread. It was also used
for medicinal purposes. Finally, the flow would cease again.

A third stone was then added to the
press. Now there is 3,000 pounds of
weight pressing the olive mesh. A
final third of the oil was extracted
but was the poorest of quality. It
was used mainly for burning in oil
lamps.

Luke 22: 42, 44 “Father, if you are
willing, take this cup from me; yet
not my will, but yours be
done”.… And being in anguish, he
prayed more earnestly, and his
sweat was like drops of blood falling
Gethsemane stones used to press olive mesh to produce olive oil
to the ground.

This condition of bleeding from the pores is called hematidrosis, the effusion of blood in one’s
perspiration. It is a very rare and dangerous condition and can lead to death. It is caused by severe
emotional trauma.

Jesus, while in the Garden, was pressed by what was about to occur: The God of the Universe was
about to take upon Himself the eternal punishment for the sins of all mankind. The thought of
becoming sin PRESSED on him greatly. As the weight of the coming sacrifice pressed on him, he began

126