Olive press

[beefche]

I attended a fireside last night with Andrew Skinner (rameumpton, were you there? there were 700 in attendance, so no way could I try to find you). He served as director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for a few years. He told the story of how an olive press was built on the BYU property. One year, he had 170 students who gathered olives during the season and then took the olives to the olive press. He described what a press looks like (with 2 stones to press the olives) and stated that when olives are first pressed and the pure oil first begins to descend into the container outside the press, the oil turns red for a few moments. The oil then turns to it's normal golden color.

What I was trying to figure out was the physics of the red color. Why would the olives turn red initially, then turn the golden color? Can someone explain that to a non-scientific person?

[pam]

Just because. Does that answer your question?

[beefche]

Nope. Too scientific.

[Hemidakota]

Just because it is...

Here is link on facts about Olive Oil - Olive Facts - The Olive Oil Source

[ryanh]

My only guess would be that the cartenoids are the first to escape the olives under a light press (or escape in greater quantities early in the pressing process) whereas the chlorophyll and other elements that would balance out the final color are a little slower to extract or run. The cartenoids in olives are a yellow-red. Chlorophyll obviously, is green.

Or, they were simply pressing olives that were overripe! Hence greater yellow-red pigments and lesser chlorphyll.

[pam]

Yeh what he said.

[rameumptom]

Beefche,

Yes, I was there. Sat in the breezeway on the right side.

I'm thinking it has to do with an un-oiled press. The dirt and film on the stones would first be washed through in the initial pressing.

I was one of the last to talk to Dr Skinner afterwards. had a few questions that most would not have understood regarding the cave in which the main oil press resided in jesus' day. It would not have been used in spring for oil pressing, but was used as a place for travelers to rest (I do have some sources), and to stay during Passover.

I asked if perhaps Gethsemane actually happened in the cave, rather than the forest. While he wasn't certain, he thought it was possible, that the cave was used as sacred space. He mentioned that on the other side of the Mt of Olives is a cave that traditionally is where the resurrected Jesus taught the disciples for 40 days the secrets. So, he thought that it was possible that Gethsemane could have occurred in a cave, as well.

We talked on a few other things I won't mention here, but they were very interesting.

[Just_A_Guy]

Aww, c'mon, Rameumptom--you can't leave us hanging like that!

[beefche]

I was almost in the padding seating...if I hadn't missed the exit and had to turn around to get the right exit, my tush would have had more comfortable seating. One of my mission comps reminded me that Bro. Skinner was in my MTC branch presidency...I don't remember him there as I try to block out that painful 2 months (I am not one who enjoyed my time in the MTC).

That is interesting, ram, about the cave. What other things can you share as you waited to speak with him (I'm assuming you eavesdropped while waiting, cause I sure would have)? He's one of my favorite BYU religion professors. Never had him, but he does a lot of those "discussions.." on byutv.

[sixpacktr]

I have gotten hooked on the scripture series for the OT, NT, BoM, etc., on BYUTV, and saw the episode with Bro Skinner and Bro Brown and two other brethren where he related that experience, and the hushed (yet audible) gasp as the students first saw that phenomenon.

When I heard that, I turned to my wife and said that for many, many years I had misunderstood the ordinance of blessing the sick. I had thought the anointing of oil as simply preparatory, etc., and that the actual blessing was the 'main' part (I know, they are both important, but I think you understand what I mean). After hearing that, I suddenly understood why we use olive oil in anointing the sick: we anoint the sick with the blood of Christ which took away our guilt and makes us whole before him. I had heard some other explanations of the use of oil prior to that, but now I understand that EVERYTHING points back to Christ, and having faith in him and in the atonement. So the anointing is what really matters, and it can be sealed w/o a blessing and all would be in proper order (like when conferring the PH on someone, the blessing is optional).

When I was at BYU in August, I asked if the bookstore had these series on DVD. Sadly, they don't. I would love to have them to watch. These men have such an insight, both spiritual and historical, which helps me better understand the writings.