Horn of Salvation. The Anointment of Saul.
Contents:
1. Anointing Oil from a Vial versus that from a Horn.
2. The Rehabilitation of Benjamin.
3. The Family of Saul when he became king.
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1. Anointing Oil from a Vial versus that from a Horn.
We saw how |Saul and his 'naar' (probably youthful assistant) had gone looking for a group of she-asses that had gotten lost.
See:
Saul & the She-Donkeys.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/project/asses.html
They did not find the she-asses but came to a town in the area of Ephraim where the prophet Samuel was sojourning. They went to consult with Samuel who told them the asses had been found. He then invited them to sit with him at the festive meal that had been arranged. They left the place at daybreak the next day. Samuel accompanied them to the edge of town and then asked Saul to send his servant on ahead. Samuel then took a vial of oil and anointed Saul, as we see:
1-Samuel (TCT Tanak) 10:
1 AND SAMUEL TOOK THE VIAL OF OIL, AND POURED IT ON HIS HEAD, AND KISSED HIM. AND HE SAID, "INDEED, THE LORD HAS ANOINTED YOU TO BE A RULER OVER HIS INHERITANCE.
In Hebrew the word translated as "oil" is 'shemen.' Two types of anointing oil were used for consecrating monarchs:
a. Holy Anointing Oil [Shemen ha-Mishcha] (Exodus 30:22-25). This was used for anointing Temple vessels, the High Priest, ands Kings from the House of David.
See:
Holy anointing oil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_anointing_oil#:
b. Shemen Afarsimon ('persimmon Oil'). This was used for anointing Kings who were not from the House of David meaning King Saul and the Kings of the Ten Tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
THE VIAL OF OIL. In Hebrew the word translated here as 'vial' is 'pach.' This was a vessel made of glass of porcelain. It contained Shemen Afarsimon (Parsimmon Oil) whereas David and his descendants when they were anointed the sacred anointing oil was used out of a contained referred to in Hebrew as a 'Keren' meaning 'horn' possibly made from the horn of a goat.
The Commentary of RADAK (Rabbi David Kimchi 1160-1235, Narbonne, France) on 1-Samuel 10:1, tells us:
# This was not the Anointment Oil (of Exodus 30) since only monarchs from the House of David were to be anointed with that. It was rather Afarsimmon Oil with which Saul and Jehu were anointed. This was contained in a vial. The Sages said that Saul and Jehu were anointed with oil from a vial since the lineage of their reign was not to continue indefinitely unlike that of David and Solomon for which anointing oil from a horn was used. #
See:
Shemen Afarsimon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shemen_Afarsimon
The Special Status of the Davidic Dynasty
By Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein
http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/kings/02kings.htm
Extract:
a) Halakhot concerning anointment. Davidic kings are anointed with the shemen ha-mishcha (anointing oil) used to anoint kohanim while other rulers are appointed by means of shemen afarsimon (persimmon oil), which serves to designate them as kings without granting them the personal status of kedusha, which can only be conferred by the shemen ha-mishcha. In other words, meshicha (anointing) performs a dual function: 1) appointment of the ruler and establishing his authority; 2) endowing him with personal kedusha. A non-Davidic king can achieve only the STATUS of a functional sovereign, appointed for the utilitarian benefits which he can provide. For these purposes, shemen afarsimon suffices. However, the Davidic king is anointed with kedusha and, therefore, he receives the shemen ha-mishcha of the kohanim.
Here is an interesting article on the Persimmon Plant.
The history of biblical Persimmon oil
https://dviroil.com/history/
Extract:
It should be noted that this is not the Persimmon bearing the orange fruits that is known to us today and originated in faraway China, but an ancient Mediterranean plant that was unique to the Land of Israel and hence the whole process of growing and producing products from it was a secret of the members of the Jewish community living in this area.
It turned out that the Jewish community in Ein Gedi had been an international expert in growing Persimmon and producing products from it for at least a thousand years..
The Persimmon scent was so sought after and its name was carried so far and wide, that it was used as one of the incense ingredients in the temple..
The Biblical Persimmon oil was used for a variety of medicinal uses as well as for the ointment of temple tools and even the kings of Israel.
We saw that the Bible says Saul reigned for 2 years but tradition says this means something else and his actual reigned lasted for ca. 20 years.
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2. The Rehabilitation of Benjamin.
We saw the tradition that Saul had taken part in the Civil War of Benjamin against the rest of Israel.
The Benjaminites had cast their protection over a settlement of gang-rapists. All the other tribes joined together
to fight them. They also vowed not to allow any of their daughters marry anyone from Benjamin.
At the end of the war much of Benjamin had been exterminated. There were warriors from Benjamin without wives and no women available.
Part of the solution was allowing men from Benjamin to abduct girls who were dancing at an annual festival in the Valley of Shiloh in the territory of Ephraim.
See:
Wife of Saul.
How did Achinoam become Consort of the Future King?
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/samuel/achinoam.html
That is how Sault met his wife.The prohibition against marriage with anyone from Benjamin was lifted. Nevertheless much of the opprobrium would have remained.
Then Saul became the first king, leading Israel against their enemies with warriors from Benjamin in the forefront.
Saul ruled over them with Jonathan son of Saul and other Benjaminites (such as Abner, uncle of Saul, as Chief-of Staff) occupying positions of importance.
All this would have done much to rehabilitate the Tribe of Benjamin in the eyes of the rest of Israel.
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3. The Family of Saul when he became king.
Zeev Erlich in a Hebrew-language article quotes the following estimations:
Saul was the 21 generation from Benjamin.
His father was Kish. His grandfather was Aviel (also known as "Yaiel") and his grandmother Maacah.
He was 35 when he began to reign.
Yehonatan, son of Saul, was 15.
Other sons of Saul included Malcishua and Avinadab.
Meerav (Meeab) daughter of Saul was 14.
Mical (daughter of Saul) was 12.
Within the Tribe of Benjamin Saul belonged to a kind of clan known as the Matri.