The Amazing Hyssop of the Bible - Wild Oregano
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow"
Psalms 51:7
What Was David Saying?
Purify me with hyssop Father, dip the branch of your grace into the blood of your Son, and cleanse me from all my sin
Where else does the Bible mention Hyssop?
"And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning." Ex 12:22
"Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: 6. As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: 7. And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field." Lev 14:4-7.
"And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 50. And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water: 51. And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: 52. And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet: 53. But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
54. This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall, 55. And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, 56. And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot: 57. To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy." Lev 14:49-57
"And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer." Num 19:6
"And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:" Num 19:18
"For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20. Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb 9:19
"Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth."John 19:29
Some important Background
In most cases when hyssop is mentioned in the Bible it is being used for the purpose of cleansing which in these cases represents Jesus' blood cleansing us from sin. There must be some strong cleansing agents within hyssop that have the ability to cleanse in the strongest instances ie leprosy etc. It is interesting to note Dr. Grant Jeffrey, chairman of Frontier Research Publications states that "We are dealing with an anti-bacteriological product that God revealed to Moses in the Old Testament 35 centuries ago... it's fascinating because throughout the Bible we find the waters of purification derive from this Hyssop... It was astonishing to me that this is something that literally got brought forth from the past to be used in the future." he also found "that the greatest Jewish rabbi, Maimonides, 1200 AD, clearly identified ezob – Hyssop with the plant Marjoram, also known as Origanum. The Scriptures describe “hyssop” – ezob – as growing on or near the walls of buildings. Hyssop has been commonly known as origanum vulgare or wild oregano for many centuries."
"The name Oregano is derived from the Greek ‘oros’ meaning ‘mountain’ and ‘ganos’ meanin‘delight’ or “Joy of the Mountain” The most potent medicinal Oregano grows wild in the Mediterranean region.
Oregano has been used for medicine and food preservation for thousands of years. During the Middle Ages Islamic doctors used oregano spice as well as the essential oil as a germ killer. Over the centuries oregano has been highly touted as a remedy for a wide range of lung conditions, including asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, and cough. In his 17th century manuscript Britain’s Gerard described how oregano was the ideal remedy for head colds. "The Cure is in the Cupboard" by Dr Cass Ingram p 33,34
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"And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall:..." 1 Kings 4:33
Lesley Braun PhD finds that "Naturally, wild oregano oil has broad spectrum antibacterial activity, much like an antibiotic drug. This has been demonstrated in multiple test tube studies. For example, it stops the growth of the main bacteria responsible for food poisoning and traveller’s diarrhoea (E.coli) and a common bacteria involved in many skin infections (S.aureus)2.
It also has antifungal activity and is effective against the yeast Candida albicans which is the fungus responsible for vaginal thrush. The oil has also been used to treat intestinal parasites. This is supported by a human study which found that treatment with an emulsified form of the oil eradicated most of the infectious agents after six weeks3.
Due to its many different effects, wild oregano oil has many varied uses. It has been used orally for respiratory infections such as sinusitis and the common cold, allergies, ear infections and arthritis. Sometimes it is applied topically to treat conditions such as acne, athlete’s foot, dandruff and insect bites.
References
(2) Baydar H, Sagdic O, Ozkan G, Karadogan T. Antibacterial activity and composition of essential oils from Origanum, Thymbra and Satureja species with commercial importance in Turkey. Food Control 2004; 15(3):169-172.
(3) Force M, Sparks WS, Ronzio RA. Inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo. Phytother Res 2000; 14(3):213-214.
God in His mercy gave the knowledge of Hyssop, this wonderful cleansing herb, to the children of Israel through His servant Moses, to keep them from disease throughout their sojourn to the promised land. It is a great blessing that God has led us to a knowledge of this wonderful ancient herb to help us through our sojourn to the kingdom of God at such a time as this.
I first became aware of Oil of Wild Oregano in mid 2006 when I received an e-mail from the company I worked for, warning about the danger of a possible “Bird Flu” epidemic.
Having a great interest in natural health I started searching the internet for a natural product that would help my family through the approaching winter season. I came across a product that I had never heard of before and we had owned a health food store a few years prior and I thought I had heard of most of the strong antibacterial herbs and tonics available. This product, called Oil of Wild Oregano, was new to me and really stood out. From what I had read It sounded excellent, and when I found out that it was not available in Australia I purchased it from Canada.
After using the product with excellent results we wanted to make it available to all Australians and so decided to manufacture our own brand here. We sourced a natural certified organic product which is grown wild in the mountains of the Mediterranean, and contained a high level of Carvacrol, (80%), which is the major active ingredient. This is blended with Extra Virgin Olive Oil which we purchase here in Australia. We have an AUSTL listed number with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Our products are now available from our website, and are found in most health food stores and many pharmacies right around Australia. As God has blessed us we are passing on the blessings by supporting organizations such as "Food for Life", "Asian Aid" through A.I.I.(Adventist Indonesian Initiative) and "From Heartache to Hope - Feeding Africa". To find out more about these organizations and our range of Wild Oregano products(Hyssop) please visit our website at www.solutions4health.com.au.
“Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.” Jeremiah 33:6
Blessings
Kelvin Cobbin
