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Ezov ((ヘブライ語:אזוב)) is the Classical Hebrew name of a plant mentioned in the Bible in the context of religious rituals. In some English-language Bibles, the word is transliterated as ''ezob.'' The Septuagint translates the name as ὕσσωπος ''hyssop'', and English translations of the Bible often follow this rendering. The Hebrew word אזוב and the Greek word ὕσσωπος probably share a common (unknown) origin.〔''Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd Edition, 1989, ''s.v.'' hyssop〕 In the Bible, ''ezov'' is described as a small plant found on or near walls,〔1 Kings 4:33〕 with an aromatic odour.〔Numbers 19:6〕〔''Jewish Encyclopedia''〕 Maimonides, Saadia Gaon and earlier Jewish commentators identified ''ezov'' with ''za'atar'', which may refer to various local herbs, including marjoram, oregano and thyme, which have aromatic and cleansing properties, grow wild in Israel, and can easily be bunched together to be used for sprinkling.〔 The book of John in the New Testament (written in Koine Greek) mentions that ''hyssop'' was used, along with vinegar, to alleviate the thirst of Jesus, during his Passion. Matthew and Mark mention the occasion but refer to the plant using the general term κάλαμος (''kálamos''), which is translated as "reed" or "stick." ''Origanum'' has short stems and some scholars say it would have been too short to reach the mouth of Jesus during crucifixion.〔''Catholic Encyclopedia''〕 A number of scholars have proposed that ''ezov'' is the caper plant (''Capparis spinosa''), which the Arabs call ''azaf.'' 〔(A modern herbal: Hyssop )〕 The caper is native throughout the Mediterranean Basin, and considered to have cleansing properties.〔 ==Ritual use== In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, they used ezov in the Passover ritual, using it to sprinkle lamb's blood on the door posts and lintels of the slaves' quarters in which they lived, so that the angel of death 〔Exodus 12:23〕 would pass over them as he slew the first-born of the Egyptians.〔Exodus 12:22〕 Later on, once the Israelites had settled in Israel, they used ezov more regularly for other rituals. It was used in the ritual for cleansing from leprosy;〔Leviticus 14:4-7, 14:49-51〕 and for ritual purification.〔Numbers 19〕 In Psalms, the sprinkling of ezov is used allegorically to refer to purification of the heart.〔Psalm 50 (septuagint numbering) / Psalm 51 (masoretic numbering)〕 The Roman Catholic Church, and also some sects, interpreting ''ezov'' as ''hyssop'', have adopted the biblical practice of sprinkling with water to ritually cleanse objects (including churches) and people, in a ritual termed ''aspersion'' during the Asperges. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ezov」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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