“It is poignantly symbolic that ‘blood [came] from every pore’ [Mosiah 3:7] as Jesus suffered in Gethsemane, the place of the olive press. To produce olive oil in the Savior’s time, olives were first crushed by rolling a large stone over them. The resulting ‘mash’ was placed in soft, loosely woven baskets, which were piled one upon another. Their weight expressed the first and finest oil. Then added stress was applied by placing a large beam or log on top of the stacked baskets, producing more oil. Finally, to draw out the very last drops, the beam was weighted with stones on one end to create the maximum, crushing pressure. And yes, the oil is bloodred as it first flows out.”1
See more images of Easter here.
Notes
D. Todd Christofferson, “Abide in My Love,” Oct. 2016 general conference.