Olive Press

One of the olive presses found at Chorazin inside one of the basalt buildings.  The olives were crushed by the large stone wheel and then were pressed on the partially preserved basalt bases.

After the olives were harvested in the fall of the year, the olives were brought to such a grinder.  The olives were placed inside the depression of the large lower stone and then the wheel–shaped upper stone (visible on the left) was rotated over them as one or two persons pushed on a large wooden beam that was attached to the revolving stone The wheel–shaped stone turned and rotated around over the olives inside the large fixed lower basin.

After the crushing, the olives were placed in baskets, and then pressure was applied to the baskets to squeeze out the olive oil.  The oil was then stored and used for cooking, lighting, cleansing, anointing, etc.

 To view additional olive presses and olive trees Click Here.