Hyssop

Hyssop (Hebrew ʾêzôb, Greek hyssōpos) was a small bushy plant used extensively in Israelite purification rites for its ability to hold and sprinkle liquid. Its first biblical appearance is at the Passover in Egypt, where it was used to apply the lamb's blood to the doorposts and lintel (Exodus 12:22). This initial association with protective blood established hyssop as the instrument of atoning application throughout the Levitical law: it was used in the purification of lepers, the cleansing of houses affected by mold, and the sprinkling of blood in the red heifer ceremony (Numbers 19).

The plant's identity has been debated—the most likely candidate is the Syrian hyssop (Origanum syriacum), a common bushy herb of Palestinian rock walls that forms natural bunches suitable for use as a sprinkler. Psalm 51:7 uses hyssop as a metaphor for deep inner cleansing: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. At the crucifixion, a sponge of sour wine was offered to Jesus on a hyssop branch (John 19:29), connecting the Passover sacrifice imagery to the cross. Hebrews 9:19 cites Moses's use of hyssop at Sinai to complete the typological pattern of blood, hyssop, and covenant.