The Holy Anointing oil, or the Shemen Ha'Mishchah (שמן המשחה), formed an integral part of the Hebew ritual in the ordination of the Jewish priesthood as well as in the consecration of the articles of the Tabernacle and subsequent Holy Temples in Jerusalem. The primary purpose of anointing with the holy anointing oil was to cause the anointed persons or objects to become 'qodesh' – most holy.

Originally the oil was used exclusively for the Kohanim (priesthood) and the Tabernacle articles but was later extended to include prophets and kings. It was forbidden to be used on an outsider or to be used as an emollient on the body of any common persons and the children of Israel were forbidden to duplicate any like it for themselves.

Christian:

Chrism (Greek word literally meaning "an anointing"), also called "Myrrh" (Myron), Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil," is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration of certain sacraments and ecclesiastical functions.

Pure or scented olive oil, although typically not called chrism today, has been called chrism in the past, including oil used by Protestants in some forms of Baptism,Confirmation , Anointing of the sick and foot washing. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), chrism is used in some temple ordinances.

Multiple early Christian documents discuss the "ordinance" or "several ceremonies...explained in the Apostolical Constitutions" of "chrism," including documents by Theophilus (d. 181) and Tertullian (d. 220). Pope Fabian who reigned from AD 236-250 wrote that in the context of the Last Supper on Thursday evening, Christ taught His Apostles in what way they were to prepare the Holy Chrism: "Our predecessors received from the Apostles and delivered to us that our Saviour Jesus Christ, after having made the Last Supper with his Apostles and washed their feet, taught them how to prepare the Holy Chrism."

The most detailed version of the practice is by Cyril of Jerusalem who details how ointment  or oil was "symbolically applied to the forehead, and the other organs of sense" and that the "ears, nostrils, and breast were each to be anointed." Cyril states that the "ointment is the seal of the covenants" of baptism and God’s promises to the Christian who is anointed. Cyril taught that being "anointed with the Holy Anointing Oil [Chrism] of God" was the sign of a Christian (Christos means "anointed"), and a physical representation of having the Gift of the Holy Spirit  (Holy Ghost). He says, "Having been counted worthy of this Holy Chrism, ye are called Christians, verifying the name also by your new birth. For before you were deemed worthy of this grace, ye had properly no right to this title, but were advancing on your way towards being Christians."(On the Mysteries 3.5)