The Barley Offering (Omer)

On the first day of the weeklong Passover festival, visitors to the Temple would offer the first of their harvest of barley, following the prescriptions in Leviticus 23:10–14. Offering a philosophical and symbolic interpretation of the ritual, Philo explains that the barley offering serves as a firstfruit offering for the entire world, drawing a parallel between the Jews’ relation to the rest of humanity and a priest’s relation to the general population. After elaborating on the importance of giving thanks for agricultural produce, he considers why barley, which is of a lower value than wheat, is offered on Passover, the first festival in the calendar, while wheat is not offered until Shavuot.

The Mishnah discusses the legal requirements for the barley offering, considering where the barley had to be sourced and how to fulfill the rules outlined in Leviticus 2:14 for firstfruit grain offerings. Because the crop was forbidden for consumption until after the offering, the Mishnah also considers when the crop could be eaten once the Temple was destroyed and the firstfruits were no longer offered.