Ezov

[3][4] Maimonides, Saadia Gaon and earlier Jewish commentators identified ezov with za'atar,[5] which may refer to various local herbs, including marjoram, oregano and thyme, which have aromatic and cleansing properties, grow wild in Israel, and can easily be bunched together to be used for sprinkling.

[4] The book of John in the New Testament (written in Koine Greek) mentions that hyssop was used, along with vinegar, to alleviate the thirst of Jesus, during his Passion.

Matthew and Mark mention the occasion but refer to the plant using the general term κάλαμος (kálamos), which is translated as "reed" or "stick."

[4] It has been suggested that Psalm 51's verse 7 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:" is an early example of the medical use of Penicillium, the initial source of penicillin.

[8] The Israelites used ezov in the Passover ritual when they were enslaved in Egypt, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, to sprinkle lamb's blood on the door posts and lintels of the slaves' quarters in which they lived, so that God[9] would pass over them as he slew the first-born of the Egyptians.