דברי הימים א, פרק ז׳, פסוק ל״א

The genealogical records of the tribe of Asher focus on the descendants of Beriah, distinguishing Malchiel with a title that connects him to Birzayit. The primary approach among commentators views this title through a geographic and political lens, suggesting that Malchiel was the minister, leader, or mayor of a city by this name [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this connection can be understood genealogically, meaning that the inhabitants of the city were actually Malchiel's direct descendants [מלבי״ם].

Beyond geography, another layer of interpretation connects this title to the abundant olive oil that famously blessed the tribe of Asher. In this tradition, the name does not refer to a place, but rather alludes to Malchiel's daughters. These women were exceptionally beautiful and married into the highest classes of society, specifically men who were ritually anointed with oil. Opinions differ regarding exactly which elite group they married into; some suggest they became the wives of priests, who were anointed with olive oil, while others believe they married kings, who were anointed with the sacred anointing oil. Their extraordinary beauty was a direct result of the abundance of oil in their tribe's territory. The women would lavishly anoint their bodies with oil, a treatment that preserved their freshness, restored their youthful appearance, and granted them immense beauty [רש״י].