Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin that is still widely used in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. It is produced by scraping the bark of certain native species of trees and then harvesting the beads of resin after they have dried. When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma. In the ancient near east, the cost of frankincense precluded it from being used as a common household air freshener.
Rather, the burning of frankincense was closely associated with ceremonial worship of a deity. In this way, the inclusion of frankincense as a gift for Jesus may have indicated that the wise men understood that the prophecy of the newborn king carried with it a claim of deity.
As with gold, frankincense may also have an implied connection with the Temple worship of the Old Covenant. Burning incense at the altar was a key part of the sacrificial system prescribed by God for use in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Temple itself.
According to Exodus 30 , however, not just any incense would do. Myrrh is a fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East.
Like frankincense, it can be used as incense, but in the ancient world it also had wider usage as a perfume, anointing oil, and was even imbibed as a medicinal tonic. Isaiah Just like the first two gifts, there is a Temple connection with myrrh as well. Exodus 30 tells us that liquid myrrh was a main ingredient in the anointing oil used to ceremonially prepare the priests, the instruments, the altar, and the Temple itself before sacrifices could be made.
Mary and Joseph saw a glimpse of this when they received the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And in this case, that wealth was likely used to help the family escape to another nation. Joseph was instructed to take refuge in Egypt, a journey of over miles. For a family of humble means, a trip of this magnitude would be difficult to pull off. It was not native to that region, however, so obtaining frankincense from the east was costly. This gift was precious in both meaning and value.
Because we now can analyze the properties and modes of action that substances like frankincense resin and its essential oil maintain, we can see further benefit beyond fragrance and ceremony. Traditional healing suggests frankincense for anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic abilities. We now see that this could be connected to immune modulating effects that might explain uses for both inflammatory illness and antimicrobial purposes.
The most bittersweet of the gifts, myrrh had been imported to Egypt in droves for embalming rituals, and the practice filtered out through the surrounding areas. Even without the mummification process, myrrh was connected with death and burial. A disheartening gift for a new mother to hold, yet beautiful in light of her understanding of his purpose. But was that all the myrrh was for?
While the Middle Eastern regions used myrrh ceremonially, the Far East was using it for healing purposes. China used myrrh for similar purposes — wound healing and to slow bleeding. Prophetic words often had both immediate and long term connotations, so these gifts could have followed a similar dual pattern.
Of course, if they arrived two years after he was born, as the text may suggest, this theory loses a bit of weight. Some early church history writings claim that the three named Magi came together years later to celebrate Christmas together, shortly before they died.
I imagine a delicious meal, the laughter of old friends, and a fragrant incense burning to remind them all of that one, incredible journey when they carried gold, frankincense and myrrh to a newborn king. Main Dishes. The trees are scored and then left for 2 weeks. The cuts produce a gummy sap that oozes out of the trees. These tears harden and are collected and sorted based on color and grade, and then distilled down to rich and powerful essential oils.
Both resins are extremely fragrant, particularly when burned, with frankincense emanating a sweet, citrusy scent and myrrh producing an earthy, slightly bitter aroma. Today we prefer to diffuse them instead of burning them to receive their most therapeutic benefits. Frankincense is known as the king of the essential oils. It has been shown to be a strong immune booster and has potent anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
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