Frankincense

Frankincense provides one of the most evocative scents in the long history of aromatics. Its fresh, fruity, pine-lemon bouquet  with delicately sweet, resinous and woody undertones, slows and deepens breathing and has been used since ancient times to awaken higher consciousness, and enhance spirituality, meditation and prayer.

The name “Frankincense” is widely known as an  historic biblical ingredient, and to many as one of three gifts from the visiting Magi  to the newborn Jesus and as an ingredient in the Old Testament’s Exodus incense  mixture. Few have experienced its aroma though or know of its rich history and how the world has  treasured and used it since long before recorded time.

Lets explore some of it together…

Frankincense has been one of the world’s most  treasured commodities since the beginning of written history. At its peak its  value rivaled that of gold, the rarest silks, and the most precious of gems.  Ironically, it is but a milky-white resin produced by a scrubby, unlikely  looking tree, genus Boswellia.  There are twenty-five known species of Boswellia, each creating a water-soluble gum-resin with its own distinctive  fragrance and medicinal properties.

Frankincense trees require an arid climate  where moisture is provided by morning mist. The few ideal environments in the  world for this small prized tree are found in Southern Arabia (Oman  and Yemen), India, and Northern Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya).  Further, frankincense trees require a limestone-rich soil and are mostly found  growing on rocky hillsides and cliffs, or in the dried riverbeds below.  Harvesting can be a very dangerous task.

Frankincense resin begins as a milky-white  sticky liquid that flows from the trunk of the tree when it’s injured, healing  the wound. The Arabic name is luban, which means white or cream. It’s also known as olibanum,  and its essential oil is often called “Oil of Lebanon.” It’s commonly recognized western name, frankincense, is said to have originated from the Frankish (French) Knights of the Crusades who treasured it in large quantities.

Frankincense is also a natural insecticide and was used in ancient Egypt to fumigate wheat silos and repel wheat moths. In Arabia, the smoke of burning frankincense resin is used to repel mosquitoes and sand flies. Researchers have found that burning frankincense indoors improves the acoustic properties of the room. Dioscorides described how the bark of the  tree was put into water to attract fish into nets and traps. In ancient Egypt  the resin was a key ingredient for embalming their dead.
Frankincense in summary, is one of nature’s  most cherished gifts!!