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Aromatic Botanicals of the Bible
Aromatic Botanicals of the Bible
 At
least nineteen aromatic botanicals are referenced in the Old and
New Testament books of the Bible. These botanicals were used to
make anointing oils,
perfumes, incense, medicinals,
hair oils, skin care products of the day and/or other natural aromatics.
A majority of the natural botanicals mentioned in the Bible are
now distilled into essential oils. Others like aloeswood are still
available for use as incense.
Below is a list of the nineteen aromatic botanicals
mentioned in the Bible with an example passage displayed for each
botanical. I am using Old Testament references wherever possible.
Aromatic botanicals that are available as essential
oils and have an Essential
Oil Profile on AromaWeb are linked to the corresponding Essential
Oil Profile page.
Aloeswood
Aloeswood is a rare and precious wood that
is burned as incense. The Japanese, for instance, find the smoke
to be calming and entrancing, especially suitable for meditation.
"Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
with choices fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus
and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and
aloes [aloeswood] and all the finest spices."
— Song of Songs 5:13-14 (NIV)
Calamus
Calamus is considered a hazardous/toxic oil.
"Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought
your merchandise; they exchanged wrought iron, cassia and calamus
for your wares.
— Ezekiel 27:19 (NIV)
Cassia
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take
the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as
much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels
of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia — all according to
the sanctuary shekel — and a hin of olive oil. Make these
into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.'"
— Exodus 30: 23-26 (NIV)
Cedarwood
"To purify the house his is to take
two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop..."
— Leviticus 14:49
Cinammon
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take
the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as
much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels
of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia — all according to
the sanctuary shekel — and a hin of olive oil. Make these
into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.'"
— Exodus 30: 23-26 (NIV)
Cistus/Rock Rose/Rose of Sharon
"I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the
valleys."
— Song of Songs 2:1 (NIV)
Cypress
"I will put in the desert the cedar
and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in
the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people
may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of
the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created
it."
— Isaiah 41:19-20 (NIV)
Fir
" The glory of Lebanon will come to
you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the
place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet."
— Isaiah 60:13 (NIV)
Frankincense
"Who is this coming up from the desert
like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense made
from all the spices of the merchant?"
— Song of Songs 3:6 (NIV)
Galbanum
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take
fragrant spices — gum resin, onycha and galbanum — and
pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend
of incense, the work of a perfumer.'"
— Exodus 30:34-35 (NIV)
Hyssop
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will
be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
— Psalm 5:7
Juniper
The Broom Tree, as
referenced in Psalm 120, is thought to be a juniper shrub that grows
in Palestine (This passage can be looked at in several ways,
one being that the juniper was used to cleanse, purify and eliminate
that which is false and negative.):
"He will punish you with a warrior's
sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree."
— Psalm 120:4 (NIV)
Myrrh
"...with myrrh and aloes [aloeswood]
and all the finest spices."
— Song of Songs 4:14 (NIV)
Myrtle
"I will put in the desert the cedar
and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in
the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people
may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of
the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created
it."
— Isaiah 41:19-20 (NIV)
Onycha (Styrax Benzoin)
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take
fragrant spices — gum resin, onycha and galbanum — and
pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend
of incense, the work of a perfumer.'"
— Exodus 30:34-35 (NIV)
Pine
" The glory of Lebanon will come to
you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the
place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet."
— Isaiah 60:13 (NIV)
Saffron
"Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
with choices fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus
and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and
aloes and all the finest spices."
— Song of Songs 5:13-14 (NIV)
Sandalwood
Almugwood, as
used in 1 Kings is thought to be red sandalwood:
"And she gave the king 120 talents of
gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again
were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave
to King Solomon. (Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from
there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones.
The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of
the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres
for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or
seen since that day.)"
— 1 Kings 10:10-12 (NIV)
Spikenard
"Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
with choices fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus
and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and
aloes and all the finest spices."
— Song of Songs 5:13-14 (NIV)
 
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