FRANKINCENSE - Wise men, or magi, visited Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, when he was a year or two old. For the young Jesus, this gift symbolized His divinity or His status as high priest, as frankincense was a key part of sacrifices to Yahweh in the Old Testament. Since His ascension to heaven, Christ serves as high priest for believers, interceding for them with God the Father. Incense is still used in some rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Its smoke symbolizes the prayers of the faithful ascending to heaven.

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What Is Frankincense?

A Costly Gift Fit for a King

by Jack Zavada

Frankincense is the gum or resin of the Boswellia tree, used for making perfume and incense.

The Hebrew word for frankincense is labonah, which means "white," referring to the gum's color.

The English word frankincense comes from a French expression meaning "free incense" or "free burning."

It's also known as gum olibanum.
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Frankincense in the Bible

Wise men, or magi, visited Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, when he was a year or two old.

The event is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, which also tells of their gifts:

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11, KJV)

Only the book of Matthew records this episode of the Christmas story.

For the young Jesus, this gift symbolized His divinity or His status as high priest, as frankincense was a key part of sacrifices to Yahweh in the Old Testament.

Since His ascension to heaven, Christ serves as high priest for believers, interceding for them with God the Father.

A Costly Gift Fit for a King

Frankincense was a very expensive substance because it was collected in remote parts of Arabia, North Africa, and India.

Gathering frankincense resin was a time-consuming process. The harvester scraped a 5-inch long cut on the trunk of this evergreen tree, which grew near limestone rocks in the desert.

Over a period of two or three months, the sap would leak from the tree and harden into white "tears."

The harvester would return and scrape the crystals off, and also collect the less pure resin that had dripped down the trunk onto a palm leaf placed on the ground.

The hardened gum might be distilled to extract its aromatic oil for perfume, or crushed and burned as incense.

Frankincense was widely used by the ancient Egyptians in their religious rituals. Small traces of it have been found on mummies.

The Jews may have learned how to prepare it while they were slaves in Egypt before the Exodus.

Detailed instructions on how to properly use frankincense in sacrifices can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.

The mixture included equal parts of the sweet spices stacte, onycha, and galbanum, mixed with pure frankincense and seasoned with salt (Exodus 30:34).

By God's command, if anyone used this compound as personal perfume, they were to be cut off from their people.

Incense is still used in some rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Its smoke symbolizes the prayers of the faithful ascending to heaven.
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Frankincense Essential Oil

Today, frankincense is a popular essential oil (sometimes called olibanum).

It is believed to ease stress, improve heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, boost immune function, relieve pain, treat dry skin, reverse the signs of aging, fight cancer, as well many other health benefits.

Jack Zavada

ormer newspaper reporter, technical editor for the U.S. Department of Defense, and public relations director.

Author of Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.

Owner of Christian website inspiration-for-singles.com.

Experience

Jack is a freelance writer who concentrates on Christian topics. During his 45 year career, he has written thousands of newspaper and magazine articles covering areas from sports and business to the Bible and theology. His Christian website for singles, founded in 2005, receives thousands of visitors every month from over 150 countries.

Jack worked as a newspaper reporter and Associated Press wire editor, then served as a technical editor at the United States Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USA-CERL), operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. He also worked as publications editor for an Illinois utility company and as communications director for a national nonprofit organization. He has written about Christianity for the Dotdash/About.com network since 2008.

Education

Jack earned his master's degree in English Composition at Illinois State University in 1982. He concentrated on teaching writing in the community college and served an internship teaching technical writing. He also received a B.Sc. in English Literature from ISU in 1973.

Publications

Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges, (2017, Pine Cone Press).

Single and Sure, (2008, ebook).

How to Master Your Money, (2009, ebook).

Outsmarting Loneliness, (2010, ebook).

Mr. Lincoln for the Defense, (2011, ebook).

Killers on my Trail, (2012, ebook).

The Jesus Comic Book, writer and illustrator, (2016, ebook).

Rebel Town, (1976, Ace Books).

The Wolfer, (1978, Ace Books).

Penwhistle's Prize, (1980, Ace Books)

West of the Pecos, pen name James Calder Boone, (1988, Ballantine Books).

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-frankincense-700747