High-quality frankincense purchased in Omdurman, Sudan.
ANY SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS program is likely to mention the gifts of the magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So frankincense is a readily recognized Bible term.
Frankincense is prepared from the gum of several species of Boswellia (Burseraceae), trees and shrubs native to the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Incense is obtained from the gummy resin that can naturally exude from the plant, but usually cuts are made to stimulate oozing. Milky at first, the resin dries into translucent, amber-colored, hard drops that are harvested several weeks after oozing to the surface of the plant.
The word “frankincense” is derived from two words meaning “high-quality incense”; it is best known for burning as incense. The fragrance reminds me somewhat of pine resin. Widely used in the ancient Middle East, frankincense would have been known in the Arabian Peninsula though it is not included in the Quran. In the Bible, on the other hand, incense is mentioned about 140 times. Frankincense was an essential ingredient in the holy incense required for worship in the Old Testament.
The formula is given in Exodus: “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. It is to be salted and pure and sacred’” (Exodus 30:34–35, NIV). Salt was added for unknown reasons.
Three Boswellia papyrifera trees on a ridge in Tigray Province, Ethiopia, in October. The trees have lost most of their leaves as the dry season approaches.
Villager bruising bark of frankincense tree to induce exudation of sap, in October, Tigray Province, Ethiopia.
Milky latex exuding from broken frankincense stem. The latex is an oleoresin produced in the phloem tissue of the tree. Tigray Province, Ethiopia, in October.
Modern-day incense compounding still depends heavily on frankincense. The resin has several uses in addition to incense (Langenheim 2003)—in small quantities to flavor certain candies and baked goods and also as a medicine to stop bleeding. Frankincense is a common commodity in Middle East markets where incense is highly valued by local people.
Despite the demand for frankincense, all harvest is from native plants; it is not grown commercially. Because it is such a highly valued natural product in the region, its harvest has contributed to the reduction of tree and shrub populations.
