Wiregrass Seniors Magazine December 2017 DECEMBER ISSUE | Page 3

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Frankincense and Myrrh
Have you ever wondered what Frankincense and
Myrrh are and what is their significance?
Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from Boswellia
trees. It is used in incense and perfumes. There are four
main species of Boswellia which produce true frankincense
and each type of resin is available in various grades. The
grades depend on the time of harvesting, and the resin is
hand-sorted for quality. Frankincense is tapped from the
tree by slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to
bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears.
Differences in soil and climate create diversity of the
resin, even within the same species. Frankincense trees are
also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environ-
ments so unforgiving that they sometimes grow directly out
of solid rock. Frankincense has been traded on the Arabian
Peninsula and in North Africa for more than 5000 years.
Boswellia
Tree
Myrrh is the dried oleo gum resin of a number of
Commiphora species of trees. Like frankincense, it is pro-
duced by the tree as a reaction to a purposeful wound
through the bark and into the sapwood. The trees are bled
in this way on a regular basis. The princial species is
Commiphora myrrha, which is native to Yemen, Somalia,
and the eastern parts of Ethiopia.
Since ancient times, myrrh has been valued for its
fragrance, its medicinal qualities as a wound dressing and an
aromatic stomatic, and for the ancient Egyptians as the prin-
cipal ingredient used in the embalming of mummies. So valu-
able has it been at times in ancient history that it has been
equal in weight value to gold. During times of scarcity, its
value rose even higher than that. It has been used through-
out history as a perfume, incense, and medicine.
Commiphora
Tree
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