| Gold, Incense and Myrrh |
By: Prof. Fabio German Cupul Magaña - Official Member of the Mexican
Society for the Divulgation of Science and Technology SOMEDICYT
December 2005
- Leer en Español |
 The biblical Gospels of the Jewish Christian religion report how a group of wise astrologers of the Orient offered three presents in order to adore the newly born Israeli Messiah: gold, incense and myrrh. From these same sacred passages it can be interpreted that the gold was offered to him in his role as King, the incense honored his investiture of God and the myrrh was given to him to remember him of the bitterness of his role as a vulnerable and mortal human being.
However, beyond the symbolism enclosed in these three gifts, few of us know what incense and myrrh really are what they are composed of and what other application they had in ancient Palestine.
 Myrrh is a resin of a dark red color that has a strong fragrance and a bitter flavor. It is extracted from a shrub that belongs to the bursaries family. Grouped within this family we also have one of the trees which characterize the tropical forest of the Banderas Bay: the Naked Indian tree. The myrrh shrub is not native to Palestine. It grows in Arabia, Ethiopia and Somalia.
A clear and thick pulp oozes from its branches. Upon contact with the atmosphere it takes on the characteristic dark red color. The ancient folks extracted a higher quality pulp by making incisions in the branches of the shrub.
During biblical times myrrh was an expensive, very luxurious object since it had to be imported from the eastern coast of Africa. Only a few rich and distinguished people were able to indulge themselves in having extensive “myrrh mountains” in their gardens, with the sole idea of demonstrating their social status and material wealth to others. In addition to its symbolic character myrrh was an ingredient of ample use during the process of embalming of the dead. Likewise the properties of myrrh as a pain sedative are evident in the story of Christ’s crucifixion when he was offered to drink a mixture of wine and myrrh according to the Jewish tradition of attending those sentenced to death. As it is known Jesus turned it down in order to remain conscious until the last moment.
Myrrh was appreciated in ancient times as an ingredient for perfumes. It has also been used as a stimulant and tonic and at present times it is used as an antiseptic in mouthwash and teeth rinsing.
 Incense, on the other hand, is a material composed of most of those aromatic spices and resins that upon being burned, sends out a scented fume. Its ingredients can be balsam, cinnamon, myrrh, sandalwood and musk.
The burning of incense has been a conspicuous characteristic of religious sacrifice ceremonies since remote times. It is mentioned on a small engraved board placed on the sphinx in Gizeh, Egypt around the year 1530 B.C. Incense was used during the rites of the primitive Jewish religion and later by the Romans in religious ceremonies and official ceremonies.
The offering of incense during religious ceremonies is considered an act of purification connecting the object, the animal or the sacrificed person with the Gods. Amongst the ancient inhabitants of Mexico the most commonly used incense was the so-called “copal”, which is obtained from the resin of the trees of the bursera family, better known as “naked Indian tree” or “copal”.
Prof. Fabio German Cupul Magaña
E-mail:
fcupul@pv.udg.mx
The publication of this article is possible thanks to the authorization of Prof. Fabio German Cupul Magaña, author of the books "Tales of natural history in Vallarta - University of Guadalajara" (Relatos de la historia natural vallartense - Universidad de Guadalajara) and "Natural environment: Selection of essays of scientific disclosure - Coastal University Center of the University of Guadalajara". (Ambiente natural: Selección de ensayos de divulgación científica - Centro Universitario de La Costa Universidad de Guadalajara).
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