| Frankincense |
Articles about Frankincense |
Information AboutFrankincense |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FRANKINCENSE | |
| incense | |
| resins | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
Frankincense or '''olibanum''' is an Aromatic Resin obtained from the tree '' Boswellia Thurifera '' or ''B. sacra'', B. carterii ( Burseraceae ). It is used in Incense as well as in Perfume s. Frankincense is tapped from Boswellia trees through slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to harden. Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps producing the best resin due to its higher aromatic Terpene s, Sesquiterpene s and Diterpene s content. High quality resin can be visually discerned through its level of opacity. Oman i frankincense is said to be the best in the world, although quality resin is also produced in Yemen and Somalia . HISTORY The name for this resin likely comes from “''incense of Franks ''” since it was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders . Although it is better known as “frankincense" to westerners the resin is also known as ''olibanum'', which is derived from the Arabic ''al-lubán'' ("the milk") a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswellia tree. Some have also postulated that the name comes from the Arabic term for "'' Oil of Lebanon ''" since Lebanon was the place where the resin was sold and traded with Europeans. Compare with Exodus 30 : 34, where it is clearly named ''levonah'', meaning either "white" or "Lebanese" in Hebrew. The lost city of Ubar , sometimes identified with Irem in what is now Oman , is believed to have been a centre of the frankincense trade along the recently rediscovered ' Incense Road '. Ubar was rediscovered in the early 1990s and is now under archaeological excavation. USE Olibanum is used in Perfumery and Aromatherapy . Olibanum Essential Oil is obtained by steam Distillation of the dry resin. The Smell of the olibanum Smoke is due to the products of Pyrolysis . Frankincense was lavishly used in , frankincense and Myrrh were among the gifts to Jesus by the Magi 'from out of the east'. The growth of Christian ity depressed the market for frankincense during the fourth century CE. Desertification made the Caravan routes across the Rub Al Khali or 'Empty Quarter' of Arabia more difficult. Additionally, increased raiding by the nomadic Parthian s in the Near East caused the frankincense trade to dry up after about 300 CE . ARTICLES
RELATED SITES
REFERENCES
SEE ALSO |