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Frankincense or '''olibanum''' ( Arabic ,'''لبٌان''' ,'''Lubban''') is an Aromatic Resin obtained from trees of the genus '' Boswellia '', particularly ''Boswellia sacra'' ( Syn. ''B. carteri'', ''B. thurifera'') ( Burseraceae ). It is used in Incense as well as in Perfume s. Frankincense is tapped from the very scraggly but hardy ''Boswellia'' tree through slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears. There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity in the resin, even within the same species. These trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that the trees sometimes grow directly out of solid stone, which the tree attaches to by means of a sucker-like appendage. The deep roots and its sucker like appendage prevent the tree from being torn away from the stone during the violent storms that frequent this region; the tears from these hardy survivors are considered superior due to their more fragrant aroma. The aroma from these tears are more valuable for their presumed healing abilities and are also said to have superior qualities for religious ritual. Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic Terpene , Sesquiterpene and Diterpene 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 along the north coast of Somalia . Recent studies have indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to over-exploitation. Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%. HISTORY The name for this resin possibly comes from "incense of . The lost city of Ubar , sometimes identified with Irem in what is now the town of Shisr in 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. The Greek historian Herodotus was familiar with Frankincense and knew it was harvested from trees in southern Arabia. He reports, however, that the gum was dangerous to harvest because of poisonous snakes that lived in the trees. He goes on to describe the method used by the the Arabians to get around this problem, that being the burning of the gum of the Styrax tree whose smoke would drive the snakes away.Herodotus 3,107 USE , Oman ]] Frankincense 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 Biblical Magi "from out of the east". The Egyptians ground the charred resin into a powder called Kohl . Kohl was used to make the distinctive black eyeliner seen on so many figures in Egyptian art. The aroma of frankincense is said to represent life and the Judaic, Christian and Islamic faiths have often used frankincense mixed with oils to anoint newborn infants and individuals considered to be moving into a new phase in their spiritual lives. The growth of Christian ity, with an initial deritualisation of religion later to be reverted, depressed the market for frankincense during the 4th Century AD. Desertification made the Caravan routes across the Rub Al Khali or "Empty Quarter" of Arabia more difficult. Additionally, increased raiding by the nomadic Parthia ns in the Near East caused the frankincense trade to dry up after about AD 300. SEE ALSO NOTES REFERENCES
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