Seamus Hammond
Incense was widely practised in ancient Oriental religions, including the Israelite cult. The offering of incense was an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew Bible describes the recipe for incense as a blend of aromatic substances, including sweet spices and gums, that exhale perfume during combustion. The correct blend was a carefully guarded secret, and the Hebrew Bible warns against replicating the exact formula. In later times, a special altar for the incense offering was introduced, indicating its importance in worship. While burning incense is not a common practice in modern Judaism, some people burn it to create a calm and beautiful atmosphere or to enhance their religious experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incense offering in Hebrew | קְטֹרֶת qəṭōreṯ |
| Incense offering in Rabbinic literature | קְטֹרֶת, qəṭoreth |
| Incense ingredients mentioned in the Torah | 4 |
| Incense ingredients according to the Talmud | 11 |
| Incense ingredients according to the Hebrew Bible | 11 |
| Burning incense in prayer | Not allowed |
| Burning incense in homes | Allowed |
| Burning incense in the Temple | Allowed |
| Burning incense during Havdalah | Allowed |
| Burning incense during Sabbath | Allowed |
| Burning incense at meals | Allowed |
| Burning incense on Yom Tov | Not allowed |
| Purpose of burning incense | Purify the air, perfume it, ward off evil spirits and demons, atone for the "evil tongue" |
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What You'll Learn
- Incense offerings were used to purify the air after animal sacrifices
- The correct blend of spices was a closely guarded secret
- The incense altar was introduced later and was located at the end of the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle
- The use of incense is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, but not in early Hebrew literature
- Incense is used in Jewish prayer, but not as part of the prayer itself
Incense offerings were used to purify the air after animal sacrifices
Incense has been used in religious rituals across the world for millennia. The practice has been observed in Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity, Mandaeism, and Judaism.
The ancient Israelites' incense was a mixture of frankincense, storax, onycha, galbanum, and salt, which acted as a preservative. The use of incense in the Israelite cult is mentioned in the Jewish Encyclopedia, which notes that enormous quantities of spices were used annually by the temples. The offering of incense was widely practised in the ancient Oriental religions, including Egyptian worship and the Babylonian-Assyrian cult.
The altar for the incense offering was introduced later and signified the importance ascribed to the offering. The altar in the Temple consisted of a table of cedarwood overlaid with gold and was located in the sanctuary, near the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The sacred incense was burned every morning and evening, and on the Day of Atonement, coals from the altar were taken into the Holy of Holies, along with two handfuls of incense, to be smoked before the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony.
The use of incense in religious rituals is believed to serve various purposes, including purification, protection against demons, and symbolic offerings to deities or spirits.
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The correct blend of spices was a closely guarded secret
The use of incense was an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. The incense offering is described in the Book of Exodus, which mentions four ingredients: sweet spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum, with pure frankincense. The Hebrew Bible, however, expanded the description of the recipe to eleven ingredients. The exact blend of spices was a closely guarded secret, known only to the compounders of the incense to prevent its replication in the worship of foreign gods.
The priests of the House of Avtinas, who prepared the incense during the Second Temple period, kept the technique and exact proportions a secret. The rabbis rebuked them for this according to the Mishnah, Yoma 3:11: "The craftsmen of the House of Avtinas did not want to teach the secret of the preparation of the incense." The identity of the herb used to produce a pillar of smoke was a secret closely guarded by the Avtinas family, who made the incense based on their ancestral tradition.
The preparation of the incense was a divine commandment, and the Torah warns against replicating the exact formula. According to biblical teaching, those who violate this law would be cut off from God's people. The rabbis interpreted this to mean that God Himself inflicts this punishment. Additionally, a priest could be held liable for death if he withheld even one ingredient from the holy incense.
The eleven spices were measured out by exact weight and then finely ground. To this mixture, they added salt of Sodom and a small amount of Jordanian amber, also known as "Jordan amber" or "ambergris." The process of preparing the incense was an act of worship, and the sweet savors of the compounded incense could be sensed as far away as the mountains of Machaerus in Transjordan.
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The incense altar was introduced later and was located at the end of the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle
The burning of incense was a common practice in ancient Oriental religions, including the Israelitish Cult. Incense was used in Egypt and Babylonian-Assyrian worship, and the ancient Hebrews were likely acquainted with its ingredients. However, there is little to no mention of incense offerings in early Hebrew literature or as a regular part of worship during the early kingdom period.
Later, a special altar for burning incense was introduced, located at the end of the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle, also known as the Holy Place. This altar is described in Exodus 30 and consisted of a square top, measuring one cubit per side, and a height of two cubits. It was constructed from acacia wood overlaid with gold and had four "horns" at each corner. The incense altar was placed before the veil or curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the most sacred compartment.
The Tabernacle, a movable tent-like structure, served as the house of the Lord during the Israelites' sojourn in the wilderness. The altar of incense was an integral part of the Tabernacle and was considered "most holy to the Lord." According to Exodus, Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight as a regular offering to the Lord. The sacred incense was composed of costly materials, including sweet spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum, with pure frankincense, as prescribed by the Lord.
The introduction of the incense altar and its placement in the Tabernacle highlight the importance ascribed to the offering of incense in later times. The act of burning incense is often associated with prayer, symbolizing the ascension of prayers to God.
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The use of incense is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, but not in early Hebrew literature
The use of incense by the ancient Hebrews is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, but no trace can be found in early Hebrew literature. The Bible describes the incense as a sacred offering, made of costly materials and aromatic substances that exhale perfume during combustion. The Book of Exodus describes the recipe as follows:
> Take unto yourself sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And you shall make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together [salted], pure and holy: And you shall beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with...
The Bible also mentions an incense altar, located at the end of the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle, next to the curtain dividing it from the Most Holy. According to the Books of Chronicles, there was a similar altar in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The incense was burned every morning and evening, and once a year, on the Day of Atonement, coals from the altar were taken, along with two handfuls of incense, into the Holy of Holies.
The use of incense was also prominent in ancient Oriental religions, including Egyptian and Babylonian-Assyrian worship. However, while the Israelites were likely acquainted with the ingredients for incense, there is no mention of incense offerings in the historic and prophetic books of early Hebrew literature. The noun "ḳeṭoret" and the verb "ḳaṭar" ("kiṭṭer," "hiḳṭir") occur, but they do not refer to the burning of incense on an altar as a sacrifice.
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Incense is used in Jewish prayer, but not as part of the prayer itself
Incense has been used in Jewish prayer, but not as part of the prayer itself. The use of incense in Jewish prayer is mentioned in the Torah, which describes it as a blend of aromatic substances that exhale perfume during combustion, usually consisting of spices and gums. The Torah lists four ingredients for the incense: sweet spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum. However, the Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah, bringing the total number of ingredients to eleven. The correct blend of spices and gums was carefully guarded by the compounders of the incense to prevent its replication in the worship of foreign gods.
The use of incense in Jewish prayer is associated with the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temple periods. The altar for the incense offering was located at the end of the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle, next to the curtain dividing it from the Most Holy. According to the Books of Chronicles, there was also a similar incense altar in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The incense was burned every morning and evening, and on the Day of Atonement, coals from the altar were taken into the Holy of Holies, along with two handfuls of incense, to be smoked before the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony.
The offering of incense was also mentioned in the sacrificial legislation of the middle Pentateuch, although it is seldom mentioned in the historic and prophetic books. The Israelites were likely acquainted with the ingredients for incense, as the caravans that carried spices from Syria to Egypt passed through Palestine, and Solomon brought the spices of southern Arabia to Jerusalem. However, there is no evidence in Hebrew literature of the offering of incense during the time of the early kingdom, and it does not appear to have been a regular or important part of worship during that time.
While the use of incense in Jewish prayer is not a common practice today, some people may choose to burn incense to create a calm and beautiful atmosphere for prayer or to enhance their religious experience by engaging their senses.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Hebrew Israelites can burn incense. Incense offerings, or aromatic substances that exhale perfume during combustion, were a prominent part of sacrificial legislation for ancient Hebrews.
The purpose of burning incense was to perfume the air and purify it to mask the bad odours from sacrificed animals. It is also said to ward off evil spirits and demons.
The exact blend of incense is a closely guarded secret, but it usually consists of sweet spices and gums. The Book of Exodus describes the recipe as "sweet spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum, with pure frankincense".
Incense was burned at the altar of incense in the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temple periods. It was also burned in homes to fumigate clothes and upholstery.
Burning incense is not inherently forbidden, but it is not recommended as an act of prayer. It is, however, used during Havdalah at the end of the Sabbath.
