Seamus Hammond
Incense was an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. The offering of incense is mentioned in the Old Testament, where it is described as a holy sacrifice. The Hebrew Bible mentions four ingredients, but rabbis and sages received a tradition that 11 spices were compounded in the holy incense. The incense offering was burned on a special altar and was made of costly materials contributed by the congregation. The priests of the House of Avtinas were responsible for preparing the incense during the Second Temple period, and the technique and exact proportions were kept secret.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Incense offering | קְטֹרֶת (qəṭoreth) |
| Incense ingredients | Spices, gums, cinnamon, cassia, stacte, onycha, galbanum, frankincense |
| Number of ingredients | 4 (according to the Hebrew Bible), 11 (according to the Talmud) |
| Incense offering frequency | Twice a day (morning and evening) |
| Incense altar location | Tabernacle, Temple in Jerusalem |
| Incense preparation | Pounded twice a year in a large, movable mortar |
| Incense storage | Spread out in summer, heaped up in winter |
| Incense in the Old Testament | References to burning incense, e.g. Leviticus 10:1-2 |
| Incense in New Testament | Typological references, e.g. coals from the altar of incense (Hebrews 9:3–4) |
| Incense in other cultures | Egyptian, Babylonian-Assyrian, Arabian |
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What You'll Learn
The role of incense in Hebrew worship
The use of incense played a significant role in ancient Hebrew worship, with the offering of incense mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. The burning of incense was a common practice in ancient Oriental religions, including Egyptian and Babylonian-Assyrian worship. The ancient Hebrews likely used incense in their religious practices, though it is not mentioned until a relatively late date in the Old Testament.
The Hebrew Bible describes the incense offering as a blend of aromatic substances, including sweet spices and gums, that were burned as an act of worship. The specific blend of ingredients was carefully guarded and only known to the compounders, as replication for the worship of foreign gods was prohibited. The preparation of the incense was entrusted to the priests of the House of Avtinas during the Second Temple period.
The incense offering was an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was offered twice daily, in the morning and evening, corresponding to the daily sacrifices on the altar of burnt offerings. The Book of Exodus provides a recipe for the sacred incense, which included sweet spices, stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, all of which were to be of equal weight. The ingredients were to be finely ground and mixed, creating a pleasant fragrance.
The altar of incense was located in the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle, near the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The burning of incense on this altar symbolised the perpetual nature of Christ's mediation and the sweet-smelling savour of believers' prayers to God. The Day of Atonement held special significance, where the high priest would burn incense in the Holy of Holies, rather than on the altar.
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The ingredients of incense
- Stacte, which is described as the extract of the transparent portion of the myrrh resin that exudes spontaneously from the tree, or a balsam from a tree such as opobalsamum.
- Onycha, which was steeped in Cypriot wine to make it pungent.
- Galbanum.
- Frankincense.
These four ingredients were mentioned in the Book of Exodus, while the Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah. The ingredients were to be re-pounded twice a year in a large, movable mortar. In storage, they were spread out in the hot summer months to prevent mould and mildew, and heaped up in the winter months to retain their pungency.
The rabbis and sages received a tradition that there were 11 spices compounded in the holy incense. Three of these additional ingredients are believed to be:
- Saffron, which was used for its aroma.
- "Qinnamon", or cinnamon, a native of Ethiopia.
- "Kipath Ha-Yarden", or "Jordan amber", which some think is a rose that grew along the banks of the Jordan River.
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The altar of incense
> Take unto yourself sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal amount. And you shall make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
The burning of incense on the altar was a ritual performed by the priests, who served as mediators between the people and God. It was done twice a day, in the morning and at twilight, and the smoke from the incense symbolised the prayers of the people rising up to God. The altar of incense was also used in sacrificial rituals, where the blood of sin offerings was smeared on its horns.
The use of incense and its symbolic significance extended beyond the Israelites. For example, incense was commonly used in Egyptian worship, with representations of the king often depicting him holding a censer and offering incense.
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The preparation of incense
The Book of Exodus describes the recipe for the sacred incense prescribed for use in the wilderness Tabernacle:
> Take unto yourself sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be of 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 [it] before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with [you]...
The Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah, bringing the total number of ingredients to eleven. The four components from the Book of Exodus are:
- Stacte
- Onycha
- Galbanum
- Pure frankincense
The three hundred and sixty-eight mina of the incense mixture correspond to the days of the solar year, with three hundred and sixty-five mina split between the morning and afternoon, and three extra mina from which the Kohen Gadol would bring both his handfuls into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur.
The Ṣippōren ("claw" or "fingernail" spice) used in the incense offering included species of molluscs known under the taxonomic classification Pleurotoma Babylonia and Pleurotoma trapezii. Zohar Amar argues that this spice was an animal product, implying that it was viewed by some as a plant growth because of the horny plates of these sea creatures that were often found lying upon the seashore.
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The importance of incense
The use of incense by Hebrew priests was of great importance in ancient Hebrew culture and worship. The incense offering, or "qəṭoreth", was a blend of aromatic substances, usually spices and gums, that were burned as an act of worship. The specific blend of ingredients was carefully guarded, passed down through oral tradition, and kept secret to prevent its use in the worship of foreign gods. The Book of Exodus describes the recipe as a combination of "sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense". The ingredients were to be re-pounded twice a year and stored according to the season to maintain their pungency.
The offering of incense played a prominent role in the sacrificial legislation of the ancient Hebrews, and later, in the time of the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temple periods, it became an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. The altar of incense was located in the Holy compartment of the Tabernacle, next to the curtain dividing it from the Most Holy, and in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The burning of incense was to be continuous, with priests taking turns to offer it twice a day, in the morning and evening, corresponding to the daily sacrifices on the altar of burnt offerings.
The use of incense is also mentioned in the New Testament, with typological references such as the coals from the altar of incense on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:3-4) and the comparison of the prayers of believers to incense (Revelation 5:8). The perpetual burning of incense on the altar symbolises the perpetual nature of Christ's mediation, representing the sweet-smelling savor of the prayers of believers to God.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Hebrew priests used incense.
The incense was made of a blend of aromatic substances, including spices and gums. The exact formula was kept a closely guarded secret. The Hebrew Bible mentions four ingredients, but rabbis and sages claim there were 11 spices in total.
The incense was burned on an altar, with the priests taking turns. The practice was part of the sacrificial legislation of the ancient Hebrews.
The incense was burned in the morning and evening, corresponding to the daily morning and evening sacrifices.
The use of incense was an act of worship. It is also said that God considers the prayers of believers to be like a sweet smell of incense.
