Antonio Mcgowan
Incense has been widely used in many religious ceremonies, both Christian and pagan, and is usually regarded as a symbol of prayer. The Bible mentions various uses for incense, but it gives special attention to the blend burned inside the tabernacle. The recipe for the sacred incense is detailed in the Old Testament and includes costly materials such as sweet spices, storax, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. The Bible also mentions additional components from the Talmud and other sources, such as myrrh, cassia, and salt. The burning of incense was strictly regulated in liturgical worship, and it was not to be made for personal use. Today, incense is still used in liturgical rites in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican and Lutheran churches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of ingredients | 4 |
| Ingredients | Storax/Stacte, Onycha, Galbanum, Frankincense |
| Salt | Yes |
| Burning | Twice daily |
| Purpose | Worship, prayer, purification |
| Usage | Not for personal use |
| Secret ingredient | Possibly a sea snail |
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What You'll Learn
- Holy incense was burned twice daily, morning and evening
- The Bible describes the recipe as a blend of sweet spices
- The four ingredients are storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense
- The mystery ingredient, onycha, was made from ground sea snail shell scrapings
- Salt was used to temper and bind the ingredients
Holy incense was burned twice daily, morning and evening
The burning of holy incense was a sacred act, performed twice daily, in the morning and evening, as part of the liturgy of worship. This ritual was not to be taken lightly, as it was strictly regulated and reserved for the Aaronic priesthood. The Bible describes the recipe for this holy incense, which was to be burned on the golden Altar of Incense in the earthly Sanctuary.
In the Book of Exodus, God reveals to Moses the ingredients for the sacred incense: "Take sweet spices: storax, onycha, galbanum, sweet spices and pure frankincense in equal parts and compound an incense, such a blend as the perfumer might make, salted, pure, and holy" (Exodus 30:34-36). The Bible also instructs that some of the incense be ground into a fine powder and placed in the Tent of Meeting, where God would meet with Moses (Exodus 30:34-36). This act symbolised the purity and holiness of the ingredients.
The recipe for holy incense was not to be used for personal or ordinary purposes, and those who attempted to do so faced severe consequences, including being cut off from their community (Exodus 30:34,38). The burning of incense was a solemn act, and its smoke symbolised the prayers of the people, rising up to God (Psalm 141:2).
The ingredients for holy incense were carefully chosen and contributed by the congregation. While the Bible lists four main components, there were additional secret ingredients known only to the priests, ensuring that the sacred incense could not be replicated for unauthorised use (Exodus 30:9,37). The four known ingredients are: storax, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. Storax, also known as stacte or myrrh resin, is derived from the bark of myrrh bushes. Onycha is made from ground mollusk shell scrapings, specifically from the opercula of dye-producing sea snails called Murex whelks. Galbanum is a resin obtained from the ferula plant, and frankincense is a resin extracted from boswellia trees.
The act of burning holy incense was a sacred ritual, performed twice daily, symbolising the prayers of the congregation rising up to God. The ingredients for this incense were carefully chosen and blended according to God's instructions, ensuring the holiness and purity of the offering.
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The Bible describes the recipe as a blend of sweet spices
The Bible describes the recipe for holy incense as a blend of sweet spices. This recipe was to be burned during the liturgy of the morning and evening worship services on the golden Altar of Incense. According to Exodus 30:34-35, God instructed Moses to take "sweet spices: storax, onycha, galbanum, sweet spices and pure frankincense in equal parts and compound an incense, such a blend as the perfumer might make, salted, pure, and holy". The Bible also mentions that Moses was told to "beat some of it very small, and put it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I shall meet you".
The specific ingredients and processes for making sacred incense were closely guarded secrets. The Bible prohibits the use of the sacred blend for personal use as a fragrance, with severe consequences for misuse. The burning of the incense was strictly regulated and was only to be performed by the Aaronic priesthood. The Bible mentions that two of Aaron's priestly sons were consumed by holy fire for their unauthorized burning of incense during the morning liturgical service.
Onycha, one of the ingredients in the holy incense, has been a subject of debate among scientists. While the Bible describes onycha as being made from ground mollusk shell scrapings, the exact source has been difficult to identify without original samples for comparative analysis. However, recent research has provided strong support for the opercula from dye-producing whelks as the source of onycha.
The Bible also mentions the symbolic significance of incense, representing the prayers of the people ascending to God. In Psalm 141:2, David expresses this idea, stating, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!". Additionally, the smoke of incense symbolized purification and ritualized cleansing during spiritual ceremonies.
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The four ingredients are storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense
The holy incense mentioned in the Bible contains four key ingredients: storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense. This sacred blend is described in Exodus 30:1-8, where God instructs Moses on the recipe for the holy incense to be burned during the morning and evening worship services on the golden Altar of Incense.
Storax, also known as styrax, is a natural resin derived from the styrax tree. It has a distinct, sweet balsamic fragrance with a top note resembling gasoline. Storax is often used in incense and perfumery, adding depth and sweetness to the blend. The balsam has a sticky consistency and can be challenging to work with, but warming it up can make it more pourable.
Onycha is a more mysterious ingredient, with its exact identity being a subject of debate. The word is derived from the Greek "onyx," meaning fingernail, and the Hebrew "Sheheleth," referring to the operculum of a mollusk. Some believe that onycha could be the resin secreted by the Rock Rose Bush, known as labdanum, due to the fingernail-shaped markings on its flower petals. Others suggest that it may be gum tragacanth, a resin from the Astragalus plant species, or the dried and processed secretions of a group of mollusk opercula found in the Red Sea.
Galbanum is a resin collected from the bulb, root, and lower stem of a plant, believed to originate in Syria. It has a long history of use in incense ceremonies and medicinal practices by Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures. Galbanum contributes a complex, earthy, and spicy fragrance with medicinal notes. It blends exceptionally well with frankincense and myrrh and is known to enhance the overall aroma of the incense mixture.
Frankincense, the final ingredient, is a well-known resin with a sweet and pleasant fragrance. When combined in equal parts with the other ingredients and seasoned with salt, the resulting incense blend is considered holy and reserved for worship.
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The mystery ingredient, onycha, was made from ground sea snail shell scrapings
The Bible's Book of Exodus describes the recipe for sacred incense, which was to be burned during the morning and evening worship services on the golden Altar of Incense. God revealed this recipe to Moses during a 40-day meeting, instructing him to take equal parts of sweet spices, stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. While the exact ingredients of the sweet spices remain a mystery, the other components are well-known.
Onycha, in particular, has long been a subject of debate. It is one of the four ingredients for holy incense listed in the Old Testament, but its origin was unclear until recently. Scientists now believe that the source of onycha is a group of sea snails called Muricidae or murex. These snails were highly valued in biblical times as they were the only known source of an insoluble purple dye. The use of purple and blue-dyed yarn was prescribed for the tabernacle and the garments of high priests, as mentioned in Exodus 26 and 28. This indicates that spiritual leaders during this period did not object to incorporating products derived from sea snails for sacred purposes.
The process of creating sacred incense was likely a closely guarded secret, intended solely for holy use. The Bible warns against making this incense for personal use, with consequences of being cut off from the community. While it is challenging to conclusively identify the biblical onycha without original samples, multidisciplinary research provides strong support for the opercula from dye-producing whelks.
Opercula refer to the trapdoor lids that protect the snails inside their shells. The fragrant chemicals in the smoke of whelk opercula have been captured and analysed, revealing their potential role in the holy incense recipe. The medicinal fragrance of opercula smoke aligns with the use of sacred incense for purifying the holy temple and ritual cleansing during spiritual ceremonies.
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Salt was used to temper and bind the ingredients
The Bible describes the recipe for holy incense in the Book of Exodus. God reveals the recipe to Moses, instructing him to take "sweet spices: storax, onycha, galbanum, sweet spices and pure frankincense in equal parts and compound an incense, such a blend as the perfumer might make, salted, pure, and holy".
The exact process and formulary for the blend of incense were kept secret. The recipe was guarded by the House of Avtinas, and the use of the incense was strictly regulated. The burning of the holy incense was a prerogative of the Aaronic priesthood, and those who replicated the formula were threatened with being "cut off from his people".
The ingredients of the holy incense were ground very fine and burned on the golden altar of incense in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple. The incense was burned every morning and evening, and the coals and remaining incense were taken into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bible, in Exodus 30: 34-35, mentions the use of "sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy."
The ingredients for holy incense were contributed by the congregation and were made from costly materials. The Bible mentions that the incense included plant and shellfish extracts.
The ingredients were carefully selected and combined to create a sacred blend that was used exclusively for worship. The blend of spices symbolised the purity and holiness of the offering.
