Heidi Norton
Incense has been used in religious ceremonies across the world for millennia, including in Christian, Jewish, and Pagan worship. The Bible makes several references to incense, describing it as emblematic of prayer and the relationship between God and their followers. The Old Testament outlines the importance of incense in the Tabernacle, and the New Testament includes a Christological reference to the coals from the altar of incense. The ingredients of the incense are described in Exodus, and the Talmud expands on this, listing 11 components in total.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Symbol of prayer ascending to God |
| Ingredients | Stacte, onycha, galbanum, pure frankincense, myrrh, cassia, spikenard, saffron, costus |
| Timing | Burned every morning and evening, and on the Day of Atonement |
| Usage | Used in the service of the tabernacle walls, and in the Temple in Jerusalem |
| People | Offered by the high priest, later by ordinary priests as well |
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What You'll Learn
Incense was symbolic of ascending prayer
The use of incense in the Bible is often associated with prayer and religious worship. Incense is believed to symbolise the ascending prayer of the officiating high priest, as described in Psalm 141:2: "May my prayer be set before you like incense". The act of burning incense is thought to represent the spiritual connection between God and the praying individual.
Incense was commonly used in religious ceremonies by ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians. In the Bible, the use of incense is mentioned in the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Exodus, where God instructs Moses on the recipe for sacred incense:
> "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..." (Exodus 30:34-36)
The Talmud, a collection of rabbinic teachings, expands on this recipe, listing seven additional components to the four mentioned in Exodus, resulting in a total of eleven ingredients. These include stacte, onycha, galbanum, frankincense, myrrh, cassia, spikenard, and saffron.
The burning of incense is also mentioned in the New Testament, where it is associated with the prayers of believers (Revelation 5:8). In Christian art and liturgy, the smoke of incense is often used to symbolise prayer, a tradition that continues in various Christian denominations today.
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Incense was burned morning and evening
The burning of incense symbolised ascending prayer, and it was used to accompany sacrifices in the Jewish temple. The Book of Exodus provides a recipe for the sacred incense, which was to be made from costly, fragrant materials contributed by the congregation. The ingredients included sweet spices, stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, in equal weights. The Talmud expands on this recipe, adding seven additional components, for a total of eleven ingredients. These include myrrh, cassia, spikenard, and saffron.
The Bible also mentions specific instructions for burning incense. For example, in Exodus 30:7-8, it is specified that incense was to be offered by a priest, either the high priest Aaron or, as revealed in the Gospel of Luke, an ordinary priest. When the priest entered the holy place with the incense, the people were to be removed from the temple, and profound silence was to be observed.
The burning of incense is also mentioned in the New Testament, with references in Hebrews, Revelation, and medieval Christian art. Today, incense continues to be used in liturgical rites and devotions in various Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some Anglican and Lutheran churches.
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Incense was made from costly materials
The Bible describes incense as a mixture of costly, sweet-smelling gums and spices that was burned to produce a perfume during worship. The recipe for the incense used in the Tabernacle is outlined in the Book of Exodus:
> 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 you.
The Talmud lists seven additional components from the oral Torah, bringing the total number of ingredients to eleven. These include myrrh, cassia, spikenard, saffron, and costus.
The incense was made from costly materials that were contributed by the congregation. The ingredients were sourced from various regions, including South Arabia (frankincense, myrrh), Somaliland (frankincense), Palestine (saffron, stacte), the Red Sea (onycha), Persia (galbanum), India (nard), and Ceylon (cinnamon). The Arabs controlled much of the incense trade, and this trade brought wealth to the kingdoms of South Arabia.
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Incense was used in the service of the Tabernacle
Incense was widely used in the religious ceremonies of ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians. It was also a key component of worship in the Tabernacle, where it was burned on an altar situated at the end of the Holy compartment, next to the curtain dividing it from the Most Holy.
The Book of Exodus provides a recipe for the sacred incense used in the Tabernacle, which was comprised of costly materials contributed by the congregation. According to the Bible, God instructed Moses to take "sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be of like weight". These ingredients were to be combined in equal proportions, tempered with salt, and burned to create a fragrant perfume.
The Talmud, a Jewish text, expands on the recipe by adding seven additional components to the four specified in Exodus. The 11 ingredients, as taught by the rabbis, include stacte, onycha, galbanum, frankincense, myrrh, cassia, spikenard, saffron, costus, and two additional spices. Each of the first four ingredients weighed seventy mina, while the next four weighed sixteen mina, and costus weighed twelve mina.
The burning of incense in the Tabernacle was associated with prayer and was offered twice daily by the high priest, Aaron, and later by ordinary priests as well. The smoke of the incense symbolized the ascent of prayers to God, as depicted in the Gospel of Luke, where Zechariah offers incense while the people pray outside.
The use of incense in the Tabernacle was subject to strict regulations, and any incense not made according to the prescribed recipe was forbidden. The Bible records the severe consequences for improper use, as in the case of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, who died for improper worship involving incense.
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Incense was used in ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, and Canaan
The use of incense was prevalent in ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, and Canaan. In ancient Egypt, incense was considered the "Fragrance of the Gods" and was used in religious ceremonies and rituals. Large quantities of incense were burned daily in temples throughout Egypt, with certain gods and goddesses associated with specific types of incense. For example, Hathor was strongly associated with myrrh. The burning of incense was believed to evoke the actual presence of the deity and was considered an embodiment of life and an aromatic manifestation of the gods. Secret recipes for incense were carefully guarded, and the process of making incense was veiled in religious secrecy, involving specific ingredients, symbolic days, and magical spells. The Egyptians also valued exotic imported fragrances, such as myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, cassia, and galbanum, which were obtained through trade routes with Arabia, India, and the Land of Punt.
In Babylonia, or Babylon, incense played a significant role in the incense trade routes. Gerrha, a city founded by Babylonian exiles, controlled the aromatics trade to Babylon in the 1st century BC. This city served as an important entry point for goods shipped from India, contributing to the incense trade route that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
Assyria, or Assyrian Empire, also had a connection to incense through its control over the incense trade routes. Historical documents indicate that Tiglath-Pileser III, an Assyrian king, advanced through Phoenicia to Gaza, which was a significant location along the incense trade route.
Arabia was a crucial source of incense and played a prominent role in the incense trade routes. The frankincense and myrrh trees were a significant part of Yemen's economy, and the region attracted settlers due to its position in the trade network. Indian and Arabian middlemen traded incense and spices with the Greeks, but their monopoly weakened with the development of monsoon trade and the discovery of direct routes to India.
Canaan, or the Land of Canaan, is mentioned in the Bible in relation to the incense offerings in the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temple periods. The sacred incense used during this time was made of costly materials contributed by the congregation. The recipe for this incense, as described in the Book of Exodus, included sweet spices such as stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bible describes a sacred incense with a recipe that includes costly materials contributed by the congregation. The recipe is specified in the Book of Exodus and includes "sweet spices", stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense in equal weights.
The ingredients for the sacred incense were sourced from various regions, including Somaliland, Palestine, and Persia. The Talmud expanded the original four ingredients to eleven, with three hundred and sixty-eight mina in total, corresponding to the days of the solar year.
The eleven types of spices in the Talmud's recipe for incense may have been chosen to correspond to the number of ingredients needed to create a complex and exceptional fragrance.
