Bible References of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
Humans have treasured essential oils for their medicinal and sensory properties for thousands of years. As concentrated, precious substances, the oils and resins from aromatic plants have played important roles in healing therapies and religious worship across the globe. The effort required to reduce large masses of plant matter into oils made these liquids extremely special commodities in early civilizations. Nowhere in literature is this more apparent than in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, essential oils were prized as symbols of wealth, healing, generosity and faith. From the use of cedarwood and hyssop for physical healing in the book of Leviticus, to Mary of Bethany anointing of Jesus’s feet with her life savings of spikenard in the book of John, essential oils played, and continue to play, an important role in the spiritual lives of Jews and Christians. The distillation process for essential oils is a relatively new phenomenon that requires a still and a large amount of water to steam out the essential oils. Most likely, the oils we read about in the Bible were infusions of plant material into other more common oils. This, however, does not reduce their potency or their cultural and historical significance. Frankincense, myrrh and the other oils of the Bible were held in high esteem and difficult to obtain. Regardless of their distillation process, creating an aromatic oil has always been a labor-intensive project. The Bible lists approximately one dozen oil-creating plants by name, including aloes (also known as sandalwood), cinnamon, cedarwood, cypress, frankincense, galbanum, juniper (broom tree), hyssop, myrrh, myrtle and spikenard. It is not clear whether these plants were all used as aromatic oils during Biblical times, or whether they were used in their raw herbal form, yet a strong tradition of using these plants for healing and anointing is apparent in the many references found in the Old and New Testaments. Different resources list various numbers of Bible passages related to using these plants, and there are many opinions on whether all of the plants mentioned are the same plants we know them as today. Regardless of the wide range of opinions on the exact historical uses of these plants, it is important to note that these oils continue to be highly valued in modern aromatherapy and herbal healing, even in light of modern science. The plants found in the Bible thrive in a dry, desert climate with limited rainfall. This sparse landscape has provided some of our most revered essential oils. The essential oils of the Old and New Testaments are derived from a number of plants, ranging from barks to flowers and berries. Cinnamon, also known as cassia, is a pungent-smelling tree bark that rolls on itself when it is desiccated. Other trees, like cedar, juniper, cypress and aloes (sandalwood), were used for wood as well as healing and religious ritual. Another beloved aromatherapy plant that grew well in the Mediterranean was myrtle, a flowering shrub. The resins – galbanum, myrrh and frankincense- also came from trees. The sticky masses were included in incense and frequently lit directly for use in rituals. These valuable substances were prized for their heavy aromas and their ability to keep for many years. Just like in Biblical times, frankincense and myrrh are still employed in instances when heightened states of spiritual awareness are desired. At last, spikenard, sometimes seen as nard, is an herb found in Asia. Treasured for its unique scent, spikenard was brought to the Mediterranean and used in perfumery. When searching for Biblical references to medicinal plants, the Old Testament is the place to begin. Myrrh, one of the first oils to be referenced, can be found in Exodus 30:23-29. After wandering in the desert after their escape from Egypt, the Israelites, led by Moses, were asked by God to have an anointing oil made for the ritualistic objects in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. This portable altar was carried as the Israelites roamed for forty years in the desert. The oil, which was made from olive oil, cinnamon, cane and myrrh, was used to transform the ritual implements into sacred instruments. The process of anointing both humans and objects can be found throughout the Bible as an act of faith and worship. The birth and death of Jesus both contain references to aromatic oils as offerings. Matthew 2:11 recounts the arrival of the magi at the time of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. Following a guiding star, these kings arrived where Mary had just given birth and offered the baby frankincense and myrrh, oils which are still used today to induce spiritual awakenings. During Jesus’s life, he was anointed with oil of spikenard on two different occasions, once by a woman who broke a jar and poured it over his head and once by Mary Magdalene. Mary, who had purchased the spikenard with her life savings, anointed Jesus’s feet and rubbed the oil in with her hair. In each instance, the bestowal of oils were a gift of great worth. Today, the oils of the Bible are frequently used in aromatherapy for healing physical ailments, connecting with spiritual or meditative states and even as offerings in religious contexts. Many of these oils have been used in unison, such as frankincense and myrrh, for thousands of years. Their widespread cultivation and our appreciation for their medicinal qualities have traversed the globe as Jews and Christians have continued to respect and use these rare oils. While aromatherapy as it is practiced today is a relatively new field of medicine, the use of medicinal oils is actually as old as civilization itself. By learning how these plants were used during Biblical times, we can connect to traditions that have recognized the relationship between humankind, the plant world and spiritual awakening.
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