Frankincense Materia Medica

The English name frankincense derives from the medieval French word franc, meaning pure or free, and the Latin word incensium, meaning to smoke. Frankincense was so highly esteemed in ancient cultures that virtually all the peoples of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East considered it vital to their religious rituals. They used the fragrant, white smoke from smoldering incense, such as myrrh and frankincense, to both communicate with their gods and soothe them when they were angry. Frankincense was one of the ingredients of the holy incense (qetoret in Hebrew) burned by the Jewish priests in the ancient temple of Jerusalem.

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