Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
Holy Compounds Gifted by the Magi as they Followed the Christmas Star to the Baby Jesus
In art, the travels and adoration of the magi appear historically earlier and much more frequently than any other scene of Jesus’ birth and infancy.
The number of art images of the three wise men exceed those of baby Jesus in a manger.
The Book of Matthew
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
~ Matthew 2:11
The Three Kings
The wise men bore gifts to baby Jesus. They remain unnamed. No other Biblical reference exists that describes the journey, gifts, and homage paid to the newborn Christ the King; only Matthew describes it. We don’t really know if there were three Kings, but because there were three gifts, the story describes three wise men, three Magi who carried them from afar.
And the kings were prophesized in the Book of Psalms.
Psalm 72:11: Yea, all kings shall fall down before him.
What is a Magi?
Britannica describes Magi as:
Magi, in Christian tradition, the noble pilgrims “from the East” who followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem, where they paid homage to the infant Jesus as king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1–12). Christian theological tradition has always stressed that Gentiles as well as Jews came to worship Jesus—an event celebrated in the Eastern church at Christmas and in the West at Epiphany (January 6). Eastern tradition sets the number of Magi at 12, but Western tradition sets their number at three, probably based on the three gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11) presented to the infant.
In about the 8th century the names of three Magi—Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa—appear in a chronicle known as the Excerpta latina barbari.They have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.
Only Matthew describes the magi who followed an Eastern star to find Jesus. Because they inquired in multiple town districts, King Herod heard of their search. And it troubled him, because he wanted to be the only King.
Matthew 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod Tells the Magi to Search for the Christ in Bethlehem
In Matthew 2, Herod inquired of his priests, then told the wise men where to find the Christ.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Per the use of the word oikos, in the original Greek, Matthew describes the men arrived to visit Mary and Jesus sometime after His birth, in a house.
Like the Christmas Carol describes in ‘We Three Kings’, they carried their gifts from afar and followed a star. This is a reminder of the truths that lie in the stars, and the study of the stars, which made these men wiser than any other in searching for and finding the King.
They came from afar, and it was the worst time of the year to take such a long journey. The winter weather was inclimate, the days became short, the sun was farthest off, in solsitio brumali, which was the very dead of winter.
The Massacre of the Innocents
There are two main theories on the visitation timing. One is that it occurred two years after Christ’s birth, because after the Magi left Christ, they spoke to King Herod who then ruled the death of all boys up to two years old, in the Massacre of the Innocents.
Or it could have occurred two weeks later, on January 6, the traditional Orthodox Epiphany and feast day of the Magi.
Nevertheless, it occured at the same time that the shepherd were awake in the night with baby lambs being born. By the time the grass came in the spring, the baby goats would be old enough to then eat grass from the hills.
The Gifts
Theologians and Biblical scholars have studied to provide interpretations behind the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that were presented to baby Jesus by the Magi.
According to BiblicalArchaeology.org:
These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. In fact, these same three items were apparently among the gifts, recorded in ancient inscriptions, that King Seleucus II Callinicus offered to the god Apollo at the temple in Miletus in 243 B.C.E.
The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem’s glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6). Although Matthew’s gospel does not include the names or number of the magi, many believe that the number of the gifts is what led to the tradition of the Three Wise Men.
The gifts have symbolic and practical value, and scholars conclude that the medicinal properties and uses of frankincense were familiar to Matthew.
Gold
Symbolic. Gold symbolizes the royalty of Christ the King, and myrrh was a prefiguring of his death and embalming—an interpretation made popular in the well-known Christmas Carol, “We Three Kings.”
While most scholars believe this was literally a gift of gold, there are some who believe that it was turmeric, the golden root, or curcumin, also known as the Golden Pigment from Golden Spice.
Practical. A precious metal, gold would have proven to be very valuable.
Curcumin is a supplement and top remedy used today for inflammation, post-vaccine injury or spike support. Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric, which is in the ginger plant family, derived from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. Turmeric has been long used in Ayurvedic and ancient Chinese medicine for healing skin disorders and wounds. Curcumin alleviates gut, joint, and lung problems, with research showing it has:
“antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, and antibacterial activities as indicated by over 6,000 citations”.
Source: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/why-did-the-magi-bring-gold-frankincense-and-myrrh/
Frankincense and Myrrh
Frankincense and myrrh are both used medicinally for their extracted tree resins. They are of the Burseraceae family, also known as the “torchwood” or “incense” family.
Whereas frankincense comes from the sap of Boswellia tree, myrrh comes from the veins of the Commiphora.
In the Catholic Church, both are used during services, where the priest swings a golden chamber that billows a plume of incense smoke of frankincense and/or myrrh. Frankincense has a citrus, sweet, pine aroma; myrrh has a complex scent described as rich, smoky, and slightly bitter.
Frankincense
Symbolic. Frankincense was used for worship in the Temple; it is symbolic of Christ the High Priest and represents his Christ’s kingship and priestly role.
Practical. According to BiblicalArchaeology.org:
Researchers at Cardiff University have demonstrated that frankincense has an active ingredient that can help relieve arthritis by inhibiting the inflammation that breaks down cartilage tissue and causes arthritis pain. The new study validates traditional uses of frankincense as an herbal remedy to treat arthritis in communities of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where the trees that produce this aromatic resin grow. Did the magi “from the East” know of frankincense’s healing properties when they presented it to young Jesus?
Frankincense is made from the resin of the Boswellia tree.
Health benefits of frankincense’s terpenes and boswellic acid may include reduction of arthritis inflammation, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
A 2017 NIH study showed that frankincense plus herbal medicines relieved abdominal pain, bloating, and its depression and anxiety in those with irritable bowel syndrome. Animal research shows frankincense oil can destroy pancreas cancer cells, bladder cancer cells, and breast cancer cells, as well as depression and pain suffered by cancer patients in hospice. Another study showed it decreases brain swelling by 75%, in over 60% of patients with blurred vision and migraines. It can help food digestion, help irritable bowel syndrome, help stress or depression, alleviate cold and flu symptoms with lung phlegm.
Frankincense may improve eczema and acne, and it has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties on the skin, soothing inflammation and killing bacteria, a possible reason that Mary may have used it after childbirth. Maybe it helped with postpartum depression and restoration of estrogen hormone balance, and it has also been used to relieve menstrual bloating. It can even be used as a household cleaner.
Myrrh
Myrrh is from Commiphora myrrha, a thorny bush that secretes a white pulp that is reduced to a resin.
Symbolic. Myrrh a perfume used to anoint bodies of the dead, and is symbolic of Christ the Prophet’s death for the sake of truth.
Practical. Due to its antimicrobial properties, ancient Egyptians used frankincense and myrrh for mummification and treating wounds and skin sores.
Drugs.com cites some medicinal uses of myrrh:
Myrrh has been used for centuries as incense and for medicinal purposes. Medicinally, it has been used as an astringent, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antitussive, emmenagogue (NOTE: a reference to herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus; some stimulate menstruation), and antispasmodic agent. It was commonly included in mixtures used to treat worms, wounds, and sepsis during the 4th century BC.
Myrrh has also been reported to treat gout, headache, jaundice, throat ailments, indigestion, fatigue, and paralysis.
Myrrh has been used in a variety of infectious diseases, including leprosy and syphilis, and to treat cancers.
The Chinese have used myrrh in the management of a variety of skin and mouth infections. Myrrh played a key role in the religious ceremonies of the ancient Egyptians. Today, myrrh is used as a component of fragrances and as an astringent in mouthwashes and gargles.
Myrrh is contraindicated during breastfeeding and pregnancy. It can promote menstrual bleeding and lead to a miscarriage. It can interfere with blood thinners like warfarin or coumarin derivatives, causing a decrease in the international normalized ratio (INR).
Some believe that the gifts offer clues to the identity of the wise men
The gifts confirmed my theory that the wise men were magi from the court of the Nabatean king Aretas IV.
The Nabateans controlled the Arabian peninsula and therefore the vital trade routes from Yemen in the East to the port of Gaza, and from Egypt in the South to Syria, Asia Minor and East to Persia. Their capital, Petra, was at the crossroads of these two lucrative trading routes. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not only the Nabatean’s cash crops, but they were also representative diplomatic gifts.
The gold mines of Arabia and East Africa were famous in ancient times, and gold is still mined in Saudi Arabia today. In the Nabatean region of Northwest Arabia (also called “Hejaz”) is the ancient, incredibly wealthy gold mine called the Mahd adh Dhahab, or “Cradle of Gold.” Archeologists have discovered at the site “huge quantities of waste rock… left by the ancient miners, still containing traces of gold. Thousands of stone hammers and grindstones used to extract the gold from the ore litter the mine slopes.”
The value of gold is timeless, but the precious quality of the wise men’s other two gifts is not immediately obvious to people of the twenty-first century. To understand the immense value of frankincense, one needs to grasp the universal practice of religion in the ancient world.
Everyone was not only a believer in the supernatural realm, but virtually everyone practiced his religion. Part of their religious duty was to burn incense in the temples of their gods and goddesses. The first mention of the use of incense in worship is in Egyptian texts from the third millennium BC. Its use spread to Mesopotamia, and by Roman times, in pagan temples across the empire, incense was offered to the gods daily. Historian Jane Taylor observes, “The growth of Rome had ushered in a period of almost obsessive incense burning. Besides its uses in medicine and worship, no Roman funeral was complete without vast quantities of frankincense whose fragrant smoke was thought put in a good word to the gods for the welfare of the departed.”
Like frankincense, myrrh was made from a gum resin, dried and compressed and burnt to produce an aromatic smoke. In addition to the fragrant smoke it was also used as a rich perfume. Myrrh was also used to treat conditions ranging from battle wounds to skin inflammations. Jesus was offered wine mingled with myrrh as a pain killer at the crucifixion.
The frankincense was tapped from trees that only grew in Southern Arabia and limited areas of East Africa. The myrrh came from a wider area in Southern Arabia, but both frankincense and myrrh could only be harvested once a year. The production was labor-intensive and the yield small. Nevertheless, the quantities of frankincense and myrrh the Arabians produced were huge.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were, without a doubt, the richest of gifts that could be offered to a newborn king, but their significance lies not so much in their religious symbolism, nor in the fabulous wealth they represented. Instead the gifts themselves are clues to the identity of the wise men.
Throughout the ancient Middle East, gifts were given and received as diplomatic gestures. Josephus records how, when Herod completed building the city of Caesarea Maritima in 9 BC, envoys from many nations came to Palestine with gifts. The gifts would not simply be luxurious, they would also represent the finest produce from the country of origin.
Likewise, when a military leader conquered a country, the neighboring rulers would approach him to offer gifts of tribute, hoping that he would not invade their territory and impose heavy taxes. The expert on Persia, Pierre Briant, records the gifts made to King Cambyses after his successful invasion of North Africa: “The Colchians and Ethiopians sent a hundred boys and a hundred girls as slaves. The Ethiopians brought “two quarts of unrefined gold, two hundred logs of ebony, and twenty elephant tusks. The Arabians brought a thousand talents of frankincense.”
When the psalmist writes, “Kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring him tribute, The kings of Saba shall offer gifts,” the Jews would have understood these royal treasures as offerings acknowledging heir allegiance to the king. Furthermore, not only were tribute gifts given to conquering kings, but it was customary for neighboring monarchs to offer gifts at the birth of a future king.
In 6 BC, the political situation between the Nabatean King Aretas IV and Herod the Great was exactly what you would expect for tribute gifts to be made. Aretas’ claim to the throne was shaky. Herod had just worked with the lawyers in Aretas’ court to persuade the emperor Augustus that a joint enemy of Aretas and Herod was a scoundrel. Aretas had already sent tribute gifts to Caesar, and only grudgingly had Caesar Augustus finally accepted the gifts and given his approval to Aretas IV’s claim to the Nabatean throne. If Aretas sent sweeteners to Caesar, it makes sense that he would do the same for Herod when the proper opportunity arose.
Furthermore, Augustus had returned the crucial port of Gaza to Herod, so it was vital for Aretas IV to remain in Herod’s good graces in order to get his goods across Judean territory to the port. When the wise men of his court announced that they had discerned from the stars that a new King of the Jews was to be born, Aretas IV would have had every motive to send envoys to Herod’s court in Jerusalem to present gifts that were not only rich and regal, but also representative of the wealth and power of Aretas’ Nabatean kingdom.
So while it makes a good preaching point that the gold, frankincense and myrrh stood for Christ’s kingship, divinity and sacrificial death, the true significance of the gifts is that they support the thesis that the wise men were Nabatean sages from the court of Aretas IV on a diplomatic mission to Judea.
This essay was first published here in December 2017.
Source: https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/01/why-gold-frankincense-myrrh-mystery-of-the-magi-dwight-longenecker.html
WHAT I REALLY THINK
I think there is much more to the stars than the governments would have us think. And we should pay more attention to the stars.
And I also think it's important for us to know how to avoid evil. The wise men went back a different way and avoided Herod, who got so mad he killed every baby. Had they returned to him, would the babies have been spared, or would the Magi have been killed along with the Christ?
It shows us that sometimes, we shouldn’t directly tackle a problem by fighting it. We can take a detour, break promises to bad people, and do what our conscience (the Holy Spirit) tells us to do.
The Kings directly teach us to listen to that still, soft voice of the Holy Spirit, something that the powers want to remove from us. Even if it means lying to someone who is a bad person, as they did, we can be led by the Holy Spirit and be a witness to miracles.
LET US PRAY
Holy God,
Let us listen to Your voice, Great Majesty! Let us quiet our souls and minds, and open them up to You. LET US SEEK YOU WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS!
Thank you for giving us Your Holy Spirit, Who comforts us through all difficult and challenging times, Who guides us to Your still waters and takes us to unexpected places. GLORY TO YOU, OH LORD, FOR YOUR HOLY SPIRIT!
We Glorify You for Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born on this Day! Let us marvel in His Birth that did not receive any genetic material from a man, but whose life was begun by You. WE MAGNIFY YOUR NAME!
Help us to follow Christ’s greatest command: to love one another as we love ourselves. Let us seek Your Face no matter the lengths we must go through. Let us hear Your voice and follow it, no matter where it leads us.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus.
Amen.
Excellent information. Thank you.
Personally, I think that God provided these gifts as a means for Joseph to support his family while they lived in Egypt, awaiting their instructions to return home.
Great article Dr. Margaret. Merry Christmas to you and your family 🙏🏾