anointing oils

ANOINTING OILS
Anointing Oils in the Bible are mostly Symbolic. They symbolize the Holy Spirit - God's earthly Presence. All the Biblically specified Anointing Oils are designed to be the evidence of being appointed or designated to God's Unique Purpose. Some call it being "set apart". It means these Special Oils typify a persons special purpose in God's Kingdom. Oil was first used in this manner in Genesis 28:18 when the Patriarch Jacob used it to pour over the stone he had used as a pillow then set up as a pillar to the Lord. The Hebrew word, "anoint" actually means "to rub or to smear".

In the Old Testament, Specially Extracted, often Scented Oils, were also often used as a setting apart of objects for God's exclusive use. Many famous Bible characters including Aaron and his sons, King Saul, King David, and others were anointed with oil. The Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and all its vessels were anointed - all of these under the direction of God Himself. This anointing symbolized their empowerment by the Holy Spirit to fulfill a special assignment by God and reaches it's completeness in Jesus, the Messiah. This was The Anointed One, set apart to the office of King and Priest to bring salvation to all people.

"Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5. Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the Ephod, the Ephod itself and the Breastplate. Fasten the Ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. 6. Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban. 7. Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics 9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.[a] The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons."
-[Exodus 29:5]

FRAGRANCES OF THE BIBLE
Anointing Oils in the Bible were a part of most ceremonies. The modern-day sacraments and rites borrow much from these traditions. Why are Anointing Oils such an integral part of the Jewish and Biblical culture? First of all, the Lord Himself instructed Moses to add spices and fragrances to the sacred anointing oil to be used to anoint Aaron, his sons and the tent of meeting in the wilderness. Fragrances appear throughout the Bible; the Lord required the priests to burn fragrant incense continually in the Holy Place (The Old Testament Tabernacle), and the Holy of Holies located in the Temple.
The Psalms reference Anointing Oils this way,
"...Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad..." [Psalm 45:6-8] Scholars believe this to represent none other than Jesus Himself.

The Biblical significance of Anointing Oils is not limited to the Old Testament however, Numerous New Testament references abound, and it is here we see the principle of Unique Purpose. Such Scriptures as 2 Corinthians emphasize the significance of fragrance. Verses 14 and 16 express the following:
"...But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." Then in verse 16, "To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life."

Strong's definitions of the words 'fragrance and fragrant' are incredibly interesting. The word 'fragrance', as used in Exodus 30:38 comes from the Hebrew word 'ruwach' the root word in 'blow' or 'breathe'. It bears the implications of anticipation and enjoyment. While the word 'fragrant' oddly enough, is very closely related to the definition, “fumigation in a close place and thus driving out the occupants.” This is an incredibly interesting definition because it beautifully portrays what happens when the children of God bring the fragrance of life into the kingdom of darkness. You get the same impression as our modern idea of fumigation - the bug bomb! Kill what's in there that shouldn't be, and make room for what should rightfully be there. One more point is that when someone or someplace was anointed, there was a double blessing so to speak. Not only did the blessing of God fall on the anointed person or place, but also on the person actually doing the anointing. A great example of this is the parable of the Good Samaritan, or the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with a beautiful, valuable fragrant oil.

The Balm of Gilead
Anointing Oils are produced from several plants, trees, shrubbery most of which are native to Israel/Palestine and Jordan. The Commiphora gileadensis, is most likely the Biblically referenced "Balm of Gilead". Balsam of Mecca (or balsam of Gilead or balm of Gilead) is a resinous gum of the tree Commiphora gileadensis, native to southern Arabia and also naturalized, in ancient and again in modern times, in ancient Judea/Palestine/Israel. The most famous site of balsam production in the region was the Jewish town of Ein Gedi. The resin was valued in medicine and perfume in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Thus Pliny the Elder mentions it as one of the ingredients of the "Royal Perfume" of the Parthians in his Naturalis Historia. In Latin the resin was technically known as opobalsamum; the dried fruit was called carpobalsamum, and the wood xylobalsamum.

"When "balm" or "balsam" is mentioned in translations of the Bible this is probably the product that is intended. Its literary connection with Gilead comes from Genesis 37 and from Jeremiah 8 & 46." -Wikipedia

From the JPS Tanakh (A modern Jewish translation of the Hebrew Masoretic Text): "And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and ladanum, going to carry it down to Egypt." - Genesis 37:25 "Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no cure for thee." [Jeremiah 46:11] "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" [Jeremiah 8:22]
Jews understand both the "daughter of my people" and "my people" in the 3rd passage above to mean Jews living in the land of Israel. Rabbinic commentators like Rashi have understood the balm to be a metaphor for teachers, as if to say "Did they not have any righteous men from whom to learn so that they should improve their ways?"

Christians believe that the balm represents their messiah, who they believe appeared in Gilead in the person of Jesus Christ and for that reason the term has come into spiritual meaning in the English language, including its songs and literature. Myrrh and Frankincense are both resins -- dried tree sap -- which come from trees of the genus Boswellia (frankincense) and Commiphora (myrhh), which are common to Somalia. The way that people collect the sap is similar to the way people collect rubber-tree sap or pine-tree sap. Cutting the tree's bark causes the sap to ooze out of the cut. The sap used to create both frankincense and myrrh comes slowly and is allowed to dry on the tree. The hardened sap is collected and used as frankincense and myrrh.

The three wise men brought 3 highly treasured substances:gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to the Christ Child. Today they are still commonly used to create incense, as well as for medicinal purposes. Frankincense is mixed with things like spices, seeds and roots to create different aromas. The resulting products include distilled oils, balms and healing salves, and powdered incense. This is the same incense which is burned with charcoal in a censer or on a small stand. They are also available in other products, and you can check them out here.

Myrrh
This substance is actually a resin which comes from a small scrubby tree found in the Middle East and northeast Africa. Once extracted and distilled it produces a precious gum-like substance which has been bartered and traded for thousands of years. In the New Testament Bible, it is recorded as one of the gifts presented to the infant Jesus by Maji.

Modern Myrrh resin is harvested from the Myrrh trees which grow in what is now known as Eastern Somolia. It is produced organically and is still processed in much the same manner it was in ancient times. In modern times Myrrh has grown into an entirely new industry. It is now being included as a prominent ingredient in many natural health and wholistic medicine products. Although it is one of the list of ingredients which is difficult to absolutely prove its effectiveness, there is a long list of uses - mostly passed down through history - which vouch for the heath effects of Myrrh.

It is always encouraging to state that a product is already in medically underwritten uses. In a pharmacy, myrrh is used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes, and for prevention and treatment of gum disease. Myrrh is currently used in some liniments and healing salves that may be applied to abrasions and other minor skin ailments. Myrrh has also been recommended as an analgesic for toothaches, and can be used in liniment for bruises, aches, and sprains. [Wikipedia]

Modern Medicine
In an attempt to determine the cause of its effectiveness, researchers examined the individual ingredients of an herbal formula used traditionally by Kuwaiti diabetics to lower blood glucose. Myrrh and aloe gums effectively improved glucose tolerance in both normal and diabetic rats. Myrrh was shown to produce analgesic effects on mice which were subjected to pain. Researchers at the University of Florence (Italy) showed that furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and another terpene in the myrrh affect opioid receptors in the mouse's brain which influence pain perception. Myrrh has been shown to lower Cholesterol LDL (bad cholesterol) levels as well as to increase the HDL (good cholesterol) in various tests on humans done in the past few decades. One recent (2009) documented laboratory test showed this same effect on albino rats. Some of the list includes:

Myrrh has been used to improve digestion and boost the immune system.
Various traditions have used it to treat cold symptoms such as coughs
Myrrh has also been used to treat gum disease, and some other skin diseases
The extract of Myrrh has been used for years to treat open wounds
Candida is actually a form of a yeast type bacteria similar to S. boulardii. It has been shown to maintain and restore the natural flora in the large and small intestine(the bacteria which causes your body to break down food, process waste, and help it navigate the intestines); it is classified as a probiotic.
Myrrh has been shown to create the positive and the treatment of skin diseases
This deep reddish-brown resin is especially important for oral health. (Try marinating it in water for a few days in an enclosed container for use as a dental rinse.)
Myrrh also encourages circulation, and as a result stimulates the immune system, and as a result may encourage a woman's natural cycle.

Since antiquity Myrrh has been used as an incense, and when used in evaporative open containers to inspire prayer and meditation, and to fortify and revitalize the spirit.

Additional Information:

Family: Burseraceae
Synonyms: Commiphora molmol, bola, bisabol, myrrha
Origin: Oman, Yemen, India, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea
Parts Used: oleo gum resin
Aroma Description: deep, rich, warm, earthy, bitter, balsamic, slightly sweet and spicy, herbaceous
Emotional Attributes: strengthening, relaxing, meditative, sensuous, helps sleep, cleansing/purifying
Cosmetic Uses: perfumery, aromatherapy; used in shampoos, skin creams, lotions, etc.
Culinary Uses: no modern uses known
Medicinal Attributes: astringent, antiseptic, antispasmodic, stimulant, and strong painkilling properties. Used to treat gum disease and mouth ulcers, menstrual and circulatory problems, wounds, bruises, boils, and pressure sores, etc.
Element Association: Water
Magical Associations: healing, spirituality, protection
Astrological Association: Cancer, Scorpio, Aquarius, Virgo, Taurus
Planetary Association: Moon
Season: Summer, Winter
Aromatic Note: Base note