Frankincense Branch, Leaf, and Blossom
Frankincense Branch, Leaf, and Blossom The Hebrew word meaning “frankincense,” from a root meaning “whiteness,” refers to the whitish-yellow sap and newly dried resin of three species of the tree genus Boswellia : B. sacra (or “carterii” ), B. serrata ( “thurifera ” ), and B. papyrifera . These trees, related to terebinth, balsam, and myrrh, grow mainly in the southern Arabian Peninsula, Eastern and Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. This picture shows Boswellia sacra flowers and leaves. Incised Boswellia bark exudes glittering drops of bitter sap. The dried resin, when heated, emits fumes with a strong balsamic odor. Exod 30:34 , Lev 2:1–2 , 15–16 , Neh 13:5 , 9 , Song 3:6 , Song 4:6 , 14 , Matt 2:11 Image by Scott Zona, from Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0