Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 15, 2022

A Brief History of Frankincense

And its journeys from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean.

Known in Hebrew as l’vonah, frankincense is mentioned 22 times in the Tanakh, mostly in reference to its use in various Temple rituals—primarily the incense offering, which was considered especially sacred. Elise Vernon Pearlstine explains how this fragrant substance, derived from the resin of a rare tree, is produced, and how it gained its importance for many cultures:

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