Balm of Gilead

Ancient cultures discovered and utilized the medicinal and therapeutic values of spices and incorporated the burning of incense as part of religious and social ceremonies. Three ancient resinous spices were once considered the most important, they were: frankincense (derived from Boswellia spp.) and myrrh (derived from Commiphoras spp.); both originated from southern Arabia and the Horn of Africa. The third was very important resinous spice was the Balm of Gilead of Judea which is derived from Commiphora gileadensis.

Balm contracted from Bal’sam, a general name for many oily or resinous substances which flow or trickle from many species of trees or plants when an incision is made through the bark.This word occurs in Genesis 37:25 ; 43:11 ; Jeremiah 8:22 ; 46:11 ; 51:8 ; Ezekiel 27:17 ) as the rendering of the Hebrew word tsori or tseri, which denotes the gum of a tree growing in Gilead which is very precious. It was celebrated for its medicinal qualities, and was circulated as an article of merchandise by Arab, Hebrew, and Phoenician merchants. The shrub so named was highly valued, and was almost extinct to Israel when the middle ages began. In the time of Josephus it was cultivated in the neighborhood of Jericho and the Dead Sea ie Jericho valley. The trees were said carried off by the Roman as well as Israel grape vineyards and Etrogim trees.

There is an Jewish and Arab tradition that the tree yielding this balm was brought by the queen of Sheba as a present to King Solomon, and that he planted it in his gardens at Jericho and in the hills of Gilead as well as all over the city of David.

There is another Hebrew word, basam or bosem , from which our word “balsam,” as well as the corresponding Greek balsamon, is derived. It is rendered “spice” Ezekiel 5:1 Ezekiel 5:13 ; 6:2 ;”balsam;” Exodus 35:28 ; 1 Kings 10:10 , and denotes fragrance in general. Balsam also denotes the true balsam-plant, a native of South Arabia. A seedling was smuggled to Israel and now grows in Almog Israel which is now where the Balm of Gilead farm is today.

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This Balm of Gilead is an aromatic resinous sweet when crushed, also its leaves and twigs is used for medical purposes. Balm was seen in the Torah where it is mentioned that the Ishmaelites (Arabs) who carried Yosef into Mitzrayim bondage were also Gilead of Balm traders. The Holy One arranged for a Spice caravan to bring Yosef to Egypt, so he would be surrounded by pleasant and intoxicating fragrances that enhance dreams and gave him the gift of interpreting dreams. Among these were Balsam, Labdanum (Rose of Sharon), Sweet Myrrh, and Frankincense. See Genesis 37:25.

The fruit was usually crushed and made into a gooey salve. The resin was used for Holy Temple incense and the leaves were used to make healing oil. The whole tree was used nothing was ever thrown away or wasted.

Balsam trees are native to the Gilead area of Jericho Valley near the Dead Sea. Incisions in the bark of a balsam tree yield three or four drops a day from each, and left to stand the balsam becomes of a golden color and pellucid as a gem. Balm was so scarce that the Jericho gardens yielded only six or seven gallons yearly, which was worth twice its weight in silver and gold. Today the Ancient Balsam of Gilead is once again back in Israel. Guy Erlich got his first plant from a shoot that was smuggled by a German scientist out of Saudi Arabia and brought to Israel and is now being reintroduced in Israel and the trees are once again flourishing along with the Frankincense trees.

Psalm 56 says “You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in your bottles; are {they} not in your book? In the ancient world, when a loved one died, mourners would catch their falling tears in a bottle and bury them as a token of eternal devotion. Here it is certain that these tears were the tears of the Balm of gilead and Frankincense.

Psalm 84 also speaks about Bacha (weeping) where it says ‘How blessed is the man whose strength is in you; in whose heart are the highways {to Zion} Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring, the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, {every one of them} appears before G-d in Zion.”

Tanach texts related with this oil can be found in: Genesis 37:25, Ezekiel 27:17, Jeremiah 8:22, Song of Songs 4:1, Song of Songs 6:13, 2 Sam 5:22-25.

Some interesting history to note: In 1763, Pehr Forsskal, (a Finnish/Swedish explorer and naturalist), on behalf of the King of Denmark and Norway, collected and described a balm of Gilead tree on an expedition to Oude, Yemen, whose aim was to find and identify the balm of Gilead of the Bible. Following the biblical stories and also those of the many Greek and Roman writers, geographers, and historians tried to find the trees. Even Josephus Flavius traveled to Yemen, where the Kingdom of Sheba was located, hoping to find this tree because Rome was depleting the trees, which eventually had become extinct in Judea during the middle ages. Forsskal eventually found one small tree at Oude whose leaves emitted a special fragrance when crushed. Forsskal sent a message about his exciting find to his respected mentor Linnaeus.

It is also interesting to note that the Balm of Gilead today in Israel smells similar to the aroma of the black Popular tree resin in the United Stated that the Native Americans call “Balm of Gilead.” There are also medicinal similarities between poplars and the Commiphora gileadensis so this may have some reason to do with taking the name Balm of Gilead. However, there is the possibility that somewhere someone may have mixed up the Arabian Balsam tree with the Poplar Balsam (Populus balsamifera). But you have to ask that lingering questions Do the Native Americans know something we do not? Perhaps they do. To be continued…………..

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