The whole story is represented in coloured bas-reliefs in the temple at Tel-el-Bahiri, near Thebes.[50]
The incense here alluded to was a very valuable drug in Egypt on account of its use in embalming mummies. Quite a number of gums, resins, and the like, are obtained from Somaliland and similar half-desert countries. The frankincense of the Bible, which may be the incense of Hatasu, is obtained from Olibanum produced by various species of Boswellia. In February and March, cuts are made by the incense gatherers in the bark of the trees. Tears of resin soon appear and become dried by the sun over the wound. The best kinds still come from Saba, in Arabia, where the Romans obtained it in the time of Virgil. Besides Olibanum, frankincense contains Galbanum (Ferula galbaniflua) and Storax (Storax officinale). Equal parts of these were mixed with the horny shield of a certain shell-fish. When the last is burnt, it has a strong pungent odour. The Galbanum is now found in Persia, and Storax in Asia Minor, both half-desert countries. The true Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) is also found in East Africa and South-west Arabia.
The name is supposed to be derived from Myrrha, the daughter of Cinyras, King of Cyprus, who in consequence of a great crime was banished to Arabia and became the tree which bears her name. The myrrh of the Sacred Oracles was used as incense at least 3700 years ago, and it is mentioned by Moses (Genesis xxxvii. 25).
The sovereign of England used always to present gold, frankincense, and myrrh in the Chapel Royal, London, on the feast of the Epiphany, and, strange though it may appear, the symbolic offering is still made each year by our present king.
Balm of Gilead (Balsamodendron Gileadense) belongs to scrub or half-desert regions. Cleopatra obtained plants from Jericho for her garden at Heliopolis. The Jews used to sell it regularly to the merchants of Tyre.
It is still valuable, for the essence is worth from £2 to £3 per lb.
The opoponax described by Dioscorides belongs to the Orient. It yields a valuable gum resin, which is much used in perfumery (Pastinaca opoponax). It also is obtained by incisions in the bark[51] of the tree.
In fact a very large proportion of these fragrant sweet-smelling substances, Myrrh, Cassia, Bdellium, etc., come from these sunny Eastern lands, which are not exactly deserts but very close to them. Manna, e.g., is obtained from the flowering Ash (Fraxinus ormus) in Sicily by transverse incisions being made in the bark, so that the brownish or yellowish viscid juice exudes and hardens on the wound. Ladanum is a varnish or gluey coating found on the leaves of Cistus creticus, which grows in Crete. In old times the glue was collected from the beards of the goats which had been browsing on the plant. Although this method, no doubt, increased the strength of the perfume, it has been abandoned, and the ladanum is obtained by a "kind of rake with a double row of long leathern straps." The straps take the glue from the leaves. It is used as a perfume in Turkey.
Another very interesting Eastern plant sometimes seen in old-fashioned country gardens in Britain is the "Burning-bush" (Dictamnus fraxinella). Like a great many of these half-desert plants, it is full of an acrid, ethereal, odorous substance. On a calm, hot summer's day, this material exudes from the leaves and surrounds the plant with an invisible vaporous atmosphere. Such an atmosphere probably assists in preventing the water from evaporating or being transpired from the leaves.[52]
Now if one places a lighted match a little below the leaves or flowers this vapour catches fire, and there is a display of flames and smoke with little explosions, followed by a strong smell. The plant may be injured if it is set on fire too frequently, but generally does not seem to be any the worse for the experiment.