|
 Manger aside, the baby Jesus may have been swaddled in pleasant
and pricey fragrances, thanks to the presents that the Bible
says were given to him by the Wise Men of the East.
The frankincense (pungent and sweet) and myrrh (sharp and piney)
recounted in the Gospel of St Matthew are being grown by Guy
Erlich, a businessman who hopes to revive the rare plants' use
for commercial ends.
And what about gold, the third gift brought by the Magi
according to the New Testament story?
Some Christians believe this refers to the precious amber resin
of the Balsam of Gilead, an aromatic mix resembling citrus and
cinnamon that Erlich also cultivates on his farm in the Judean
desert.
"I see myself as a modern Magus," he told Reuters.
"I decided to focus on plants that no one else in the world
grows. Since those plants, those medical plants of the Bible
were in medical use for so many years, there must be something
about them and it is our duty to look for it."
Dried and crushed resins of all three plants smolder in a nearby
censer, filling the air with heavenly smells of fruity
freshness.
Such smoke was used for religious rites and fumigation in
ancient times. The plants have also been known to produce balms,
poultices and perfumes. The Balsam of Gilead resin, Erlich says,
was used as the oil with which biblical kings were anointed.
Archaeologists doubt the claim that it could be identified as
the Magi's gold, and attribute the origins of this theory to
Christian evangelical circles.
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But Christianity scholar Yisca Harani explains it may be plausible
in at least a literary way, if there was a translation inaccuracy of
the word "gold".
"Maybe it was this very precious Balm of Gilead. Maybe it was
another statement from Biblical times saying these are the perfumes
that are typical of the prophecies of God, these are the gifts of
the land."
Prof. Shimshon Ben Yehoshua, from the Volcani Agricultural Research
Centre and the Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture, says
Erlich's plants are most likely the same as those from ancient
times.
"For the frankincense and myrrh which I believe are similar to the
ones that were growing in the past in Israel, those are many species
but I believe that the species he (Guy Erlich) grew has the
desirable qualities," he told Reuters.
In addition to Christians interested in sampling the scents, Erlich
says he has been fielding inquiries from pious Jews who thrill at
the prospect of recreating the incenses that were burnt in their
Roman-era temple in Jerusalem.
"My plants are sacred to all religions," he said. "Now they can be a
uniting factor. They can be a common ground. They can connect
people."
(Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by William Maclean)
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