Feature photo: Boswellia serrata (Indian myrrh or bdellium) seen in the forests of Southern India. Photo: Sudhir Ahluwalia Myrrh is one of the sacred trees mentioned in the Bible. Its resin was used as incense, medicine and to embalm the dead. Myrrh is the aromatic...
No. But beware, it can be fatal when ingested in excess. Rue is a plant mentioned in the Bible. Luke 11:42 enunciates the importance of this herb in the Palestinian region, as Jesus refers to a tithe on rue. Because the Bible describes the period from about a thousand...
Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium. This herbaceous perennial plant can grow to a height of two to four feet. It has silvery-white leaves and stem, and a bitter taste. It is widely distributed in the Mediterranean, central Asia, Europe, and Kashmir. It is a native to...
Feature photo: Pomegranate fruit Photo: Sudhir Ahluwalia Punica granatum, or pomegranate, is a small tree. Pomegranate finds mention in the Bible indicating the importance given to this plant since ancient times. The fruit contains acids, sugars, vitamins,...
Olive oil has a wide range of medicinal properties. It is said that massaging the body with the oil helps heal hemorrhoids, ulcers, anal fissures, intestinal inflammations, and gastrointestinal tract ailments. It allegedly cures 70 diseases, including leprosy,...
Agarwood can be extracted from eight species belonging to the Aquilaria genus. The four principal species are Aquilaria sinensis, Aquilaria malaccensis, Aquilaria agallocha, and Aquilaria crassna. There are references to agarwood incense in the Bible. Trees older than...
