The Significance of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, Gifts from the Wise Men

Even though the facts about the wise men who went to see the baby Jesus are unknown, what is documented is the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that were given. Many of us have heard of the gifts that are often depicted in nativity scenes at Christmas and through the story being told to us countless times. But what are those gifts and why were they given by the wise men?

According to the Encarta Online Encyclopedia, myrrh is a gum resin from certain trees, which can be found in Africa and Arabia. During Biblical times, myrrh was used in making perfume and incense. The tree called Commiphora or DinDin produces the sap when the bark is cut. When the myrrh hardens it is usually made into powder, which was used in perfumes and as incense. During the time Jesus was born, myrrh was very valuable. In addition to being used in perfumes and incense, myrrh was also used in ointment in embalming by the Egyptians and as a medicine for sores and wounds. Today myrrh is used in mouthwashes, toothpaste and make-up.

Frankincense is also a gum resin similar to myrrh from the tree Boswellia Thurifera found in the Middle East and Somalia. The younger the tree the more valuable and the better the sap. When the bark is cut, the sap is left to harden on the tree for about 3 months. When it is ready, it is scraped off into containers. Frankincense was used in incense for religious and government ceremonies. Although its use as incense was more popular, frankincense was also used in perfume. And the charred frankincense is still used today in kohl, a black eyeliner Middle Easterners wear under their eyes. Churches all over Europe still use incense during certain ceremonies.

According to the "Smithsonian Magazine" at http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithso... , frankincense and myrrh were valuable throughout western Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe around 4000 years ago. Trails were found and believed to be a trade route in which traders carried the resins from places where the trees were abundant to kings and emperors from Asia to Europe. A great source of frankincense comes from the Dhofar region of Oman. "An Adventure with Frankincense" by Christopher McMahon is an excellent article on frankincense, it's uses and origins and how it is harvested at http://members.aol.com/parijata/frankinc... The gift of gold that was given by the wise men does not need much of an explanation. From "The Nativity Pages" at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages... at the time of Jesus' birth gold was usually shaped into coins or symbolic forms. Ancient Persian exported the gold to kings and emperors in Asia and the Middle East.

Some religious scholars have attempted to assign symbolic meanings to the gifts given by the wise men. According to "Christmas Symbols" at http://www2.netico.net/users/legendol/my... , myrrh was given because of its use in medicine, which is a symbol of the human nature, the suffering Savior, the Great Physician and the Passion of Jesus. Dr. Wayne Shoemaker, a religious author and clergy, says that throughout the years, scholars have attempted to find the significance of the wise men and their gifts. However, he believes the gifts can be attributed to their popularity at the time of Jesus' birth.