Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

The Three Wise Men presented the baby Jesus with frankincense, myrrh, and 'gold', which may not have been the metal we most often assume, but another incense, possibly aloeswood (Aquileria spec.) and referred to as 'gold' at times. Aloeswood is a hardwood, not to be confused with aloe vera, and is the most expensive wood in the world, valued at up to hundreds of dollars an ounce. It was extremely rare at the time of Christ's birth. It is thought to result from an injury to the tree that creates an infection resulting in the oleoresin to grow inside the heartwood of the tree. The only way to discover if a tree contained the resin was to cut it down, and many healthy trees were sacrificed in an attempt to gain wealth.

Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and Myrrh (Commiphora erythraea) have been used to purify the air for over 2,000 years. They are still used as incense today.

Frankincense refers to "Christ the priest", myrrh is for "Christ the healer", and gold is for "Christ the king". Is the 'gold' another incense, or a metal? You decide!