Let’s Talk Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) Family: Burseraceae
Source: Oleo-gum-resin from the trunks and limbs of the tree. Note that Myrrh is also a gum resin from a desert tree of the same family—Burseraceae—as was the Balm of Gilead.
Plant Origin: Somalia/Yemen
Chemistry: Monoterpenes-82%, Alpha-Pinene 30-65%, Limonene 8-20%, Sesquiterpenes-8%, Sabinene 1-8%, Myrcene 1-14%, Beta-Caryphyllene 1-5%, Alcohols-4%, Alpha-Thujene 1-15%, Incensole
Application: Topical, Aromatic, Ingestible
I think we all are familiar with the oil frankincense the best but maybe not of all of us have smelled frank. It is in the Young Living PSK so if you have that go smell it again, it has great benefits for adding it to your daily oil routine!
Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) has a sweet, warm, balsamic aroma that is stimulating and elevating to the mind. Useful for visualizing, improving one’s spiritual connection, and centering, it has comforting properties that help focus the mind and overcome stress and despair. Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East, where it has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. More recently, it has been used in European and American hospitals and is the subject of substantial research. Frankincense is also a valuable ingredient in skin care products for aging and dry skin. The ancient Egyptians used it in rejuvenation face masks. Frankincense has an approximate ORAC of 6,125 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter.
Frank is extracted from the boswellia tree. The tree must be 40 years old before even one drop of oil can be extracted. 52 biblical references to frankincense, also known as “incense”, “lebonah”
Types of frankincence – Boswellia Seratta, Boswellia Frereana, Boswellia Carterii (Somalian Frankincense, what YL has!) Boswellia Sacra (Sacred frank)
Scriptures that mention frank:
Exodus 30:34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),
Leviticus 2:1 5:11; 6:15; 24:7:
When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it
Leviticus 2:15-16 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 5:11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah[a] of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 6:15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Leviticus 24:7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord.
Numbers 5:15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah[a] of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
Numbers 16:46-50 (Aaron stops a plague); And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.
I Chron 9:29 Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices.
Nehemiah 13:5-9 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
Song of Solomon 3:6 What is that coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
Song of Solomon 4:6 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
I will go away to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.
Song of Solomon 4:14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes,with all choice spices—
Isaiah 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 60:3-6 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,[a]
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
(These verses from Isaiah prophesy the gifts of the wise men)
Isaiah 66:3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood;
he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their abominations;
Jeremiah 6:20 What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
Jeremiah 17:26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord.
Jeremiah 41:5 eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord.
(NOTE: these six references from Isaiah and Jeremiah, are translated as “incense” in the KJV. However, the Hebrew in all cases is “lebonah” which is Frankincense.)
Matthew 2:11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Three wise men’s visit)
Revelations 18:13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.[a]
Ancient Uses: Holy Anointing Oil, a cure-all, used to enhance meditation and elevate spiritual consciousness, thought to assist one in the transition of death, used for embalming, and perfume. Frankincense was used to anoint the newborn sons of kings and priests, which may have been why it was brought to the baby Jesus. Frankincense is mostly monoterpenes which, as an anointing oil, embraces God’s image in us (Genesis 1:26). (See Chapter 2, pp. 27-31)
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