What is Frankincense?

Probably best known from the Nativity story, Frankincense is derived from the gum of a tree called Boswellia. It has an interesting history. In Hebrew, its name is levonah, meaning "white;" in Arabic, a closely-related language, it is 'al-luban, a term referring to milk; the name of the modern country of Lebanon is derived from both. However, it came to be known as "frankincense" when crusaders - many of whom were French or "Frankish" - introduced it as incense to Europe during the Middle Ages.

Frankincense is an aromatic herb hardened from exuded gums obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia (Burseraceae family). The gum has been used in incense, medicine, food, and fumigants, as well as a fixative in perfumes. Aroma from frankincense is valued for its superior qualities for religious rituals since before the time of ancient Egyptians.