AncientPages.com - When the Biblical Magi, also referred to as the Three Wise Men visited newborn Jesus, they brought him three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Why did the Three Wise Men pick these particular items? Is it possible gifts of the Magi meant to save Jesus from the pain of arthritis?
Biblical scholars and theologians have long debated the significance and meaning of the three gifts.
The Magi by Henry Siddons Mowbray, 1915
In the ancient world, these items were very valuable. Gold was a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil.
But is it also possible the Three Wise Men were aware of frankincense’s healing properties when they presented it to baby Jesus?
Researchers from the Cardiff University in Wales who have been studying the medical uses of frankincense discovered it has an active ingredient that can help relieve arthritis by inhibiting the inflammation that breaks down cartilage tissue and causes arthritis pain. The study validates traditional uses of frankincense as an herbal remedy to treat arthritis in communities of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where the trees that produce this aromatic resin grow.
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Normally, scholars say that the three gifts were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming—an interpretation made popular in the well-known Christmas carol “We Three Kings.”
Frankincense from Yemen.
Yet, is it possible that the three gifts were not only symbolic, but also practical and given to Jesus to make his life better.
Our ancestors were familiar with the value of frankincense and it was used by several ancient civilizations.
Archaeologists examining organic residues in Roman burials have confirmed the use of resins, including frankincense, in Roman funeral rites in Britain. In Egyptian burials, resins have been shown to have been applied during the mummification process.
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