Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PERFUME

Perfumes, liquid, gelatinous, or dry substances known for their aromatic qualities, play an important part in the economic, social, and religious culture of the ancient, biblical world. Words translated by “perfume” come from the Hebrew root rāqaḥ, “to prepare perfume,” and are associated with incense and ointment as well. Most perfumes were derivatives of plants, while a few were extracts from animals. Most sources of perfume came to Canaan through trade routes along the Fertile Crescent and include such substances as frankincense and myrrh from Arabia, nard from Nepal, aloes and saffron from India, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, and onycha, derived from a Red Sea mollusk. Trade in perfumes and spices became a significant part of the economy of the ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world.

Those who manufactured perfumes, called perfumers, were often connected to religious or priestly communities. Exod. 30:37-32; 37:29 describe the scented oils used for anointing the ark of the covenant, and the sacred objects in the tent of meeting. Perfumers extracted essential oils from plants, flowers, and fruits, and used gums, resins, spices, and animal secretions in various recipes. Packaging of perfumes ranged from a simple cloth satchel to elaborate alabaster jars and perfume boxes. Oils were used to anoint people as well as objects, while dry mixtures were burned as incense at sacrifices and in sanctuaries.

In addition to community religious ceremonies, perfumed oils and balms were used for a variety of medical purposes. In desert climates, ointments protected the skin against the harsh, arid conditions, while oils were poured into wounds to facilitate closure and stem infections. Myrrh mixed with wine was given to Jesus as an anesthetic during his crucifixion (John 19:39). Further, many ancient Near Easterners used perfumes as part of their death and funeral rituals, in embalming or cremation.

Perfumes were also used in social, secular situations. In the Greco-Roman world, individuals used scented oils after bathing or participation in athletic contests, often to counteract body odors. Perfumed sachets were worn or carried with clothes for personal use or were chewed to sweeten one’s breath. Perfumes were used by both men and women for cosmetic purposes, to increase attractiveness and demonstrate social or economic status. Pliny notes that guests, arriving for dinner parties, had their hands and feet bathed and perfumed before coming into a banquet hall. The anointing of Jesus at Bethany (Mark 14:3) may indicate this practice among 1st-century c.e. Jews, and was seen as an act of hospitality and kindness. Perfumes were associated with the pleasure of life and were used to give fragrance to furniture such as sofas and wedding beds.

Joseph A. Coray

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PERFUME

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)