The Biblical Basis

There are numerous historical references to healing oils, or essential oils, as they are known today. They are aromatic, volatile, concentrated liquids extracted from plants, seeds, leaves, stems and roots of herbs through distillation.

They are referenced in ancient history as well as in the Bible and are often referred to as man's first known medicine. Some precious oils, such as frankincense, myrrh, galbanum, rosemary, hyssop, cassia, cinnamon and spikenard, were used for anointing and healing of the sick in Biblical times.

In ancient times, essential oils were used from birth to death. The Magi brought myrrh, frankincense and spikenard as a wonderful gift to the Christ child. Various oils were used for anointing people in ceremonial rites including marriage. Finally, many different oils were used in honoring the dead with expensive oils.

There are at least 33 different essential oils or aromatic oil-producing plants mentioned in the bible. The word "oil" is mentioned 191 times in the bible.

Olive oil is specifically mentioned only 7 times, but there are 147 instances where it can be inferred. Olive oil was not only used as food, but was burned in lamps, and used as a base for blending other oils for medicinal purposes.

There are more than 600 references to essential oils and/or the aromatic plants from which the where extracted in the Bible. There are 14 principal oils mentioned in the Bible. Myrrh is the most frequently mentioned oil, occurring 156 times. The Rose of Sharon is the least mentioned, with only three references:
Ezekiel 47:12 and Revelation 22:2 suggest that God gave us the natural herbs, including their extracts, to be our medicines.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES FOR ESSENTIAL OILS

Ezekiel 47:12
" Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. The fruit thereof shall be your meat, and the leaves for medicine."
CEDARWOOD
Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, 51, 52
CINNAMON
Exodus 30:23
Proverbs 7:17
Song of Solomon 4:14
Revelation 18:13
FRANKINCENSE
Exodus 30:34
Leviticus 2:1, 2, 15, 16, 5:11, 6:15, 24:7
Numbers 5:15
1 Chronicles 9:29
Nehemiah 13:5
Song of Solomon 3:6, 4:6, 14
Matthew 2:11
Revelation 18:13
MYRRH
Genesis 37:25, 43:11
Exodus 30:23
Esther 2:12
Psalm 45:8
Proverbs 7:17
Song of Solomon 1:13, 3:6, 4:6, 14, 5:1, 5, 13
Matthew 2:11
Mark 15:23
John 19:39
CALAMUS
Exodus 30:23
CORIANDER
Exodus 16:31
Numbers 11:17
GALBANUM
Exodus 30:34
HYSSOP
Exodus 12:22
Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, 51,52
Numbers 19:6, 18
1 Kings 4:33
Psalm 51:7
John 19:29
Hebrew 9:19
JUNIPER
Job 30:4
MYRTLE
Nehemiah 8:15
Isaiah 41:19, 55:13
SPIKENARD
Song of Solomon 1:12, 4:13, 14
Mark 14:3
John 12:3
Matthew 26:6-7:
"Jesus now preceded to Bethany, to the home of Simon the leper. While He was eating, a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive essential oils and poured it over his head."
Luke 8:46
"But Jesus said, 'Someone touched me; I felt the essence come out of me.'"

THE PENTATEUCH

Genesis
37:25 Myrrh
43:11 Myrrh
Exodus
12:22 Hyssop
16:31 Coriander
29:7 anointing with oils
30:23 Myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia for chrism (anointing oil)
30:31 refers to chrism made according to 30:23
30:34 Frankincense, Galbanum
35:28 people brought materials for chrism to build the Tent of Meeting
37:29 Altar of incense and chrism made for Tent of Meeting
Leviticus
2:1-2, 15-16 Frankincense
5:11 Frankincense
5:15 Frankincense
6:15 Frankincense
24:7 Frankincense
14:4-6, 49-52 Hyssop
Numbers
11:17 Coriander
19:6, 18 Hyssop

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

1 Kings
4:33 Hyssop
Nehemiah
8:15 Myrtle
13:5,9 Frankincense
1 Chronicles
9:29 Frankincense
Esther
2:12 Myrrh

THE BOOKS of WISDOM

Job
30:4 Juniper
Psalms
45:8 Myrrh
51:7 Hyssop
Proverbs
7:17 Cinnamon, Myrrh
Song of Songs
1:13 Myrrh, Spikenard
3:6 Frankincense
4:6 Frankincense
4:13 Spikenard
4:14 Cinnamon, Frankincense, Spikenard
5:1, 5, 13 Myrrh

THE PROPHETS

Isaiah
41:19 Myrtle
55:13 Myrtle

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew
2:11 Frankincense, Myrrh
Mark
14:3 Spikenard
15:23 Myrrh
John
12:13 Spikenard
19:39 Myrrh
Hebrews
9:19 Hyssop
Revelation
18:13 Cinnamon, Frankincense

Aromatic Oils ~ more precious than gold

The essences of aromatics mentioned in the Bible were more valuable than gold or silver. Israel's King Hezekiah kept "the spices and the precious ointment" together among the gold and silver. (2 Kings 20:13)

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of ointment." (John 12:13) Gary Young draws on his travels to biblical lands and explains the twelve oils in the Twelve Oils of Ancient Scripture™ cassette.

Aloes/sandalwood (Santalum album), cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), frankincense (Olibanum-Boswellia carteri), galbanum (Ferula gummosa), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), myrtle (Myrtus communis), onycha (pronounced oh-nigh-ka) - a very thick oil, remove the plastic orifice and warm the bottle in your hand so that the oil will flow --(Styrax benzoin), rose of Sharon/cistus (Labdanum-Cistus ladanifer), and spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).

Twelve Oils of Ancient Scripture
Code 3143 Twelve 5 ml bottles