Ancient Tradition

Essential oil use has deep roots in ancient tradition. In addition, essential oils are the oldest and some of the most powerful therapeutic agents know to man. They have a long history of use in healing, religious ceremony, and fragrant influence throughout the ancient world. They were used to cure every ailment "from gout to a broken head."

Essential oils such as myrrh, lotus, and sandalwood were widely used in ancient Egyptian purification and embalming rituals. Clove and lemon were highly valued as antiseptics hundreds of years before the discovery of modern antiseptics.

Aromatics, as they were called, were some of the most prized treasures of the ancient world - they were traded for gold, silver, and even slaves. To understand how valuable essential oils were in ancient Egypt, records show that when Tutankhamen's tomb was opened in 1922, 350 liters of oil were discovered in alabaster jars. Amazingly, the plant waxes had solidified around the openings of the jars, sealing and preserving the oils!

The National Geographic reported in October of 1985 that almost 1,000 years before Christ, dynasties of the ancient world were fighting over the lucrative incense market. Caravans of 3,000 camels transported costly frankincense along the Frankincense Trail, a 2,400-mile-long road that stretched from southern Arabia to the coast of Israel.

Establishing their own ancient tradition, the Egyptians were the first to recognize the therapeutic potential of essential oils. They created fragrances for personal use as well as for ritualistic and ceremonial use in the temples and pyramids. In 1817, the 870 foot long Ebers Papyrus, dating back to 1500 B.C., was discovered. It listed over 800 herbal prescriptions and remedies. Many mixtures were composed of myrrh oil and honey. Myrrh was most often used for embalming, due to its effectiveness in preventing bacterial growth.

In Healing Oils of the Bible, Dr. David Stewart notes that there are over 1,035 references to essential oil, aromatic oil-producing plants, and their applications in the Bible. In Exodus 30:23-24, God gave an essential oil recipe to Moses, which contained myrrh, cassia, cinnamon, calamus and olive oil.

The Romans used essential oils by diffusing them in their temples and political buildings. They were fond of soaking in oil-scented baths, then receiving a fragrant oil massage.

The ancient Arabian people began to study the chemical properties of essential oils. They developed and refined the distillation process. According to the Essential Oils Desk Reference, "The Arabian people used myrrh for many skin conditions, such as chapped and cracked skin and wrinkles."

Europeans began producing essential oils in the 12th century. During the Plague of the 15th century, certain thieves robbed the dead without becoming infected. Finally, four thieves were captured in Marseilles, France, and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims of the plague. At the trial, the magistrate offered them leniency if they would reveal how they managed to avoid contracting the dreaded infection, in spite of their close contact with infected corpses. It was disclosed that these thieves were perfumers and spice traders who had rubbed themselves with a concoction of aromatic herbs (cinnamon, clove, and oregano).

Essential oils having been used throughout the ages, prized for their beneficial properties, and therapuetic aromas, are an ancient tradition that is being rediscovered in modern times.

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