Frankincense is a fragrant gum resin used as a raw material for perfumes. Perfumers call it olibanum. Since ancient times, people have burned it as an incense in religious services. The ancient Egyptians used it in medicines. The Bible says that one of the wise men brought Jesus a gift of frankincense (Matt. 2). Today, it also serves to mask the unpleasant odors of mixtures used for fumigation.
Frankincense comes from trees of the genus Boswellia that grow in the southern Arabian peninsula and northern Somalia. Harvesters cut into the bark of the trees and collect the resin in the form of colorless to pale yellow drops called tears. Perfumers extract oil from the tears by dissolving them in alcohol, then passing steam through them. The oil gives perfumes a long-lasting, spicy fragrance.
