Pop quiz time…
What three gifts did the three wise men give to Jesus when he was born?
Easy right? We’re all aware that it was gold, frankincense & myrrh.
Now for the second part of the quiz…
What the heck is myrrh?
We’ve all heard of gold. And we can guess that frankincense has something to do with incense or perfume.
But myrrh?
The word looks like what you type when you accidentally lean on your keyboard.
Today I am wondering what myrrh is used for and why these three smart guys thought it was the right gift to give to a baby.
Wonder Why Wednesday: What is Myrrh?
According to Wikipedia, myrrh is the aromatic resin of a number of small, thorny tree species genus Commiphora, which is an essential oil termed an oleoresin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum and it can be ingested by mixing it with wine.
Myrrh has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. It has also been used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes for prevention and treatment of gum disease.
Myrrh was used by the ancient Egyptians, along with natron, for the embalming of mummies.
In ancient history it had an equal value to gold.
Basically, myrrh is a wonder product that can make you smell good, recover from illness and keep your teeth pearly white.
All that and it once was very valuable.
So I guess it makes sense that these wise men would want to give it to this very important baby. It wasn’t as if the 3rd wise man forgot to bring a gift and just re-gifted whatever he could find in his satchel.
But now I am wondering that if myrrh is so great, can we still buy it today?
Looks like we can, and it comes in a nice package with its buddy frankincense!
I’m glad to see those two are still hanging out.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
