MYRRH

Myrrh – the Gift given by Caspar, a king from Tarsus – present day Southern Turkey. At the time of Christ, the world’s finest Myrrh came from Southern Arabia and it is generally thought that this was the origins of Caspar’s gift.

The Myrrh supplied with the Three Kings Gifts displays is the finest availale from Southern Arabia – the very same region as the original gifts given by Caspar – in an effort to capture, as best as possible, the spirit of the actual gifts given 2000 years ago on that first Christmas.

Myrrh is resin from the Cammiphora tree and is harvested by cutting slits in the bark of the tree from which Myrrh resin hardens into dark red crystals.

In ancient times, Myrrh was among the most valuable substances known and, at the time of the birth of Christ, it was worth seven times its weight in gold. It can be used as an incense or it can be ground into a powder and mixed with oils to make a balm or processed into an oil. In ancient times, myrrh was used in the mummification of the Pharos in Ancient Egypt and to anoint kings. It also continues to be used today as it has for centuries as a natural dentifrice and is used in toothpaste and other oral hygiene products.