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Welcomes awaited the returning European crusaders, their saddlebags heavy with Damascan gold and cachepots of rare myrrh gum.
Traditions Aromatic and treasured, gum from the Commiphora myrrha tree has been a trade item for thousands of years. Chinese physicians recommended the scent and application of myrrh ointments to those suffering from skin disorders and nervous complaints. Egyptians documented their use of myrrh as incense and medicinal ointment.
Frankincense, also, is harvested as a weeping gum from the Boswellia carteri tree. Early Aegean cultures traded with the Frankincense colonies of the Red Sea. The Catholic Church has been one of the largest consumers of Frankincense in recorded history.
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