Well what is myrrh, anyway? - Monty Python's Life of Brian
As per the Biblical tale, as recounted in Matthew 2:1-12, an infant Jesus of Nazareth was visited in Bethlehem on the eve of his birth by Magi bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
To our modern sensibilities, these three gifts don't seem quite even. Gold, then as now, is a highly valuable treasure. But frankincense and myrrh... what even are they?
According to Simon Cotton for Chemistry World, frankincense and myrrh are sap, drawn from the Boswellia sacra and Commiphora trees, respectively. Frankincense was often burned as an incense, while myrrh made its way into medicine and perfume. In antiquity, writes Cotton, these saps were worth just as much as gold.
But as modern science has shown, these Magi (or wise men or kings, as they've come to be known) may have been onto something with their gifts. More than just aromatic compounds, frankincense and myrrh have interesting medicinal properties....
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