Close your eyes and breathe deeply. For a moment, the chatter of the modern world fades, the glare of screens dims, and you are connected to a thread of human experience that has remained unbroken for over two thousand years. It is a thread not of sight or sound, but of scent.
In the ancient Mediterranean, fragrance was more than a luxury; it was theology, medicine, currency, and a cornerstone of daily life. The scents that filled the temples, marketplaces, and homes of the biblical world were powerful, symbolic, and deeply woven into the fabric of existence. While empires rose and fell, these aromas persisted, carried forward through the faithful hands of monks, the bustling trade of merchants, and the timeless rhythms of the land.
Today, these ancient fragrances are not relics confined to museums; they are living, breathing experiences waiting to be discovered. They are the key to unlocking a more profound, sensory connection to history. Let’s embark on an olfactory pilgrimage to explore five iconic biblical scents you can still encounter in the modern Mediterranean.
Frankincense
Frankincense, derived from the sap of Boswellia sacra trees, possesses a warm, woody aroma with subtle spicy notes that transform when burned into ethereal smoke. Ancient Mediterranean cultures called it “senetjer” in Egyptian, meaning “to make divine,” recognizing its power to bridge earthly and heavenly realms. The resin arrives as translucent golden tears that harden into brittle pellets, ready for burning on charcoal censers during liturgical services.β
In Orthodox Christianity, frankincense maintains a ritual presence virtually unchanged since the first century CE. Every Sunday, priests swing metal thuribles filled with smoldering frankincense throughout church interiors, the smoke curling upward as a visible symbol of prayers ascending to heaven. This practice draws directly from Psalm 141:2, which reads, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice”. The scent permeates vestments, icons, and even the stone walls of ancient churches, creating an olfactory signature of Orthodox worship.β
Mount Athos in Greece serves as the epicenter of traditional frankincense production and use. The monastic republic, home to 20 monasteries and approximately 2,000 monks living much as their ninth-century predecessors did, produces handmade frankincense following ancient Athonite recipes. Visitors (men only, by centuries-old decree) can purchase exceptional quality frankincense tears directly from monastery shops, often packaged in simple bags with hand-written labels. Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter also offers authentic frankincense, with spice merchants in narrow stone alleys selling biblical incense blends that combine frankincense with other traditional aromatics.β
Myrrh
Myrrh presents a more complex olfactory profile than frankincense, with descriptions ranging from rose-like sweetness to basil notes, sometimes even taking on bitter undertones depending on mood and context. Extracted from Commiphora myrrha trees in arid climates, myrrh resin has been traded across Mediterranean caravan routes for millennia, arriving at ancient ports like Petra before distribution throughout the region. Its biblical prominence as one of the three gifts presented to the infant Jesus by the Magi established its sacred status in Christian tradition.β
Orthodox Christianity employs myrrh primarily in Holy Myron, the consecrated chrism oil used in the sacrament of chrismation (confirmation). This sacred oil combines pure olive oil with aromatic essences including myrrh, following the preparation pattern described in Exodus 30:22-33. The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople manufactures Holy Myron approximately every ten years from 57 ingredients, including ash from burnt icons, then distributes it to Orthodox churches worldwide. The tradition claims direct lineage to the apostles, who allegedly melted spices from Christ’s burial ointments in pure olive oil in the Upper Room.β
Myrrh also permeates funeral traditions throughout the Mediterranean. Maronite Christians in Lebanon burn myrrh-infused incense during wake services and funeral liturgies, the resinous smoke accompanying the deceased on their final journey. The Prayer of Incense, celebrated at funeral homes, fills rooms with myrrh’s distinctive aroma, connecting mourners to centuries of Mediterranean burial customs. In Beirut, traditional Maronite churches maintain this practice with particular devotion, where the scent of myrrh mingles with hymns and prayers in stone sanctuaries that have witnessed generations of farewells.β
Mount Athos monasteries sell pure myrrh resin alongside frankincense, allowing pilgrims to bring home fragments of this ancient tradition. Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter merchants blend myrrh with spikenard, rose, and jasmine oils, creating anointing oils that mirror biblical formulations.β
Olive Oil
Olive oil occupies a unique position among biblical scents, serving not as a fragrance itself but as the sacred carrier for aromatic essences used in anointing rituals. For over 7,000 years, olive oil has symbolized life, purity, and divine connection across Mediterranean religious traditions. Its cultivation began around 5,000 BCE in ancient Israel, becoming central to rituals that persist today in nearly identical form.β
In Orthodox baptism, olive oil plays multiple consecrating roles. The godparent offers a small bottle of olive oil over which the priest reads prayers for the banishment of evil. The priest then anoints the infant on the forehead, nose, ears, mouth, chest, legs, feet, hands, and back, preparing the child for triple immersion. This pre-baptismal anointing marks the candidate as an “athlete of virtue in the name of Christ,” echoing ancient Greek practices of anointing athletes before competition. Post-baptismal anointing with Holy Myron (which uses olive oil as its base) seals the Gift of the Holy Spirit.β
Mediterranean monasteries produce scented olive oil balms that combine therapeutic and devotional purposes. Mount Athos monks prepare oils infused with local herbs and traditional aromatics, selling them in monastery shops to visiting pilgrims. These balms serve for personal anointing, wound healing, and blessing household items. Cyprus monasteries similarly produce olive oil products, maintaining recipes passed down through monastic generations. The oil burns in vigil lamps before icons throughout the Orthodox world, its steady flame a constant prayer and its subtle scent a reminder of sanctity.β
Rose Water
Rose water brings a distinctly delicate, floral dimension to Mediterranean Christian tradition, its sweet fragrance evoking purity and joy rather than the heavier, more solemn tones of resinous incenses. Distilled from rose petals, this aromatic water has served ceremonial, culinary, and domestic purposes across the Eastern Mediterranean for centuries, bridging sacred and everyday life.β
In Cyprus, Orthodox baptisms incorporate rose water in symbolic gestures of blessing and celebration. Following the triple immersion and chrismation, family members traditionally throw rice and rose petals over the newly baptized infant, the petals releasing their perfume as they scatter, symbolizing fertility, happiness, and divine favor. Some traditions involve sprinkling the congregation with rose-scented holy water, creating an olfactory memory that binds the community to the sacred moment. The custom reflects both ancient Mediterranean flower rituals and specific Christian symbolism associating roses with paradise and the Virgin Mary.β
Beyond church ceremonies, rose water permeates Cypriot and Lebanese domestic life. Families use it to perfume homes before feast days, add fragrance to traditional pastries and sweets, and offer guests rose-water-scented refreshments as gestures of hospitality. Lebanese bakeries produce rose water-infused desserts like ma’amoul and baklava, where the floral notes complement pistachio and honey. Monastery guest quarters often provide rose water for visitors to refresh themselves, continuing an ancient Mediterranean tradition of aromatic hospitality.β
Cyprus monasteries remain the most authentic source for experiencing rose water in its traditional religious context. Attending a baptism at a Cypriot Orthodox church offers the full sensory experience: the scent of rose petals mingling with incense smoke, the visual beauty of white garments and gold icons, and the joyful sounds of Byzantine chanting.β
Mastic Resin
Mastic resin, known poetically as “tears of Chios,” stands apart as the Mediterranean’s most geographically specific biblical scent. Harvested exclusively from Pistacia lentiscus trees on the Greek island of Chios, this translucent resin has been collected for 2,500 years in specialized mastic villages called mastichochoria. The resin appears as brittle, glassy droplets that soften when chewed, releasing a flavor initially bitter but transforming into refreshing notes reminiscent of pine and cedar.β
Greek Orthodox churches on Chios and throughout the Aegean incorporate mastic into ecclesiastical incense, where its distinctive aromatic profile complements frankincense and myrrh. When burned on charcoal, mastic produces a lighter, more resinous fragrance than the heavier biblical incenses, adding complexity to the olfactory atmosphere of liturgical services. The ancient world valued mastic not only for religious use but also for its medicinal properties, which Hippocrates documented for digestive health and breath freshening.β
The cultivation and harvest of mastic follows ancient patterns virtually unchanged. From July through October, farmers clear the ground around mastic trees and sprinkle it with calcium carbonate. They make incisions in the bark, allowing clear resin to weep from the wounds and crystallize as it hardens. These translucent tears catch sunlight like gemstones, explaining the “tears of Chios” designation. After 15 to 20 days, farmers hand-collect the hardened resin, then spend winter months meticulously cleaning each tear, removing sand and impurities.β
Visiting Chios allows travelers to witness this entire process and purchase mastic directly from cooperative shops in the mastic villages. The Chios Mastic Museum offers comprehensive exhibitions on production history and techniques. Beyond ecclesiastical use, visitors encounter mastic as chewing gum, in liqueurs like Mastika, and even in Greek coffee shops where it flavors traditional sweets.β
Experiencing the Scents Today
Encountering these biblical fragrances in their authentic Mediterranean contexts requires planning but rewards travelers with experiences unavailable anywhere else. Mount Athos presents unique challenges, as the autonomous monastic republic admits only male visitors with advance permits, but those who make the pilgrimage find themselves immersed in centuries-old olfactory traditions. Monastery shops sell handmade frankincense, myrrh, and scented olive oil balms, often prepared by monks following recipes preserved in monastic libraries.β
Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter offers more accessible opportunities. Narrow stone alleys in the Old City house family-run spice shops that have traded in biblical incenses for generations. These merchants blend frankincense, myrrh, and aromatic oils according to traditional formulas, creating anointing oils and incense mixes that mirror ancient preparations. Visiting during major Christian feast days allows travelers to experience these scents in active worship contexts at churches like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.β
Chios provides the most focused experience for mastic enthusiasts. The southern mastic villages, protected by fortress-like architecture dating to Ottoman times, welcome visitors to cooperative shops and the Chios Mastic Museum. Attending liturgies in village churches offers the chance to smell mastic incense in its native ecclesiastical context.β
Beirut’s Maronite churches maintain Lebanon’s distinctive Eastern Christian traditions, where myrrh-infused funeral incenses create profoundly moving olfactory experiences. Respectful visitors can sometimes attend Prayer of Incense services at churches or witness the preparation of traditional incense blends at ecclesiastical supply shops.β
Cyprus monasteries combine accessibility with authentic tradition. Visitors can purchase rose water, attend baptismal celebrations (with appropriate prior arrangements and respect for sacred moments), and sample rose water-flavored pastries at monastery bakeries. Many monasteries welcome day visitors to their shops and grounds, allowing travelers to purchase traditionally produced aromatics and oils.β
The Enduring Power of Scent
These five fragrances have survived not through museum preservation but through continuous ritual use that binds modern Mediterranean Christians to their biblical and apostolic heritage. Orthodox Christianity’s emphasis on continuity of tradition has protected these olfactory practices from the liturgical simplifications that occurred in Western Christianity. From the first century through the Byzantine Empire, Ottoman rule, and into the present, Eastern Mediterranean Christians have maintained essentially unchanged worship patterns where scent remains central to encountering the divine.β
The sensory power of smell creates particularly strong memory associations and emotional responses, making these fragrances effective vehicles for religious experience and communal identity. When a Greek Orthodox child encounters frankincense during baptism, that scent becomes neurologically encoded alongside the ritual’s significance, creating lifelong associations between the aroma and sacred belonging. This explains why Orthodox Christians far from Mediterranean homelands seek out these specific scents, which instantaneously transport them to the churches of their ancestors.β
The commercial trade networks that sustained these aromatic traditions also contributed to their survival. Frankincense and myrrh traveled Mediterranean trade routes for millennia, their economic value ensuring continued cultivation even during periods of political upheaval. Chios mastic became so valuable under Ottoman rule that the island was called “SakΔ±z AdasΔ±” (Gum Island), and special protections were granted to mastic villages. This intersection of commerce, tradition, and devotion created resilient systems that preserved biblical scents through centuries of change.β
Living Links to Ancient Worlds
Standing in a sun-warmed Chios church while mastic incense curls toward frescoed domes, or watching rose petals scatter across baptismal waters in a Cyprus monastery, travelers access something increasingly rare: unbroken continuity with the ancient world. These are not approximations or scholarly reconstructions but actual survival of biblical-era sensory experiences. The frankincense burned in Mount Athos monasteries today comes from the same tree species, prepared using similar techniques, and burned in nearly identical rituals as the incense mentioned in the Gospels.β
The biblical Mediterranean is not a lost world. Its echoes are carried on the air, in the smoky, sweet, resinous, and floral notes that have defined sanctity, healing, and daily life for millennia. Frankincense, myrrh, olive oil, rose, and mastic are not merely entries in an ancient text; they are living bridges. They invite us to move beyond reading about history and to start breathing it in. So on your next journey, let your nose guide you. You may just find that the most powerful and lasting souvenir is not a photograph, but a memory written in scent.
Header image: A censer in a shop in the Old City, Jerusalem, next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Taken by Matthew Roth, writer from San Francisco, USA.
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