Gary Young exploring the Frankincense Trail with the Dead Sea in the background. Image Source
The Balm of Gilead is described in the Old Testament as a health remedy and perfume. Today the tree is known as Commiphora gileadensis – or Gileadensis for short.
In the Hebrew language it is referred to as Balsamom. The Gileadensis tree was cultivated in at least six locations prior to the Roman conquest: Jericho, Ein Feshka, Ein Gedi, Ein Boqeq (Zohar), Zoar, and a couple of plantations close to the River Jordan.
Balm of Gilead trees produce a white, runny resin when cut or punctured. Notice the dried clumps of resin? This liquid resin is so aromatic. Gary Young’s newest oil. Image Source
The best historical remnants can still be observed on the hills below the Ein Gedi spring, where water was channeled through terraced hillsides of Gileadensis trees and the remnants of an ancient extraction fortress can be viewed.
The ancient Judean guild of Gileadensis growers and extractors protected the secrets of their guild with their lives. When the Romans conquered Judea they carried branches of the Gileadensis to Rome to show that they now controlled the prize aromatic oil from Judea. The Romans then added their touch to the cultivation and extraction of the Balm of Gilead.
It’s May 2, 2015. The leaflets and coming out strong on the Balm of Gilead plants. They love the heat of Springtime near the Dead Sea where it gets between 90-100F every day. The male and female flowers are also coming out now. The shrubs grow 2-3 feet each year. Image Source
Mark Antony of Rome gave the Judean Gileadensis plantations to the Egyptian queen Cleopatra as a gift – representing her beauty and power.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, March 10, 2015
Modern Signs Along Ancient Trade Routes Image Source
My story is not about frankincense or myrrh. My story is pieced together from threads of historical accounts and the remnants of ancient ruins along the thousand-mile Incense Trail.
Overlooking Masada. Image Source
My story is about the aromatic tree known by the native people of Oman and Yemen (the Shahra and Mahra people) as shik’of (You can learn the native Shahra language and culture with books soon to be published by Ali Ahmed Al-Shahri from Salalah, Oman). The shik’of tree produces small quantities of gum-resin; unfortunately not enough for caravan trading. However, the intriguing aroma of its new-growth branches was very aromatic and pleasing to the soul. Of the trees that the Queen of Sheba carries to King Solomon as presents from her kingdom, only shik’of survived the dry, hot, desert climates of Judea.
Be prepared to stop for wandering camels. Image Source
The Judeans learned how to cultivate shik’of and discovered a secret method of extracting the marvelous aroma from its new-growth branches. This extracted aroma from the shik’of trees was valued as a fragrant perfume, as a potent medicine, and for anointing rulers of kingdoms.
The extract of shik’of became the number one export of Judea for 1500 years and brought great wealth to the kingdom. I know what your mind is questioning, “I’ve never heard of this shik’of tree or its essential oil!” Indeed you have, only by another name: The Balm of Gilead.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, March 12, 2015
The Treasury at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. The Frankincense camel caravans from Oman stopped in Petra on the way to the Mediterranean port at Gaza. Image Source
Balm of Gilead is an essential oil that historically created great riches, was fought over by empires, has its mysterious beginnings with King Solomon, and its fabulous aroma was the prize of kings, emperors, and rulers for centuries.
Dr. Woolley investigating one of the carved tombs cut into the red sandstone cliffs at Petra. Image Source
Camel caravans carrying the highly valued gum-resins of frankincense and myrrh from southern Arabia through the desert sands and mountains of the Arabian Peninsula to the wealthy city of Petra, with palaces, homes, and treasury carved into the colorful rock walls of the canyon, on its way to the Gaza port for distribution throughout Mediterranean cities.
This essential oil was worth its weight in GOLD.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, March 14, 2015
Guy Erlich and Dr. Woolley viewing the north greenhouse at the Young Living Israel Farm. This greenhouse contains the younger Commiphora gileadensis trees – 8000 in total. Image Source
Now forward to 2015…
The Israel farm now has two large greenhouses 60m (200ft) long x 30m (100ft) wide with a vertical height of 10m (33ft). The floor and paths are covered with small, red volcanic pumice gravel.
Inside the first greenhouse are three water ponds with flowing water and aquatic plants. There are also a variety of small plants, medium-sized bushes, and large green trees. And a small wooden building that supports training classes for schools and tourists.
Everywhere you look you will find a new species of aromatic plants, bushes, and trees. The mature Gileadensis trees inside the greenhouse number 300-400 with 8,000 outside.
Gary Young knows that the deserts of Israel contain many aromatic plants – future therapeutic essential oils exclusive to Young Living. Image Source
Gary’s vision was to restore the majesty of the Balm of Gilead plantations and extraction facilities that existed 2000 years ago in Jericho, Ein Bokek, Zoar, Ein Gedi, and Ein Feshka near the Dead Sea shores. This is just the start of Gary Young’s vision for the future.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, March 17, 2015
In the second, identical greenhouse to the south are 8,000 Commiphora gileadensis (Balm of Gilead) trees. There are also two small hothouses where new cuttings of Gileadensis and Frankincense trees are rooted during the hot summer months.
Dr. Cole Woolley and Guy Erlich inspecting the 4500 young Commiphora gileadensis cutting starts prepared during the hot summer months of 2014. The “hot house” and upper sprinklers help root the small cuttings. Image Source
Guy Erlich, the owner of the farm, usually starts 4,000-5,000 new cuttings every summer. Most of these young Gileadensis trees are only one, two or three years old.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, April 2, 2015
The Israel Farm
From the upper plateau you can look out over the Jericho Valley from north to south. Just 5 miles north you can see the ancient city of Jericho. To the east you can see the mountains of Jordan. Looking to the southeast you will see the majestic Dead Sea. Looking directly south just 10-15 miles you can see the hills where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1940-1960. Now look back west to the beautiful mountains towering above the upper plateau – they are covered in green grasses and flowers during the cool winter and spring months.
Now let’s take a walk down to the lower plantation of Commiphora gileadensis. When these Gileadensis trees were transplanted in September 2014 from the greenhouse, they were green with small leaflets. When I visited in January 2015 the leaves had fallen but the blossoms and leaf buds were ready to sprout at the first sign of warmer weather.
After 6 months all the transplanted trees are still alive and well. We have two water tanks on the upper plateau connected to drip irrigation lines watering both test plots to save water. In February 2015 we hooked up to pressurized water so we could have better irrigation control.
I just spoke with Guy Erlich by Skype – he informed me that the Gileadensis blossoms are just emerging from the plantation trees. This is the first time in 1500 years that Gileadensis have bloomed on the open desert hills above the Dead Sea!
These photos are from a tourist that came and visited the Young Living Cooperative Israel Farm just last week!
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, April 12, 2015
I am here in Israel right now and I wanted to share with you my findings in Qumran!
I spent the entire day at archaeological sites close to the Young Living Israel Farm near the Dead Sea. In the morning I visited Qumran, the ancient ruins next to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden 2000 years ago! This city was also the perfect place for the Balm of Gilead to grow.
Come here in the future and experience the history of Balm of Gilead and our Young Living Israel Farm!
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, May 5, 2015
Qumran was an ancient small village on top of dry foothills below the towering rift-fault mountains. The Qumran location provided mild winter months without snow but with occasional rains. Qumran settlers had to endure the extreme, dry “summer” period where the daytime temperatures reach 40-50C (100-120F). The shores of the Dead Sea are just 1 mile away. Qumran started as an established Iron Age site about 700 BCE after Syria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel.
The Israeli refugees who fled the conquest sought safety in less desirable lands that the Syrian armies ignored. They built open rock-lined, plastered cisterns to catch run-off rain water from the cliffs to the west. They hunted wild animals. They learned to use the clay silt that washed into their cisterns to make clay pottery. Their dwellings were built of natural limestone rocks stacked as walls and covered with wooden logs and branches. When times were safe, the people abandoned Qumran for more pleasant living conditions.
Qumran was re-established around 100 BCE by religious refugees fleeing from the bloody battles with Roman soldiers. Qumran provided safe sanctuary from soldiers, a steady pottery income close to trading routes, assurance of water using large collection pools for rain run-off, and time to worship as they pleased. Qumran was an industrial haven for 20-40 Judean refugees with spirit, talent, and determination.
The Qumran pottery works was a private, community business that traded pots of all sizes and shapes with merchants in nearby Jericho and Jerusalem. Recent excavations at Qumran unearthed “sophisticated industrial installations…here was perhaps a facility for the production of perfume” writes Israeli archeologists Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg in 2007. This was likely a small-scale Balm of Gilead essential oil extraction facility. A modern walkway covers most of this “sophisticated industrial installation”. I’ll share the photos I just took.
During the Great Revolt against the Roman around 70 CE, the Qumran site was a temporary gathering place for fleeing Judean refugees from Jerusalem and surrounding cities. These fleeing refugees locked up their community biblical scrolls and historical libraries in large pottery jars produced at Qumran and deposited them in local caves surrounding Qumran. They likely intended to return for their cache of community scrolls in times of peace, yet peace never returned to Judea. These scrolls hidden in caves near Qumran represent the community libraries of conquered cities and towns of Judea. You can see three of these caves where Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1948 from the Qumran hilltop community.
Source: Dr Cole Woolley PhD, May 6, 2015
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