BALSAM, BALSAM OF GILEAD

The term “balsam” applies to any of the many plants, shrubs, and trees producing an aromatic and, commonly, oily and resinous substance. The same word applies also to the substance produced. There are balsamiferous trees among the fir, spruce, poplar, and other tree families.

Identification of the specific plants or trees represented by the Hebrew words boʹsem and tsoriʹ is not definite. The name “balsam of Gilead” has been applied to a shrublike evergreen tree called Commiphora opobalsamum (or, Commiphora gileadensis). Its greenish-yellow oily resin is gathered by making incisions in the stem and branches, and the little balls of sap that form are later collected. While this particular tree is found chiefly in S Arabia, the Jewish historian Josephus indicates that it was cultivated around Jericho in Solomon’s time, and the Greek geographer Strabo records that in Roman times it was also grown beside the Sea of Galilee.

It has been suggested that tsoriʹ may refer to the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), which produces a pale-yellow fragrant gum called mastic, as well as an oil used for medicinal purposes obtained from the bark, leaves, and berries. The tree is common in Palestine, and its name in Arabic is very similar to the Hebrew tsoriʹ.