Balm of Gilead
Encyclopedia
Balm of Gilead is a balm
made from the resin
ous gum
of the North America
n Balm of Gilead
(Populus × jackii) tree or from related species such as the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
, which is also sometimes called Balm of Gilead.
Populus × jackii, also known as P. × gileadensis, is the hybrid between balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
and the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), occurring occasionally where the two parental species' ranges overlap. This hybrid is also sometimes planted as a shade tree, and occasionally escapes from cultivation. P. balsamifera is also known as P. tacamahaca and P. trichocarpa, and is widespread in boreal North America
. The name Populus candicans has been variously used for either P. balsamifera or P. × jackii; it is currently considered a synonym of P. balsamifera.
The balm takes its name from the allusive Biblical phrase "balm in Gilead", referring to the balm or balsam carried from Gilead
by the caravan of merchants to whom Joseph
was sold by his brothers (Genesis chapter 37). In all likelihood, this ancient trade item was what is now known as Balsam of Mecca
, produced from the tree Commiphora gileadensis
(syn. C. opobalsamum), native to southern Arabia, a relative of the source of myrrh
.
Balm of Gilead is also an English common name of a perennial herbaceous
plant native to the Canary Islands
, Cedronella canariensis
.
Felter, HW Lloyd Ju. King's American Dispensatory (18th edition). Sandy/Eclectic Medical Publications; 1898 [1983]
Liniment
Liniment , from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm...
made from the resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
ous gum
Natural gum
Natural gums are polysaccharides of natural origin, capable of causing a large viscosity increase in solution, even at small concentrations. In the food industry they are used as thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifying agents, and stabilizers...
of the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Balm of Gilead
Balm of Gilead
Balm of Gilead is a balm made from the resinous gum of the North American Balm of Gilead tree or from related species such as the balsam poplar , which is also sometimes called Balm of Gilead....
(Populus × jackii) tree or from related species such as the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
Populus balsamifera
Populus balsamifera, commonly called balsam poplar, bamtree, eastern balsam poplar, hackmatack, tacamahac poplar, tacamahaca,...
, which is also sometimes called Balm of Gilead.
Populus × jackii, also known as P. × gileadensis, is the hybrid between balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
Populus balsamifera
Populus balsamifera, commonly called balsam poplar, bamtree, eastern balsam poplar, hackmatack, tacamahac poplar, tacamahaca,...
and the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), occurring occasionally where the two parental species' ranges overlap. This hybrid is also sometimes planted as a shade tree, and occasionally escapes from cultivation. P. balsamifera is also known as P. tacamahaca and P. trichocarpa, and is widespread in boreal North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The name Populus candicans has been variously used for either P. balsamifera or P. × jackii; it is currently considered a synonym of P. balsamifera.
The balm takes its name from the allusive Biblical phrase "balm in Gilead", referring to the balm or balsam carried from Gilead
Gilead
In the Bible "Gilead" means hill of testimony or mound of witness, , a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is also referred to by the Aramaic name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew . From its mountainous character...
by the caravan of merchants to whom Joseph
Joseph (Hebrew Bible)
Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
was sold by his brothers (Genesis chapter 37). In all likelihood, this ancient trade item was what is now known as Balsam of Mecca
Balsam of Mecca
Balsam of Mecca is a resinous gum of the tree Commiphora gileadensis , native to southern Arabia and also naturalized, in ancient and again in modern times, in ancient Judea/Palestine/Israel. The most famous site of balsam production in the region was the Jewish town of Ein Gedi...
, produced from the tree Commiphora gileadensis
Commiphora
Commiphora is a genus of flowering plants in the family Burseraceae. It includes about 185 species of trees and shrubs, often armed or thorny, native to Africa, Arabia, and the Indian subcontinent.-Uses:...
(syn. C. opobalsamum), native to southern Arabia, a relative of the source of myrrh
Myrrh
Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum....
.
Balm of Gilead is also an English common name of a perennial herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plant native to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Cedronella canariensis
Cedronella
Cedronella is a genus of flowering plants in the Mentheae tribe of family Lamiaceae, comprising a single species, Cedronella canariensis, endemic to the Canary Islands. Common names include Canary Islands-balm, Canary balm, and Balm-of-Gilead.It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 1-1.5 m tall...
.
Sources
SEPASAL (Database of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (UK) = http://www.kew.org/ceb/sepasal/)Felter, HW Lloyd Ju. King's American Dispensatory (18th edition). Sandy/Eclectic Medical Publications; 1898 [1983]
External links
- Recipe for Balm of Gilead Salve