The Queen of Sheba's Gift

The balsam of Matarea, a substance traded for its weight in gold, was a highly valued commodity in pre-modern medicine, religious rituals, and royal ceremonies, with its cultural significance spanning from the 4th century BCE to the 17th century CE. This study reconstructs the fascinating history of the balsam tree using archaeological evidence, textual sources, and modern botanical studies, correlating them to identify the trees cultivated in ancient Egypt's Matarea plantation. It explores the symbolic associations of balsam with figures like the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, and Cleopatra, while also examining its trade routes, applications, and socio-cultural factors that contributed to its rarity and value. The research establishes links between balsam-producing trees in Jericho, En-Gedi, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Horn of Africa, shedding light on a panacea revered by physicians across the Middle East and Europe during antiquity and the medieval period.

Milwright, M. (2021). The Queen of Sheba’s Gift. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780748668502