THE WISE MEN'S SECOND GIFT: FRANKINCENSE

A Camel Caravan Laden with Frankincense Crosses the Desert

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Our Christmas series continues with a study of the second of the Wise Men’s three gifts …Frankincense. We all know what gold is, but what are frankincense and that other stuff, myrrh? We’ll deal with Frankincense today and save myrrh for a later time.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

Before we go any further, let’s start with the name itself, Frank + incense or Frankincense is a name that has become so common that we hardly give it any thought. We know for certain that one of the Wise Men did not lay it before the Blessed Mother and her child saying, “Here is a chest of precious Frankincense.”

Granules of Frankincense

The Hebrew term for incense levona comes from a root word lavan, meaning white, which evidently refers to its milky color. White, of course, also carries the connotation of purity. The Greeks term for it, libanos, is derived from the Hebrew word. The Romans called it 0lhmi libanum (oil from Lebanon), which led to another ancient word for Frankincense, olibanum. So how did it get from olibanum to being called Frankincense?

Incense is a Middle English word derived from the Latin incensum, which in turn is derived incendere, to set on fire. In its original form it was ensenz. There are two theories about it came to be called Frankincense. The first claims that the “Frank” is a prefix meaning true, genuine or highest quality. The second suggests that the use of incense was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders and the Franks (French) managed to corner the market on the incense trade in Western Europe. Thus, most incense was sold by the Franks, making it Frankincense. I favor the second hypothesis simply because the F in Frankincense is nearly always capitalized meaning it most probably began as a Proper Noun.

Regardless of which is correct, new translations of Bible followed the introduction of Gutenberg’s movable type and the Greek or Hebrew terms were universally translated as Frankincense.

THE HISTORY OF INCENSE USE

The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Israelites, Babylonians and numerous other cultures used incense. Its use in religious ceremonies is almost as old as mankind. Incense has been trade commodity on the Arabian Peninsula and in North Africa for more than 5000 years. A mural depicting sacks of incense from the Land of Punt adorns the walls of the temple of ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, who died in 1458 BC.

Consecrated incense, the ketoret is described in the Hebrew Bible and Talmud. It is also referred to as the HaKetoret (the incense). It was offered on the specialized incense altar when the Tabernacle was located in the First and Second Jerusalem Temples. Pythagoras, philosopher-mathematician and priest of Apollo, performed libations and sacrifices to Gods with incense. The writings of Herodotus (330 BC), tell us the Chaldeans of Babylon offered a thousand talents' weight (98,422 pounds) of incense to Bel (Baal) at his yearly festival. By the first century, 3,000 tons of incense were exported to Greece and Rome from Southern Arabia.

EARLY CHRISTIAN USE OF FRANKINCENSE

It is not known when the use of incense was introduced into the Mass and other liturgical rites. At the time of the early Church, the Jews continued to use incense in their own Temple rituals, so it would be safe to conclude that the Christians would have adapted its usage for their own worship. The liturgies of Sts. James and Mark, which in their present form can be traced to the fifth century, mention the use of incense. A Roman Ritual of the seventh century marks it usage in the procession of a Bishop to the altar and on Good Friday. Moreover, in the Mass, an incensation at the Gospel appears very early.

The purpose of incensing and the symbolic value of the smoke is that of purification and sanctification. For example, in the Eastern Rites at the beginning of Mass, the altar and sanctuary area were incensed while Psalm 50, the Miserere, was chanted invoking the mercy of God. The smoke symbolizes the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven: the Psalmist prays, “Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141). Incense also creates the ambiance of heaven: The Book of Revelation describes the heavenly worship as follows: “Another angel came in holding a censor of gold. He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God's holy ones. From the angel's hand, the smoke of the incense went up before God, and with it the prayers of God's people.”

Frankincense is also used at time during Catholic a funeral Masses, the priest at the final commendation may incense the coffin, both as a sign of honor to the body of the deceased which became the temple of the Holy Spirit at Baptism and as a sign of the prayers for the deceased rising to God.

Flowers of Boswelia sacra - The Frankincense Tree

HARVESTING FRANKINCENSE

The product we have come to know as Frankincense comes from a specific variety of trees in the genus Boswelia. Most trees in the Boswelia genus are aromatic, and many of them produce a scented resinous sap, but only one tree, Boswelia sacra, produces the high grade product known as Frankincense. It comes almost exclusively from trees grown on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula in what is now Oman. 

The process is relatively simple. The oldest way is to simply scrape away portions of the bark and allow the resin to flow from this wound. A more modern method calls for a series of slashes in the tree’s outer bark during the cooler months with a specially designed knife. As the weather warms, the resinous sap slowly oozes out of the cuts on the tree in small droplets that steadily accumulate into spherules. These spherules sometimes reach the size of a hen's egg before they are harvested. 

Sap Oozing from a Gash in the Boswelia Tree

After harvesting, Frankincense is assigned a quality rating based on its color, purity, aroma, age, and shape. Silver and Hojari are generally considered the highest grades. The Omanis themselves generally consider Silver to be a better grade than Hojari, though most Western connoisseurs think that it should be the other way round. This may be due to the fact that  Hojari smells best in the relatively cold, damp climates of Europe and North America, whereas Silver is better suited to the hot dry conditions of Arabia. The very highest grades of Hojari are seldom exported.

EFFECTS OF THE INCENSE TRADE

Like so many other trade goodS, Frankincense does not exist in a vacuum. Just as there was the Silk Road, one can also find an Incense Road. There are a number of subsidiary effects that can be traced to incense. First and foremost, it represents a significant source of income for the region where it is produced. It provides jobs in a resource scarce area, so everyone up and down the marketing chain benefits. At many times in history incense was also subject to taxation up to 25% of its value.

Interestingly enough, some people associate the incense trade with the use of camels as pack animals. Around 2000 BCE southern Arabia witnessed a change of climate and the environment began to experience drought and gradual desertification. This coincides nicely with the time camels were domesticated for use in the overland caravan routes. The trade also led to the early adoption of written language and cultural cross-pollination between the Greco-Roman world and the Arabian world.

Next time we’ll be looking at the Biblical tales of two mothers —Mary in the New Testament and Hannah in the Old Testament.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings.

If you reached this post via a link, click HOME above to see other posts and our archives.

WHY CHRISTMAS COMES ON DECEMBER 25TH.

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Ask a dozen people, “Why is Christmas on December 25^th?” and you’re likely to end up with a variety of answers none of which is, “Well, because that’s the day Jesus was born.”

Any skeptics in the group will argue that Christ was definitely NOT born on December 25^th. You’ve heard their justifications. After all, everyone knows religion is nothing but myth and superstition. A single story told and retold around the world according to mythologist Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

The Myth of the Church Adopting and Assimilating

As the Church grew and came into its own, according to the prevailing consensus, it began adopting and assimilating left and right. No matter where these early Church Fathers went, the first thing they did was incorporate the local pagan beliefs and holidays into Christianity. After all, how else could they make their message appeal to the masses? Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus. It was derived from the solstice traditions of the ancient Babylonians…or was it the Assyrians? No, maybe it was the Persians or the Medes, the Greeks…the Romans, the Egyptians, the Norse, the Celts, the Druids, the…the… On and on it goes. It seems the only ones who haven’t been credited with originating Christmas are the Mayans and the Aztecs. And, given enough time, they may still make it into the big leagues.

Calculating the Solstices and Equinoxes

There’s one thing that needs to be understood. Nearly all early cultures had strong traditions built around the Solstices and Equinoxes. They had to. There was no such thing as Greenwich Mean Time for them and calendars were ephemeral things. Day length varied from long to short and back again. Driven by the moon, months, and the festivals associated with them, started moving around if not carefully watched.

Meanwhile, critical factors such as the correct time to plant had to be known with certainty. Without phone, fax, or email and saddled with a calendar that demanded constant tinkering, the only dependable measure of time lay in the heavens. Even the American Indians carefully tracked the solstices. It allowed them to predict the migration patterns of game animals, attend pre-arranged councils, and meet at specific times and places to trade with other tribes.

Should anyone be surprised that most ancient cultures had winter festivals of one sort or another? No, the greater surprise would be if they didn’t.  But if the early Christians didn’t piggyback their Feast Days onto someone else’s, how in the world did they arrive at a suitable date?

Turning to the Bible

The Bible offers few clues. Celebrations of Jesus’ Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or in Acts and the date of his birth is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season. Yet we have to be cautious when extracting precise meanings from what is generally a theological narrative.

This is also a good place to point out that references to cold and snow in Christmas Carols such as The First Noel, “On a cold winter’s night that was so deep…” or Still, Still, Still, “One can hear the falling snow…” are the result of moving an event which occurred in the Middle East to the less temperate climes of Northern Europe.

Christmas Wasn't a Big Deal

In reality, the first Christians cared little about when Jesus was born. There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of the Christian Fathers such as Irenaeus or Tertullian. Origen of Alexandria even mocks the Roman celebration of birthdays, calling them pagan practices. Everything seems to indicate that Jesus’ birth was not even celebrated by the Early Christian believers; their focus remained squarely on, as Paul said, “Christ crucified.”

The earliest writings, Paul and Mark, make no mention of Jesus’ birth. Only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide accounts of the event although, unlike the Passion narrative, neither attempts to anchor it in time. Further details of Jesus’ childhood don’t appear until the Second Century in apocryphal writings such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Proto-Gospel of James. And, though they provide the names of Jesus’ grandparents and details of his education, they ignore the issue of his birth date.

The Truth of the Matter

 Perhaps there is a different, and better, way to account for the origins of Christmas on December 25^th — the Jewish tradition that creation and redemption should occur at the same time of year. The Babylonian Talmud preserves a dispute between two early Second Century rabbis who share this view, but disagree on the date. Rabbi Eliezer states, “In Nisan the world was created; in Nisan the Patriarchs were born; on Passover Isaac was born...and in Nisan they (the Patriarchs) will be redeemed in time to come.” The other rabbi, Joshua, dates these same events to the following month, Tishri.

Could it be that the dates of Christmas and Epiphany may well have resulted from Christian theological reflection on such chronologies? Could Jesus have been conceived on the same date he died, and born nine months later?

Turning to the Church Fathers

Around the mid-3rd Century,Tertullian reported his calculation that the 14^th of Nisan, the day of the crucifixion according to the Gospel of John, equated to March 25^th in the Roman (solar) calendar. March 25^th, which comes nine months before December 25^th, was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation, the commemoration of Jesus’ conception. If the ancient Christians believed that Jesus was conceived and crucified on the same day of the year, then the logical thing to do would be to establish his day of birth exactly nine months later…on December 25^th.

This idea appears in an anonymous Christian treatise titled On Solstices and Equinoxes, which appears to come from fourth-century North Africa. It states, “Therefore our Lord was conceived on the eighth of the kalends of April in the month of March (March 25^th), which is the day of the passion of the Lord and of his conception. For on that day he was conceived and on the same he suffered.”

Augustine, too, was familiar with this idea. In On the Trinity he wrote, “For he is believed to have been conceived on the 25^th of March, upon which day also he suffered; so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried, wherein was never man laid, neither before him nor since. But he was born, according to tradition, upon December the 25^th.”

The Bottom Line or East meets West

If you remain skeptical, consider one final point. The Eastern Church also links the dates of Jesus’ conception and his death. However, instead of working from the 14^th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, Orthodox scholars used the 14^th of the first spring month (Artemisios) in their local Greek calendar, which corresponds to April 6^th. April 6^th is, of course, precisely nine months before January 6^th, the date on which the Eastern Church celebrates Christmas.

There is evidence that April was associated with Jesus’ conception and crucifixion in the East. Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis writes that on April 6^th, “The lamb was shut up in the spotless womb of the holy virgin, he who took away and takes away in perpetual sacrifice the sins of the world.” Even today, the Armenian Church celebrates the Annunciation in early April (on the 7^th, rather than the 6^th) and Christmas on January 6^th.

Multiple Dates Same Process

Here we have Christians in two parts of the world both calculating Jesus’ birth on the basis that his death and conception took place on the same day (March 25^th or April 6^th) and coming up with two close but different results for his birth  (December 25^th and January 6^th). Connecting Jesus’ conception and death in this way may seem odd to modern readers, but it reflects the ancient belief of the whole of salvation being bound up together.

Where do the Stories Come From?

This begs the question, what about all those stories of Christmas being adapted from pagan holidays? In cases such as this it’s sometimes helpful to ask yourself, “Who benefits from such a theory?” Clearly such ideas bolster those who seek to disprove Christianity’s claims about Jesus and the saving grace He offers to mankind. One might even go so far as to say that the ultimate beneficiary of such a claim would be the Evil One, the Father of Lies, the Prince of Darkness, in short, the Devil.

I want to emphasize that the purpose of this treatise, or is it a rant, is not to insist that Jesus was absolutely, positively, definitely born on December 25^th.  In all likelihood, he wasn’t. Not because the early Church appropriated pagan holidays, but because the cycle of lambing, and therefore the time when shepherds might be out in the fields, moves the estimated birth date into very early spring. So let’s recap. Jesus may not have been born on December 25^th, but the selection of that date by the Early Church Fathers was grounded in logic and tradition that was independent of pagan rites and rituals and is entirely defensible on that basis.

Interestingly enough, the first suggestion that Jesus’ birth celebration was deliberately set to coincide with the time of pagan feasts didn’t surface until the 12^th Century. A marginal note on a manuscript of the writings of the Syriac biblical commentator Dionysius bar-Salibi states that in ancient times the Christmas holiday was actually shifted from January 6^th to December 25^th so that it fell on the same date as the pagan Sol Invictus holiday. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, Bible scholars developed the study of comparative religions and picked up on this idea. They claimed that because the early Christians didn’t know when Jesus was born, they simply assimilated the pagan solstice festival for their own purposes, claiming it as the time of the Messiah’s birth and celebrating it accordingly.

Now you know better.

Next time, we'll take a look at the second gift the Wise Men brought, Frankincense.

Until then, I wish you Peace and Blessings

If you reached this post via a link, click HOME to see other posts and our archives.

THE WISE MEN'S FIRST GIFT: GOLD – THE KING OF METALS

Molten Gold Flowing into a Mold

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Today’s post serves two purposes. First, we’ve included it among our study of Christmas because Gold is one of the traditional gifts brought to Jesus by the Wise Men. Secondly, Gold is the logical stepping off point for a series of posts dealing with, for lack of a better word, metallurgy.

Metals were used to create the tools and implements of every culture and civilization. Archeologists even have their famous Three Ages: The Stone age, The Bronze Age, and The Iron Age. But there’s more to metals in the ancient world than just bronze and iron, lots more. There is also copper, tin, brass and, the King of Metals, gold, which seemed like the best place to begin.

Gold is arguably the first metal discovered by man since in its natural state it typically appears as nuggets or grains. In earliest times, a primitive man probably stooped to get a drink of water, noticed something shiny among the sand and pebbles at the bottom of the creek, and picked it up. Unlike most other metals that exist in combination with other elements and must be mined, processed, and purified, gold usually comes in its pure state and ready for use, making it ideal for pre-industrial societies.

The chemical symbol for gold is Au (from Latin for gold, aurum which originally meant, appropriately enough, shining dawn.) Gold is dense, soft and shiny. It is one of only two colored metal elements, the other being copper. Gold is extremely malleable and ductile. In ancient times gold was shaped by pounding. A single ounce can be beaten into a 300 square foot piece of gold leaf.

Gold has been valued by all civilizations since the beginning of recorded history.  It is the first, and most frequently mentioned metal in the Bible, appearing as early as Genesis 2:11. The Hebrews had six different terms for gold ranging from the metal itself to its varied uses. Because gold has always been rare, and maintains its luster without tarnishing, it became a material associated with highest integrity and purity.

Gold was, and is, considered the only metal suitable for contact with the Divine. When Moses constructed the Tabernacle in the desert, he naturally had gold beaten into plates for use as lining and overlays as well as threads in the priestly garments. (Exodus 25, 30, 37 and 39) Likewise, the Ark of the Covenant utilized gold in the same manner. Today, you’ll find that most chalices, plates and other communion vessels are still made of, or at least lined with, gold.

Roughly five hundred years after the Israelite’s sojourn in the desert, when Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, or the house of the Lord as the Bible calls it, he relied extensively upon gold for its décor. His father, David, had set aside gold and other objects for the project. (1Kings 6:1-7:51) After he finished building the Lord’s house Solomon constructed one for himself (1Kings 9:1) that was equally lavish.

He had an ivory throne and overlaid it with gold. We’re also told that, “All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver, it was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.”

Babylonian Pendant

Through the centuries the nation of Israel was under constant threat from various neighboring kingdoms. The fact that they had used so much gold in the construction of the Temple had to be a contributing factor. Faced with the choice of vanquishing a nation of dirt poor farmers, or plundering a city literally dripping with gold, most despots would go for the gold. It was, of course, the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar who eventually destroyed the Temple and plundered its valuables. (2Kings 25:13-17)

Approximately fifty years later Cyrus the Great of Persia allowed the people to return home. Solomon’s Temple, which lay in ruins, was rebuilt. They raised funds by collecting gold from the leaders and the people. Nehemiah 7:70-73 mentions a total of 41,000 drams of gold being donated. The term dram is identified by Strong as H1871, and translates dram as drachma.

Golden Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen

The research I’ve done indicates drachmas were typically minted in silver and gold drachmas were rarely struck. Archeologists have found what is known as an Attic Drachma dating to the approximate time when Nehemiah governed Israel. However, these coins are also silver. It leads to the conclusion that the Biblical text was referring the value of the donations measured as gold rather than the actual coins they received. For example, someone who has forty quarters could legitimately say they had ten dollars.

From Nehemiah we make another leap forward about 500 years to Herod the Great. Herod was not a Jew, but an Idumean. Idumea was conquered during the Maccabean period and over time the people eventually converted to Judaism. The residents of Judea and Galilee who considered themselves to be the only real Jews in the region, viewed Idumeans somewhat like the way they viewed Samaritans.

In attempt to curry favor with his Jewish subjects, Herod rebuilt and expanded the existing Temple. The result was the Second Temple which existed at the time of Christ…the one the Romans destroyed in 70 AD. Again Herod used impressive amounts of gold in its construction. Built of white marble, covered with heavy plates of gold in front and rising high above its cloistered courts, the temple, compared by Josephus to a snow-covered mountain, was a conspicuous and dazzling object from every side. From the Mount of Olives Jesus and his disciples could have looked across the valley seeing the glory of the Beautiful Gate and the golden entrance to the Holy Place.

Jesus, of course, prophesied the Temple’s destruction saying, “…not one stone shall be left standing atop another.” After Titus’ army conquered Jerusalem, the Romans set the Temple afire. Its gold overlays and trimmings melted and seeped into seams between the huge blocks that formed the Temple’s exterior walls. This meant the Romans were forced to dismantle the structure in order to  retrieve the gold.

Golden Jewelry Recovered in Ruins of Pompeii

In the year 313 Constantine issued the Edict of Milan making Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire. Now, instead of hiding and conducting their liturgies in secret, believers could worship openly. As Christianity grew to become the dominant religion of the Empire, the faithful responded by constructing churches and basilicas. One of these, the Hagia Sophia, was built by the Emperor Justinian in the royal city of Constantinople. It was a patriarchal seat and, after the division of the Church into Eastern and Western branches, it became the center of Orthodox Christianity. The Hagia Sophia is the embodiment of Byzantine architecture and had the distinction of being the largest cathedral in the world for 1,000 years. As the photo shows, its designers followed ancient traditions and made extensive use of gold in its galleries, naves and ceiling. Ikons are also a longstanding form of religious expression in the Eastern Church. They all incorporate the nimbus, or halo, behind and around the holy figures. In the original and most authentic form, these halos are created by applying gold leaf to the board on which the painting is done.

Interior of the Hagai Sophia

In addition to resisting tarnish and corrosion, gold also resists individual acids. It is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and other base metals. This has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, and is the origin of the term acid test. Like all metals, gold is recyclable and, because of its high value, even small pieces of jewelry are often sold to reclaim the gold they contain.

It’s fun to imagine a piece of the precious metal being formed into…say an Egyptian ankh. A century later it is captured when Rome overthrows Antony and Cleopatra and is taken back to Rome where it becomes a lady’s necklace. Centuries after that, barbarians besiege Rome and are bought off with gold collected from the residents of the city. A warrior receives the necklace as his share of the plunder and carries it back to Europe where he sells it. The necklace is melted to become a brooch for a princess. Hundreds of years later, the royal house falls and the crown jewels are seized by the Cossacks. In Russia the brooch goes into the furnace along with other miscellaneous pieces and is formed into an ingot that sits in a national treasury until it is transferred to Karl Gustavovich Fabergé to be made into an Imperial Easter Egg. During the Nazi invasion the egg is stolen and hidden in a secret vault in Switzerland until it returns to its place of origin when bought by a Middle Eastern oil billionaire.

Want to have some fun with the kids? On your next car trip instead of counting out of state license plates or Mail Pouch signs on a barn, why not devise your own golden tale?

Next time, we’ll solve the riddle of why Christmas comes on December 25^th. I guarantee it is not what you’ve been told.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings

LAGANUM FRUCTUS - A CAKE OF FRUIT

Taking the Show on the Road by Cooking for the Kids

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Our study of Christmas continues today with an ancient recipe for fruitcake. Fruitcakes are traditionally served during the Christmas season and so I decided to whip one up as a yuletide treat. It’s called Laganum Fructus which is Latin for Cake of Fruit or Cake with Fruit. Fruitcake was quite popular with the soldiers of Rome’s Legions. It was aged with wine and the alcohol preserved the cake and prevented spoilage. Consequently, a Legionnaire could pack his laganum fructus into his loculus,  a traveling pack or duffel bag, and count on the cake keeping until he finished snacking on it.

Fruitcakes are traditionally served during the Christmas season and so I decided to whip up one of these ancient fruitcakes as a yuletide treat. The recipe calls for some aging, so it’s best to make it well ahead of when you plan to serve it. Let’s get something straight. I don’t care whether you love fruitcake or hate the thought of it, gather the kids together and make one anyway. It’s a good way to make the Biblical era real to your children. When you serve it tell them this is the type of cake the boy Jesus might have eaten during Chanukah while he spun his dreidel.

There are two distinct styles of fruitcakes, cakey and fruity. The recipe definitely leans to the fruity side of things. That is, it’s a lot of fruit held together with a little bit of dough. The recipe for this fruitcake consisted of four primary ingredients: pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, dried fruits, and barley flour. The first hurdle you’ll encounter is how to soften pomegranate seeds to the point where they can be chewed without the risk of breaking a tooth. An easiest way is to circumvent this by substituting pomegranate juice, and that’s what the recipe I'll give you calls for.

Most of the pine nuts sold in the grocery stores are imported from China and are often very bitter. The best pine nuts are harvested in the mountainous regions of Nevada and New Mexico. They aren’t in stores, but can be ordered direct over the internet. If you’re a stickler for authenticity, by all means order some. They make wonderful eating. However, they are harvested in the Fall and typically aren’t ready for shipment until Thanksgiving or later. They also sell out pretty quickly, so if you want them don’t delay.

A cheaper alternative would be to substitute slivered almonds. This is a legal replacement since almonds were available in that part of the world in the 1st Century. In addition to eating the nuts out of hand and cooking and baking with them, they also pressed the nuts for their oil and made almond milk, which they used for cooking.

Ingredient list along with comments:

1 C olive oil

1 C honey

1 C pomegranate juice

4 eggs

2 C barley flour

1 C wheat flour…if you want to be authentic use whole wheat flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder…This is an easy, but illegal ingredient. The only leavening available in the 1st Century was natural yeast. They would have mixed some of their starter into the barley flour.

1 C of pine nuts

1 ½ C raisins

1 ½ C chopped dates

3 C mixed dried fruit…Equal amounts of apples, plums (prunes), and apricots works well.

Citron is also legal ingredient. If desired, you may add some diced, candied citron. Adjust the quantities of the other fruits proportionally.

Optional: Rose water, wine, grape or apple juice for basting while the cake ages.

Directions: Heat oven to 275 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans and line them with parchment or wax paper. Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside. Dice the fruit small, mix in a bowl and set aside. Combine oil, eggs, pomegranate juice and honey. Alternately add portions of the dry ingredients and the oil mixture to the fruit, mixing well each time.

The Finished Product Ready for Aging

When the batter is complete, pour it into the prepared pans. Bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours and check for doneness with a toothpick. Let stand 15 minutes before removing from pans. Do not remove paper. When thoroughly cooled, carefully remove paper and wrap the loaf in cheesecloth soaked with any of the basting ingredients. We boiled a half-and-half mixture of apple and grape juice down to syrup. Seal them in plastic wrap and then in foil and store them in the back of the refrigerator for 2 or more weeks.

An Individual Laganum Fructus Wrapped and Basted

The recipe above will yield two bread pan-sized loaves, each of which weight 2 ½ to 3 pounds.

The Final Analysis

As you can see from the photo at the beginning of this post, we took our show on the road and prepared Laganum Fructus for the youngsters in a Religious Education Class. I want to emphasize that this was done as a teaching tool, a way for the these young people to experience a reasonable facsimile of what people may have eaten 2,000 years ago. Our goal was to make something that tasted good, but accuracy should trump yummy.

Our Laganum Fructus Aged and Sliced

So how did it turn out?

To be brutally honest, the cakes were ranked okay to good. The cake is heavy on dark fruit…raisins, dates, and prunes and, for the sake of authenticity, we used whole wheat and barley flour. The combination of these two factors yielded a dark cake with a strong, but not particularly sweet flavor. Part of the problem, I believe, is that our modern taste buds are accustomed to a much higher level of sweetness than the ancient one. What tasted sweet and good to them seemed a coarse and dry to us. We served the cake with Cool Whip so the children could supplement the taste a bit.

This in no way means the experiment/demonstration was a failure. Whether the cake was of blue ribbon quality or not, it was a success because we replicated something that the children would never have otherwise experienced. I encourage you to pursue this recipe with that same goal in mind.

Our study of Christmas continues next time with a look at the first of the Wise Men's traditional gifts: Gold, the King of Metals.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings.

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman…”

                                                                                                                    — Galatians 4:4

The phrase the fullness of time is ripe with expectancy…waiting…longing. It brings to mind a convict in his cell leaning against the barred window and wistfully watching the sun set. Another day is done, one less day to be served. Perhaps that was what Paul was imagining when he penned those words. A captive world bound and chained by sin anxiously awaiting its promised Redeemer. Clearly this is how the Jews felt as they struggled under the thumb of Rome and Herod.

Though most people ascribe the Book of Daniel to the period of the Babylonian Exile (586-536 BC), there are some who would have us believe it to be much newer than that. They say it was composed during the Maccabean period, more precisely in the time of Antiochus IV, Epiphanes (175-164 BC). However, the date of the Book of Daniel is not relevant to this discussion. We know that Jesus made a specific reference to a passage from Daniel in Matthew 24:15 when he said, “So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place…” This validates both the Book and its existence in the First Century.

We also know that apocalyptic literature of all kinds was very popular during that period of time. As much as anything it was probably a backlash to high taxes and oppressive rulers. The Messianic hope reached a fever pitch in the early 1st Century. Several sections of the Book of Daniel contain Messianic predictions. The primary one being the prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27.

Like all prophetic writings, as specific as it sounds, it still required interpretation. When did one begin counting the weeks? What was to occur when this period time had elapsed? Some would say it would mark the arrival of the Messiah, but in what form? Would that be the date of his birth, the beginning of his ministry/revolt, the declaration of his kingdom? Things were just obscure enough to allow for multiple opinions. Consequently, a number of Messianic Pretenders arose around the time of the birth of Christ. Their appearance and almost instant success in gathering a conquering army was no doubt motivated as much by frustration as by prophecy.

Messiahs aside, there were other factors that had to be in place and, in retrospect; we can see the hand of God moving the various playing pieces into position. Astronomers have developed a set of criteria necessary for a planet to support life. Without factors such as a temperate climate, oxygen, liquid water and so on, life as we know it, whether created or evolved, can never exist. Perhaps it would be helpful to draw up a similar list of factors required for any Messianic movement to grow and flourish. First of all, the people had to be open to the message. While readiness may be hard to quantify, we can make several observations.

Though the presumption among Jews was that the Messiah would be a warrior king, the message Jesus brought was spiritual not temporal. This meant that there had to be a certain level of intellectual curiosity, if you will, about spiritual matters. The first century was a time of wildly divergent religious beliefs. As the Romans annexed territory, they also assimilated the local gods of that region into their pantheon of divinities. This combined with a general freedom of worship meant that a person could explore any and all alternatives.

Plato and Aristotle developed the idea of a soul, or spiritual essence, that was immortal. The rise of philosophies such as Hedonism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism which generally rejected the established gods created a spiritual void while the mystery cults emphasized a savior-god and required worshipers to offer blood sacrifices, making the gospel of Christ which involved a single ultimate sacrifice acceptable.

All the spiritual hunger in the world won’t do you much good if your core group is dispersed and inaccessible. The Jews went through a general in-gathering in the years preceding the birth of Christ. The existence of the Temple in Jerusalem and the requirement that all adult males return to celebrate the Pilgrim festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkoth meant that those believers who were geographically distant could still keep up with the latest happenings and newest ideas. The passage in Acts 2:9 relating to Pentecost lists sixteen different nationalities, or language groups, present in the city for the Festival who heard Peter speak. Having heard, these people could carry that message (gossip) back to where they’d come from.

It would difficult, if not impossible, to disperse a message across an area consisting of competing kingdoms, city states, petty fiefdoms and territories ruled by war lords and tribal chieftains. This is the primary reason the Roman Empire stalled in its conquest of northern Europe. These are the conditions the Romans encountered as they moved into areas such as Ireland, Scotland, and Germany…areas they never subdued. The Germanic tribes, in fact, inflicted the greatest military defeat Rome ever experienced when they slaughtered three Roman Legions plus six cohorts of auxiliaries and three squadrons of cavalry in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Hadrian built his famous wall from the North Sea to the Irish Sea in an attempt to stop incursions by the Picts of Northern Scotland.

Ancient Roman Bridges Are Still in Use in Many Parts of Europe

Despite its problems in the outer reaches of the Empire, Rome unified and civilized a huge area that stretched from northern Africa and the Middle East, around the Mediterranean Basin into the Balkans and across the greater part of Europe. Reciprocal trade relationships connected the Roman Empire with India, China and great portions of the African continent. A single governmental authority meant that travelers could move across the Empire and beyond freely. Such freedom to travel would have been impossible in prior eras.

As Rome built its Empire, it inherited a culture left behind by the Greeks. Most of the Empire was multi-lingual, speaking two, if not three, languages. While the affairs of the Empire were conducted in Latin and the average person in the Holy Land spoke Aramaic, Greek served as a common unifying language that facilitated trade and commerce. Apostles carrying the message of Christianity were easily able to communicate regardless of the locale they found themselves in.

As the Roman Empire grew, the necessity to rapidly move troops from one area to another became a necessity. Rome attacked the problem by constructing a network of highways throughout the land. Upon conquering an area one of the first things the Romans did was build forts along the perimeter and link them with all-weather roads of stone block over a base of gravel. Rome recruited its army from the provinces and shifted the men from on region to another. It made good sense not to conscript an army from your former enemies and then go home and leave them in charge, much better to have Britons in Gaul, Macedonians in Syria and so on. As Rome shifted troops, they also disseminated cultural and religious beliefs. The earliest introduction of the gospel to Britannia was the result of the efforts of Christian soldiers stationed there.

It has been said that everyone participates in God’s plan, some willingly and some unknowingly.

Given man’s limited scope, most of the time we find it impossible to see the good that God extracts from evil. It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine anything worthwhile coming from the regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, et al. And yet, the same thing can be said for Caligula, Nero, Domitian or Diocletian. Even with a 2,000 year perspective it’s still difficult to make sense of the actions of such despots.

And yet God, with his eternal perspective and omniscient power, can arrange the affairs of this chaotic world in such way as to accomplish his goals…in the fullness of time.

Our study of Christmas continues next time with an ancient recipe for a Christmas Fruitcake.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings.

ADVENT and ADVENT WREATHES

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. Everyone's let their belts out a notch, the parades and football games are over, and the leftovers have been safely stored in the refrigerator. Now comes what is known as Black Friday. A day when the many stores open in predawn darkness with all sorts of Door-Buster specials designed to put buyers loaded with Christmas cash into a spending mood.

The Traditional Advent Wreath in a Commercial Stand

Here at Sowing the Seeds we don’t much care for the commercialism that now passes as Christmas. And, since the Christmas season officially starts after Thanksgiving, we decided to devote the next month or so to a study of All Things Christmas. It’s been my experience that even though we’ve celebrated Christmas all our lives, there is still much that can learned about the lore, legend and reality of this most important holiday. As always, we’ve tried to present the material in as interesting and informative way as possible.

Surprisingly enough, this holiday which has been so stereotyped and commercialized was not even celebrated by the earliest of Christians. Each year we hear the plea to return Christmas to its religious roots. Though most everyone agrees that to do so would be a good thing, no one seems to know quite how to go about accomplishing the feat. My suggestion would be to focus on the one part of the equation that is under our control…what happenswithin our own homes.

As Christmas begins to draw near, many parents look for a way, or ways, to prepare the children of the household for the big day and, in process, direct those young minds toward the spiritual meaning of the holiday rather than its more commercial aspects.

The Advent Wreath

While there are many things parents can do to accomplish this, Besides the Advent Wreath one of the most common is an Advent Calendar. For those unfamiliar with the term, Advent (coming from the Latin word adventus meaning coming) is the liturgical season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It begins four Sunday's before Christmas and concludes on Christmas Eve. This year, the First Sunday of Advent, the day your Advent Wreath or Calendar comes out, is this coming Sunday, November 27th.

With a history dating back to the Middle Ages, the Advent Wreath is steeped in symbolism. It has four candles, one for each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Many times a fifth white candle is added in the center of the circle and burned during the twelve-day Christmas season. Many stores sell pre-made wreathes along with a set of candles. For the more adventurous, it can be an easy do-it-yourself with the kids project.

The wreath itself can be as simple or elaborate as desired. Some people use circles of Styrofoam, or florist’s oasis, as the underpinnings of their wreath. Wreathes can just as easily be made using a square of plywood with holes drilled at each corner or candle holders attached at those positions and in the center, if desired. Once the wreath is covered in greenery, it assumes a round shape regardless of its base.

The traditional colors for the Advent candles are purple and rose. Because of its long association with royalty, purple candles symbolize the coming of the Prince of Peace. The single rose candle is lit during the third week of Advent beginning with Gaudete Sunday (from the Latin word for rejoice) to celebrate having reached the half-way point of the season. Some Protestant churches prefer to use four red candles, reflecting the common association of red candles with Christmas decorations, along with a white one at the center.

The wreath is covered with various evergreens, each having its own symbolism. The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering, pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism. Its prickly leaves serve as a reminder of the crown of thorns. The circular shape of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Children may want to add pine cones, nuts, or seedpods to decorate the wreath as symbols of life and resurrection.

The following are a suggested, though not required, series of prayers to be used with the Wreath. Each night you may want to accompany them with a short Bible reading.

On the First Sunday of Advent, a parent blesses the wreath, saying: “O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and receive from Thee abundant graces. Amen.”

Each day of the first week of Advent, the youngest child lights one purple candle and the family prays: “O Lord, stir up Thy might, we beg thee, and come, that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins. Amen.”

During the second week of Advent, the oldest child lights the purple candle from the first week plus a second purple candle and the family prays. “O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Amen.”

During the third week of Advent, the mother (or another child) lights the two previously lit purple candles plus the rose candle and the family prays, “O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Amen.”

During the fourth week of Advent, the father (or another child) lights all of the candles of the wreath and the family prays, “O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Amen.”

Throughout the twelve days of Christmas, light the white candle and pray, “God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Amen.”

An Advent Calendar made of Cloth Pockets

The Advent Calendar is a more modern innovation that many families enjoy. Like the wreath, the calendar can be as plain as a series of numbered squares of paper or cloth hung in the shape of a Christmas tree, or as fancy as wooden cabinets or houses with doors and drawers for each day. Part of the Advent Calendar’s popularity lies in its versatility. It can be structured to convey a religious message for the Christmas season, or take a more secular approach.

In either case, the calendar counts down to Christmas as the child turns over a tag, opens a little door, or reaches into a pocket to discover a small hidden treasure. Stores sell cardboard ones with paper doors that open to reveal a picture.

A Wooden Advent Calendar with Drawers

Some people insert candies while others put in small plastic or felt nativity figures. Each day another figure is removed from that day's pocket, door, box or envelope, etc.. One day a lamb or an angel is revealed. On another day a shepherd or a Wise Man. This continues right up to the day before Christmas, or Christmas day itself when baby Jesus is found. By then the child has assembled the complete nativity scene.

Felt figures can be attached to an adjoining board. The solid figures can become ornaments to be hung on the tree or used to assemble a separate nativity scene in a small crèche. A corresponding portion of the Christmas story can be read for that day’s nativity figurine until it is completed on the last day.

One of the most important parts of parenting is creating memories. If used properly, both the Advent Wreath and/or an Advent Calendar will create both a family tradition and happy memories for your children that will last a lifetime.

Next time we'll take a examine Paul's phrase "...in the fullness of time."

Until then, I wish you Peace and Blesings