The Queen of Sheba's Gift

Tells the history of the precious balsam of Matarea: a substance traded for its weight in gold Uses archaeological and textual sources to trace the cultivation of balsam trees from the 4th century BCE to the 17th century CESurveys the evidence for the symbolic value and practical applications of balsam in the Middle East, North Africa and EuropeEstablishes the many uses of balsam in pre-modern medicine, religious ritual and royal ceremoniesCorrelates modern botanical studies with historical sour