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Friday, January 16, 2015

History of Essential Oils

Some people think that the concept of essential oils is a new concept. The use of essential oils has been around as long as man has, but we just forgot about them and relied on modern therapies. Essential oils are now making a resurgence with people wanting to make cleaner, healthier choices.

The history of essential oils date back to when God created man. He created the heavens and earth, day and night, plants and animals, and Adam and Eve. He also created a garden, the Garden of Eden. In this garden he gave Adam and Eve every kind of plant and animal needed to survive. The plants not only provided food, but also shelter, clothing, and wellness. Yes, that's right wellness. In the last blog I stated that essential oils were like the life essence of a plant. It gets extracted from its roots, stems, leaves, fruits, flowers, and seeds. This life essence of the plants provided wellness to Adam and Eve. The bible makes reference to essential oils 200 times. God provided those in biblical times with the knowledge of how beneficial these oils can be. The three wise men brought Myrrh and Frankincense to baby Jesus. Why? Not only was Myrrh and Frankincense worth more than gold and silver, but they provided lots of benefits.

Lets go into other parts of the world. A Greek historian, Herodotus, recorded that at the yearly feast of Bel, 1000 talents' weight was offered to the great alter of Bel in Babylon. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, complained that "by our lowest reckoning India, China, and the Arabian peninsula take from our empire 100 million sesterces every year, for aromatics." Diodorus of Sicily wrote of the abundance of Frankincense in Arabia and how it "suffices for the service and worship of gods all over the world." It is reported that Napoleon enjoyed a cologne made of neroli and other ingredients. He enjoyed this cologne so much that he order 162 bottles of it. Crusaders brought back to Europe a solidified essence of rose after conquering Jerusalem. Hildegard of Bingen, a herbalist, used herbs and oils extensively for their benefits.

The reintroduction of essential oils came in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During World War I the use of aromatic essence in civilian and military hospitals became widespread. Since 1907, many doctors researched and studied the benefits of essential oils. Some even went as far as to test on themselves. Many books have been written on aromatherapy and essential oils and many ground breaking discoveries have been made. All these discoveries and studies on the benefits of essential oils have gotten us to where we are today.

Information for this post was found in Essential Oil Pocket Reference 6th edition by Life Science Publishers, Surviving When Modern Medicine Fails by Dr Scott A Johnson, and Healing Oils of the Bible by David Stewart PhD.

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