receptive to the Divine Message while David played on his harp to drive
away the melancholy from King Saul.^4 Proverbs describes trust in God as
‘potions, sku’I, for the bones’. Ezekiel47:9 talks of waters flowing from
Jerusalem as ‘wherever the waters come they shall be healed and everything
lives wherever the river comes’.
The Bible also records the traditional plants of the area. The Book of
Genesis relates that when Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt the
Ishmaelite traders were carrying gum, balm and laudanum. These plant
resins, including balsam, were used for a range of medical disorders, such as
fevers, stomach disorders and excessive sweating. When Jacob sent his sons
for the second time to Egypt to buy food they were to take some of the
produce of Canaan, including balm, honey, gum, laudanum, nuts and
almonds as a gift to Joseph. The Book of Exodusrecords details of the
special ointment used to consecrate the vessels of the Temple and anoint the
kohenim. This ointment contained cassia, cinnamon, myrrh, calamus and
olive oil. Calamus remains an essential ingredient in the manufacture of
perfumes while it is also a psychoactive product, being hallucinogenic at high
doses. Cassia is closely related to cinnamon and was prised for its aroma
whereas myrrh has analgesic properties and can stimulate the appetite.
Hyssop, which has mild purgative properties, is mentioned in the Book of
Psalms(51:9) as a cleanser from sin (Figure 11.1).
Traditional Jewish medicine | 295Figure 11.1 Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): purgative and ‘cleanser from sin’.