Balsam: For Priests, Kings and Everyday People ~ Six Interesting Facts

Balsam or balm has been very important since ancient times. 

Here are six (6) interesting facts.

(1)- Balsam was an ingredient in the anointing oil of the Jewish priests.

(2)- The Queen of Sheba brought balsam as a gift to King Solomon.

(3)- Ishmaelites were traders who sold slaves, spices, myrrh, and balm (or balsam).

(4)- Common names for the balsam tree are the balm of Gilead, balsam of Gilead, and balsam of Mecca.

(5)- The Greek term balsamon means “fragrant oil”.

(6) - Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, and Turks all prized the balm of Gilead. But the fact is, it was precious and highly valued by everyone because of its healing qualities.

• Image credit: ‘The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon’...by Edward Poynter via Wikimedia Commons

DID YOU KNOW?

"Balm of Gilead, known also as the Judaean balsam, grew only around the Dead Sea Basin in antiquity and achieved fame by its highly reputed aroma and medical properties but has been extinct in this area for many centuries. The resin of this crop was sold, by weight, at a price twice that of gold, the highest price ever paid for an agricultural commodity. This crop was an important source of income for the many rulers of ancient Judea; the farmers' guild that produced the balm of Gilead survived over 1,000 years."  (Source)

"Balsam was counted among the renowned perfume and incense plants, like myrrh and frankincense, that grew in restricted habitats. The plant grew wild in Arabia. Its great importance stemmed from its rarity; only in Judea and in the oases of Jericho and Ein Gedi did it grow as a cultivated plant, as noted by Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE): 'But every other scent ranks below balsamum. The only country to which this plant has been vouchsafed is Judaea.' " (Source)

Want to know more?  Here are a few additional references.

• Medicinal Herb Info: Balm

Balm has long been valued for its calming, digestive, and medicinal properties—such as acting as a sedative, antispasmodic, and antiviral herb—while also featuring in folklore and historical remedies believed to promote longevity and well-being. 

Essential Oils: Balsam Fir

Balsam fir is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to North America.  It has been widely valued for its fragrant resin and wood, traditionally used for medicinal purposes, adhesives, and especially as a popular Christmas tree due to its scent and long-lasting needles.

History of Perfumery

The article traces the evolution of perfumery from ancient religious rituals to modern fragrance chemistry, highlighting how early cultures used aromatic materials—especially balms.  In ancient cultures, balms were aromatic, resinous preparations—often derived from myrrh, balsam trees, and other fragrant plants—used for body care, religious offerings, medicinal purposes, and home fragrance, where incense burned continuously.

• Medicinal Uses of Balm of Gilead

Balm of Gilead is a resin-based herbal remedy, typically made from poplar tree buds, that is commonly prepared as an ointment, oil, or salve for medicinal use. It is mainly used to soothe skin conditions like burns, rashes, and eczema, and to relieve pain and inflammation due to its natural aspirin-like compounds. 

Image credit

Psychology, the Zodiac and Dominant Personality Traits

Do you like quizzes? Like those personality quizzes geared at enlightening you as to the kind of person you really are.

I like taking those kinds of quizzes. Strictly for amusement. Not to explore my inner self and learn new things about me, because having spent 6 decades on this planet, if I haven't figured out who I am by now, I might as well stop wasting time and put that “project” on the shelf. It's never going to get done!

Below are some fun links.

• What Are Your 6 Dominant Personality Traits According To Your Zodiac?

• I Bet We Can Correctly Guess Your Zodiac Sign With This Quiz!

You can save the link and take the quiz later when you're bored and need a distraction.
***

I haven't gotten around to taking the quiz yet because:

(A) No fun time! I have been very busy with my work at home projects, and haven't had a minute to become bored. By the end of the day, I'm worn out, and I watch something on TV or online that requires no effort and will make me weary enough to wind down and fall asleep.

(B) Another reason is that the quiz is based on the Zodiac, and if I'm being honest, I don't have any faith in the Zodiac. I'm supposed to a Sagittarius, and even though this article found at another site ~ "7 Best Sagittarius Traits" ~ describes my personality traits to a "T" … I say that was just a lucky guess!

(C) According to Dr. Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970), who was a psychologist: “Self-actualization, in psychology, is the process of understanding oneself and developing one's capacities and talents. It is the ability to realize fully one's potential.” (Quote source: Create Your Own Rainbow and Own It! ) I agree with Maslow on this point, and I am convinced that the position of the stars at the date and time of a person's birth can not prevent an individual from developing their own unique personality.

(D) Finally, I already know what my 6 dominant personality traits are: prayerful, patient, persistent, persevering, passionate, prayerful.

The “prayer” trait is repeated twice – at the beginning and at the end. A double portion of this trait is necessary to help me develop and maintain the other 4 traits.

Do you know what your dominant personality traits are?



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NOTE: Content first appeared at LiteracyBase, April 15, 2017.

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Celebrating Womens History Month With My Childhood Memories of Elizabeth Arden

When I was growing up in Miami, Florida, my favorite department store was Burdine’s. It no longer exists. It was bought by Macy’s. Macy’s may have bought the store, but they did not buy my memories. I still have them, and they are intact. One of my memories that is crystal clear was the perfume counter. You could find all kinds of high-quality perfumes and fragrances, such as Elizabeth Arden. To me, the letters “E” and “A” in that name mean exquisite and alluring fragrances for women.

The real name of the woman who started this American company was Florence Nightingale Graham. She attended nursing school in Canada for a while, but eventually dropped out. She moved to America (Manhattan, New York), lived with her brother, and began to pursue her own interests in developing skincare, makeup, and other beauty products for women.

She entered into a business partnership with another woman by the name of Elizabeth Hubbard; however, the partnership only lasted for 6 months. From that point forward, she was determined to establish her presence in the business world on her own. She took the first name of her business partner, “Elizabeth,” and the name of a farm, “Arden,” and created the trade name in 1909. It is now 2026, which means that, for over a century, America (and the rest of the world, as her products are sold in over 20 countries), has associated that trade name with the most desired beauty products for women. Elizabeth Arden products include a wide range of fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare essentials.

Ms. Graham passed away in 1966 at the age of 87. She is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in NewYork. The name on her grave is Elizabeth N. Graham. She is, without a doubt, one of the most inspiring and phenomenal businesswomen of the 20th century.

• FUN FACT:  Ms. Arden was the 1st to introduce matching nail polish to your lipstick! #VintageAd

(Image credit: Elizabeth Arden Products Sold at Selfridges, Flickr.com) 

RECAP Fascinating Facts about Elizabeth Arden

1. Her real name was Florence Nightingale Graham, and she was born in Canada. Elizabeth Arden was incorporated into an episode of Murdoch Mysteries under her birth name, Florence Nightingale Graham, in Season 12, Episode 7 (“Operation: Murder”). She later created the name “Elizabeth Arden” by combining “Elizabeth” (to save money on signage) with “Arden”, taken from a nearby farm. (Source)

2. She built one of the world’s first global beauty empires. By 1929, she owned 150 beauty salons across the U.S. and Europe, and her company sold 1,000 beauty products in 22 countries. (Source)

3. She helped make makeup socially acceptable for “respectable” women. Before Arden, cosmetics were often associated with actresses or “low-class” women. She revolutionized beauty culture by teaching women how to use makeup and promoting it as elegant, scientific, and ladylike. (Source)

--- Learn More:

Daily, Investor’s Business. “Elizabeth Arden Created Worldwide Cosmetics Industry.” Investor’s Business Daily, 26 Aug. 2015.

Kimmer, Retro. “WAR PAINT: ELIZABETH ARDEN - VS-  HELENA RUBINSTEIN.” RetroKimmer.Com, 14 Jan. 2011. 

View Elizabeth Arden products here.

Three (3) Sites That Share Reliable Healthcare Information

The Internet is flooded with healthcare blogs and websites. Several years back, I was approved as an affiliate to promote health-related products. This got me interested in learning more about various healthcare topics. So I subscribed to receive newsletters via email and began searching for websites that supplied reliable healthcare information. Three reliable healthcare publications that I (as a non-health professional) recommend are:

• The New York Times: NYT Health;
• FierceHealthcare; and
• MedicineNet.

Below is a sampling of articles from these newsletters. (NOTE: Keep in mind that the content is not to be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment.)

The New York Times: NYT Health

It seems ludicrous that in order to rid yourself of an extremely bad habit like smoking cigarettes which causes lung cancer, a substitute would be recommended that causes even more damage to the body. But it appears that is what has happened. Vaping was supposed to be a “healthier” (?) alternative to cigarette smoking. Even teens were allowed to vape. Now the news is flooded with reports and warnings about the danger of vaping. It looks like vaping is worse than smoking cigarettes!

Vaping Illnesses Climb Upward, Nearing 1,300 With 29 Deaths – The New York Times

FierceHealthcare

In America, many politicians say proper healthcare is a human right. I agree. However, I also know that trying to ensure that US citizens are able to get needed healthcare has been a struggle since George Washington served as this nation’s first president. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”). Passing the law was a significant accomplishment. But the implementation of that law is proving to be very difficult. As a common American expression goes: “Saying it and doing it are two different things.”

The FierceHealthcare article link supplied below is an example of the difficulties being encountered. There are 50 US states but only a handful of those states are opting to launch a health insurance exchange so that their residents can do comparison shopping to pick the best insurance plans for themselves and their families. Implementing the ACA is complicated. But not impossible.

Handful of states mull getting off HealthCare.gov for their own exchanges | FierceHealthcare

MedicineNet

Though some may find this particular health topic distasteful and would like to believe it would never happen to them, it is needful to know about it. MedicineNet has published several articles on sexually transmitted diseases; how to prevent, recognize, diagnose, and treat STDs. This content (link below) focuses on women’s health. Did you know that chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States? The scary part is that it’s called a “silent” infection. You could be infected and yet may never know about it. Women are encouraged to get regular check-ups because this bacterial infection can damage their fallopian tubes and lead to infertility.

Chlamydia in Women: Symptoms, Treatment, Signs & Test | MedicineNet

Conclusion

Healthcare for ALL is a major issue in the 2020 US presidential election. Several candidates insist they have a plan that will work! If you review the history of America you will find that providing proper healthcare services for every citizen has always been a major issue. Let’s hope our elected officials will eventually come up with a plan and program that works so that people don’t have to set up GoFundMe or similar fundraisers to pay their medical bills.

Top 100 Healthcare Blogs, Websites & Influencers

Health and Honey

Health and Honey.  As I am not a qualified medical professional, this post will be short and sweet.  Just sharing general health information I discovered that is beneficial to me.  Perhaps you will benefit from it also.

Most people know you can stay healthy with honey. Most people may or may not know that all honey is not the same. I didn’t know it. Then I learned about manuka honey. It's from New Zealand. It's so good they use it in hospitals as a skin healing treatment for burn patients. That's amazing! Manuka honey is like olive oil. Be careful! Some products are not genuine and are not what they claim to be.

• How to properly use manuka honey (and where to find it) – NaturalNews.com 

• Personal Care: Manuka Honey for the Skin  

***NOTE: You can also use manuka honey for cooking.

4 Ways to Cook with Manuka Honey - My Recipes ~ 

15 Best Manuka Honey Recipes That You Need to Try – Happy Body Formula

Image creit: Photo by Benyamin Bohlouli on Unsplash