Stacte () and nataph () are names used for one component of the Solomon's Temple incense, the Ketoret, specified in the Book of Exodus (). Variously translated to the Greek term (AMP: ) or to an unspecified "gum resin" or similar (NIV: ), it was to be mixed in equal parts with onycha (prepared from certain vegetable resins or seashell parts), galbanum and mixed with pure frankincense and they were to "beat some of it very small"Exodus 30:36a: KJV for burning on the altar of the tabernacle.
This incense was considered restricted for sacred purposes honoring Yahweh; the trivial or profane use of it was punishable by exile, as laid out in (KJV).
The Hebrew word nataf means "drop", corresponding to "drops of water" (). The Septuagint translates nataf as stacte, a Greek word meaning "an oozing substance," which refers to various viscous liquids, including myrrh.Gill Marks, Ki Tisa, the sweet smell of success, Shemen haMischa
The strongest candidates for stacte are golden myrrh (the naturally exuded resin),Shimshon Ben-Yehoshua, Carole Borowitz, and Lumír O. Hanuš, "Frankincense, Myrrh, and Balm of Gilead: Ancient Spices of Southern Arabia and Judea," Horticultural Reviews 39 (2012): 54. The authors clarify that biblical stacte (nataph) refers to the pristine, golden liquid form of myrrh that oozes organically from Commiphora trees, as opposed to the darker, resinous "tears" produced via human cultivation and bark-slitting.Lytton John Musselman, A Dictionary of Bible Plants (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 61–63. Musselman analyzes the linguistic transition from the Hebrew nataph to the Greek staktē in the Septuagint, confirming that ancient trade contexts recognized the substance as a free-flowing, golden aromatic exudate rather than hardened bark scrapings. opobalsamum, and myrrh scented with styrax.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel explained, "Stacte is simply the sap that drips from the tapping of the wood of the balsam tree" (Kerithot 6a). Rabbi Saadia Gaon identified it as "mastaki", a term signifying the natural exudate from the myrrh tree (Commiphora myrrha). Stacte was most likely: 1) The light resin which exudes naturally from the myrrh tree before harvest Pliny, XII, xxxv, 68. (or a myrrh extract of the highest grade). 2) It may have been a rare myrrh called opobalsamumVan Dam, C. (1991). The Incense Offering in Its Biblical Context. Mid-America Journal of Theology, 179-194. (mentioned frequently in ancient Jewish writings as "balm" or "balsam"). 3) Alternately it may have been myrrh scented with styrax (Styrax officinalis or Styrax benzoin, a close relative of and of the same genus as Styrax officinalis)ISBE (1915), Bible Encyclopedia.net (2007) These three have the strongest historical and botanical references.
Contenders for stacte Myrrh (the naturally exuded resin) Most ancient sources refer to Stacte as being a product of myrrh. It is variously described as the myrrh that exudes spontaneously from the tree, the transparent parts separated or extracted from the myrrh resin, or the product of myrrh heated over fire.
The ancient Greek botanist Theophrastus described the manufacturing of stacte: "From the myrrh, when it is bruised flows an oil; it is in fact called "stacte" because it comes in drops slowly." The ancient Roman historian Pliny, in Natural History, described stacte as "the liquid which exuded naturally from the myrrh tree before the gum was collected from man-made incisions".Pliny,Natural History, Pancirollus described myrrh as a drop or tear distilling from a tree in Arabia Felix, and stacte as a drop of myrrh, which is extracted from it, and yielding a most precious liquid.The New John Gill Exposition of the entire bible, Dioscorides wrote that stacte was made from myrrh. He recorded that after having bruised the myrrh and dissolved it in oil of balanos over a gentle fire, hot water was poured over it. The myrrh and oil would sink to the bottom like a deposit; and as soon as this has occurred, they strained off the water and squeeze the sediment in a press.Dioscorides, Matria MedicaGroom, Nigel, Frankincense and Myrrh: A Study of the Ancient Arabian Incense Trade
Ben-Yehoshua, et al., write "Stacte, which appears in the Bible in Exodus (30:34), probably refers to the liquid form of myrrh" and states that ancient writers referred to "a naturally flowing gum, called stacte, which sometimes flows from the bark of the tree without any cutting, before the actual harvest."Ben-Yehoshua, S., Borowitz, C., & Ondrej Hanuš, L. (2012). 1 Frankincense, Myrrh, and Balm of Gilead: Ancient Spices of Southern Arabia and Judea. Horticultural Reviews, 39, 1., pg. 41
Stoddart, who lists myrrh as a balm, informs us that "Myrrh—after the almost clear stacte has passed through—is reddish brown ... Stacte is the thinnest moiety of myrrh, the very best of which is forced through tiny holes in the intact bark at the start of spring."Stoddart, David Michael, The scented ape: the biology and culture of human odour Pomet wrote that to obtain stacte one must first gather the myrrh "that flows spontaneously from the tree" and to look for portions of the resin which are "clear and transparent, apt to crumble, light." He says to choose the myrrh "that when it is broke, has little white spots in it." We are told that "stacte is that liquid part which is found in the center or middle of the lumps or clots of myrrh." Pomet also wrote that stacte is that "which is first so gather'd from the tree without force, and also press'd from the myrrh ... there is prepar'd from it, an extract, an oil or liquor of myrrh."Pomet, Monfieur, History of Druggs, 1709
The Gerrhaean tribute to Antiochus III in 205 BC included one thousand talents of frankincense and two hundred of "stacte myrrh."
Cant. 5:5 reads, "I rose up to open to my beloved; And my hands dropped with myrrh, And my fingers with stacte" referring to myrrh and the stacte which seems to have exuded from it.Theocritean parallels to the Song of Songs by Wm. G. Seiple, Johns Hopkins University, The American Journal of Semitic Languages. This would seem to agree with Sauer and Blakely who note that stacte was extracted from myrrh.Archaeology Along the Spice Route of Yemen by James A. Sauer and Jeffrey A. Blakely. Araby the blest: studies in Arabian archaeology, By Daniel T. Potts
Abrahams informs that "With regard to the Tabernacle incense, most scholars agree that the term 'stacte' is of Latin and Greek origin, and that stacte represents myrrh."Onycha, Ingredient of the Ancient Jewish Incense: An Attempt at Identification, HJ Abrahams - Economic Botany, 1979 A. Lucas informs us in no uncertain terms that stacte is indeed a product of the myrrh tree.Notes on Myrrh and Stacte, A Lucas - The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 1937 Tucker says that "Common myrrh is obtained from Commiphora myrrha; this is the species from which . . . stacte, was obtained."Frankincense and myrrh, AO Tucker - Economic botany, 1986
R. Steuer, in his scholarly paper "Stacte in Egyptian Antiquity," gives a convincing argument in favor of stacte being the product of the myrrh tree in ancient Egypt.Steuer, Robert O., Stacte in Egyptian Antiquity
Opobalsamum / Mecca Myrrh Opobalsamum (Commiphora opobalsamum [L.] Engl. Mecca myrrh) is a rare type of myrrh in the genus Commiphora. Some writers believe that stacte was derived from the balsam tree, Commiphora opobalsamum, known as kataf in the Talmud, which grows wild in Yemen, around Mecca, and in Israel.Yad, Kley HaMikdash 2:4; cf. Kerithoth 6a; Rashi; Radak, Sherashim; Saadia; Rambam on Kerithoth 1:1Jehuda Feliks (2007), "Storax", Encyclopaedia Judaica, 19 (2nd ed.), Thomson Gale, p. 238 The Revised Standard Version places "opobalsamum" in the margin by Exodus 30:34.
Gamliel said, "Stacte is simply the sap that drips from the tapping of the wood of the balsam tree" (Kerithot 6a). Iluz, et al., write that "researchers (Alpini, 1718; Feliks, 1995; Hepper, 1992; Linnaeus, 1764) have agreed with confidence that balsam is Commiphora gileadensis 1 (=C. opobalsamum), which grows wild today in the dry stony hills around the Red Sea."Iluz, D., Hoffman, M., Gilboa-Garber, N., & Amar, Z., Medicinal properties of Commiphora gileadensis. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 4(8), (2010), 516-520. Ben-Yehoshua, et al., writing about "the most important spices used in religious ritual in ancient Israel" include opobalsamum referring to it as the "balm of Gilead, called also Judaean balsam, Hebrew—tzori, nataf, or Apharsemon (Exodus 30: 34)."Ben-Yehoshua, Shimshon, Carole Borowitz, and Lumír Ondrej Hanuš. "1 Frankincense, Myrrh, and Balm of Gilead: Ancient Spices of Southern Arabia and Judea." Horticultural Reviews39 (2012): 1. Bos, et al., says that stacte is the "oil of the balsam tree, Commiphora opobalsamum, and features in Rabbinic literature."Bos, G., et al. "Shin." Medical Synonym Lists from Medieval Provence: Shem Tov ben Isaac of Tortosa: Sefer ha-Shimmush. Book 29. BRILL, 2011. 495-528.
In Fauna and Flora of the Bible, translators define stacte (nataf) as a resinous, aromatic gum exuding from Commiphora opobalsamum.Fauna and Flora of the Bible, United Bible Society, Prepared in Cooperation with Committee on Translations of the United Bible Society, London, New York, Stuttgart, 1980, Pg 178 Van Dam writes that stacte, which many equate with nataf, is a resinous aromatic gum of a balsam tree which he identifies as Commiphora opobalsamum.Van Dam, Cornelis. "The Incense Offering in Its Biblical Context." Mid-America Journal of Theology (1991): 179–194. Some Latin texts of Exodus 30:34 translate stacte as a specie of myrrh, which Abraham states is opobalsamum.Ben-Abraham, David. "Holy Incense: The Jewish Prescription at the time of the Temple."
From the genus Commiphora,Aromatherapy science: a guide for healthcare professionals, By Maria Lis-BalchinThe botanical aspects of ancient Egyptian embalming and burial, BB Baumann - Economic Botany, 1960 opobalsamum is a relative of the official myrrh known as Commiphora myrrha and produces a myrrh resin known as Mecca myrrh. Irenaeus referred to "myrrh called opobalsamum."Early Christianity: Religions Ancient And Modern, by S B Slack - 1914 The juice exudes spontaneously during the heat of summer, in resinous drops, but at other times the process is helped by making incisions in the bark.Grieve, M., A Modern Herbal It historically has produced a very pleasant aromatic resin with many alleged medicinal properties. The resin has a strong fragrant smell, with something of the lemon or citron flavour, a scent of vanilla, and the bitter, astringent aroma of Commiphora myrrha.Mortimer, Thomas, A general dictionary of commerce, trade, and manufactures: Exhibiting their present state in every part of the world; and carefully comp. from the latest and best authorities, Pg. 863 under "Opobalsamum", Publisher: R. Phillips, London (1810)
Myrrh scented with Styrax Benzoin
Myrrh in antiquity and classical times was seldom myrrh alone but was a mix of myrrh and some other oil. Stacte may have been light myrrh scented with benzoin (benzoin is described in section 2.1 below).