The balsam of Matarea was a substance famous as a panacea among physicians in the Middle East and Europe during the Antique and Medieval periods. It was used in many aspects of medieval life and is associated with figures such as the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra. The story of this substance takes the reader into the political life of the medieval Mediterranean and Middle East, and back into the ancient history of Palestine. Using written sources, visual data and archaeological material, Marcus Milwright reconstructs the fascinating cultural history of the balsam tree: from Jericho and En-Gedi to Egypt, and from ancient times to the 17th century. Miwright addresses the symbolic associations of balsam and the site of Matarea (where the last balsam tree died in 1615), the distribution of products from the tree through trade and diplomacy, and the applications balsam products in medicine, ritual and the domestic environment.

About the Author

Marcus Milwright is British Academy Global Professor at the University of York, UK, and professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Victoria, Canada. His research focuses on traditional craft practices, cross-cultural interactions in the Medieval Mediterranean, and the history of medicine. He is the author of A Story of Islamic Art (Routledge, 2023), The Queen of Sheba’s Gift: A History of True Balsam of Matarea (Edinburgh University Press, 2021), Islamic Arts and Crafts: An Anthology (Edinburgh University Press, 2017), and The Dome of the Rock and its Umayyad Mosaic Inscriptions (Edinburgh University Press, 2016).

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