The Queen of Sheba's Gift

Marcus Milwright

ISBN 10: 1399508873 / ISBN 13: 9781399508872

Published by Edinburgh University Press, GB, 2022

About this Item

Tells the history of the precious balsam of Matarea: a substance traded for its weight in goldUses archaeological and textual sources to trace the cultivation of balsam trees from the 4th century BCE to the 17th century CESurveys the evidence for the symbolic value and practical applications of balsam in the Middle East, North Africa and EuropeEstablishes the many uses of balsam in pre-modern medicine, religious ritual and royal ceremoniesCorrelates modern botanical studies with historical sources in the identification of the trees that once grew in the plantation of Matarea in EgyptExplores the complex socio-cultural factors that contributed to the sense of value accorded to rare commoditiesRichly illustrated with over 50 line drawings, engravings, watercolours and photographs, drawn from sources ranging across time from medieval manuscripts to 20th-century photographs, depicting balsam trees, balsam resin receptacles, the compound of Matarea, maps and moreUsing 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 of these products in medicine, ritual and the domestic environment. He also establishes links with resin-producing trees from the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.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.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781399508872

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Queen of Sheba's Gift
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1399508873
• ISBN 13: 9781399508872
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

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 Professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology in the Department of Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Victoria, B.C., Canada. He is the author of The Fortress of the Raven: Karak in the Middle Islamic Period (2008), An Introduction to Islamic Archaeology (EUP, 2010) and The Dome of the Rock and it Umayyad Mosaic Inscriptions (EUP, 2016).