Like frankincense, myrrh belongs to the botanical family Burseraceae. Its Latin name is Commiphora myrrha. It is an aromatic gum resin obtained by incising the bark of a twisted, dry, leaf-scented tree with small white flowers. It grows in the arid deserts of Somalia and along the shores of the Red Sea.

In his Treatise on Odors, the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (372-287 BCE) describes myrrh as being warm, biting, possessing astringent properties, and having a very bitter taste. Considered by the ancients as a divine aromatic tree, Commiphora myrrha has traversed many centuries and civilizations. During the time of the pharaohs, myrrh tears were so coveted that they were exchanged for precious stones by the Egyptians, who imported them from the mythical land of Punt.

Mythology tells the story of Princess Myrrha, the most beautiful on Earth, who rivaled Aphrodite. She was forced to flee to the land of the Queen of Sheba, where she was transformed into a tree and began to weep the famous tears of myrrh.

Along with gold and frankincense, myrrh was one of the gifts offered by the Three Wise Men to the child Jesus. If frankincense symbolized Jesus' divine origin and gold represented his status as a king, myrrh referred to his role as a physician and healer of mankind on Earth.