{"id":7618,"date":"2026-11-11T16:59:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T00:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/?p=7618"},"modified":"2026-11-11T16:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T00:59:15","slug":"tcm-herbs-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/tcm-herbs-bible.html","title":{"rendered":"TCM Herbs in the Bible: When Scripture Meets the Materia Medica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gold, frankincense and myrrh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even people who haven\u2019t cracked open a Bible lately probably remember the gifts presented to Jesus by the Magi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here\u2019s something your Sunday school teacher probably never mentioned: two of those famous gifts would eventually become part of the Chinese materia medica, a written herbal tradition dating back roughly 2,000 years that catalogs medicinal substances and their uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"x-short-quote-right\">At least five botanicals mentioned in the Bible have clear counterparts in Chinese herbal medicine<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And frankincense and myrrh aren\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least five botanicals mentioned in the Bible have clear counterparts in Chinese herbal medicine, with several other possible overlaps depending on how ancient plant names are interpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even more surprising, one short passage of the Bible reads almost like somebody raided an ancient herbal dispensary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Original Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew%202%3A11\"> Matthew 2:11<\/a>, the Magi arrive bearing three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gold needs little explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other two? They\u2019re tree resins, both of which became important Chinese medicinal substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"x-gradient-bottle-img-wrap x-post-img-bottle-to-right\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/ruxiang\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t<img\n\t\t\tstyle=\"text-align: center; max-width: 300px; width: 62%\"\n\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/img\/products\/single-herb-extracts\/AH672E-ruxiang-510w.png\"\n\t\t\talt=\"Frankincense Extract Bottle\"\n\t\t\/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frankincense is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/ruxiang\">Ru Xiang<\/a>. In TCM, it invigorates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/blood-tcm.html\">the Blood<\/a>, promoting the movement of Qi and addressing pain and swelling associated with stagnation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Myrrh is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/moyao\">Mo Yao<\/a>, a potent Blood mover that disperses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/invigorate-the-blood-blood-deficiency-vs-stagnation-in-tcm.html\">Blood Stasis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, Ru Xiang and Mo Yao are frequently paired in Chinese herbal formulas. For instance, the two famous Biblical herbs  provide sciatic nerve support in the formula, <em>Zuo Gu Shen Jing Tong<\/em> &#8211; available as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/zuogu\/\">SciaticClear&#x2122;<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frankincense and myrrh didn\u2019t disappear after the Nativity story. Both became prized medicines, fragrances and ritual substances traded across the ancient world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What the Heck Is Myrrh, Anyway? TCM Has an Answer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frankincense at least sounds vaguely familiar. As for myrrh, Monty Python fans may recognize the question. In the film <em>Monty Python\u2019s Life of Brian<\/em>, the Three Wise Men accidentally present their gifts to the wrong baby, Brian Cohen. Brian\u2019s mother is delighted by the gold and frankincense, but completely stumped by the third gift, asking: \u201cWhat is myrrh, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"x-gradient-bottle-img-wrap x-post-img-bottle-to-right\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/moyao\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t<img\n\t\t\tstyle=\"text-align: center; max-width: 300px; width: 62%\"\n\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/img\/products\/single-herb-extracts\/AH647E-moyao-510w.png\"\n\t\t\talt=\"Myrrh Extract Bottle\"\n\t\t\/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To answer the question posed by the false messiah\u2019s mother and countless others, myrrh is a fragrant resin obtained from trees and shrubs of the <em>Commiphora<\/em> genus. When the bark is cut, resin seeps out and eventually hardens. Intensely aromatic, myrrh resin was prized for incense, perfumes, ritual use and medicine, and its Biblical resum\u00e9 extends well beyond the Nativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Myrrh appears in the sacred anointing oil described in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Exodus%2030%3A23\"> Exodus 30:23<\/a>, and much later in the story,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John%2019%3A39\"> John 19:39<\/a> describes Nicodemus bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes for Jesus\u2019 burial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Chinese herbal medicine, <em>Mo Yao<\/em>, of course, took on an entirely different role. It became associated with traumatic injuries, pain, swelling and Blood Stasis, the kind of herb traditionally considered when Blood isn\u2019t circulating freely through an injured area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cinnamon\u2019s Holy Biblical History<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Exodus%2030%3A23-25\"> Exodus 30:23-25<\/a>, cinnamon was one of the ingredients used to prepare sacred anointing oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chinese medicine also developed a serious appreciation for cinnamon, particularly <em>Cinnamomum cassia<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bark is known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/chineseherbs\/rougui\">Rou Gui<\/a>. It is strongly warming and is traditionally used to dispel Cold, support Yang and encourage circulation. The twig, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/guizhi\">Gui Zhi<\/a>, became a separate medicinal substance with its own applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the cinnamon sitting next to your nutmeg has a considerably more interesting family history than its role in pumpkin-spice season would suggest.<br><br>Cinnamon buns apparently came much later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">-&gt;-&gt;-&gt; Learn more by reading our post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/cinnamon-uses-in-tcm-beyond-the-sweet-spicy.html\">Cinnamon Uses In TCM: Beyond The Sweet &amp; Spicy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Song of Songs Reads Like An Herb Garden<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Song of Songs, also called the Song of Solomon, is one of the Bible\u2019s more unusual books. Instead of the usual narratives about laws, battles or prophecy, the Song of Songs is essentially a collection of lyrical poetry filled with sensual imagery, gardens, perfumes, spices and, yes, herbs that are commonly used in TCM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a single verse (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Song%20of%20Songs%204%3A14\">Song of Songs 4:14<\/a>), it name-checks nard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh and others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saffron, known in TCM as Xi Hong Hua, is not to be confused with safflower, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/honghua\">Hong Hua<\/a>. They come from entirely different plants, although both invigorate Blood and break up Blood Stasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Spikenard: The Biblical Herb Worth a Small Fortune<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the word \u201cnard\u201d immediately conjures up Ed Helms as Andy \u201cThe Nard Dog\u201d Bernard from the U.S. version of The Office, you\u2019re excused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Long before Dunder Mifflin became America\u2019s most famous fictional paper company, nard had already built quite a reputation of its own, making an appearance in the New Testament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Mark%2014%3A3\"> Mark 14:3<\/a>, a woman pours an alabaster jar of extremely expensive pure nard over Jesus. The value of the perfume becomes part of the story precisely because this wasn\u2019t the ancient equivalent of Axe body spray; it was more like pouring out a bottle of Chanel No. 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nard comes from <em>Nardostachys jatamansi<\/em>, a Himalayan plant whose roots and rhizomes (horizontally-growing root-like stems) are intensely aromatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same plant is known in Chinese herbal medicine as <em>Gan Song<\/em>, which regulates Qi and is used when stagnation contributes to discomfort in the digestive system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More TCM Herbs in the Bible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calamus (<em>Shi Chang Pu<\/em>) appears alongside cinnamon in Exodus and Song of Songs. A species of <em>Acorus<\/em>, Calamus is a strong <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/shi-chang-pu-a-versatile-phlegm-vaporizer-orifice-opener.html\">Phlegm vaporizer<\/a>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bible mentions at least one other herb that remains commonplace in Chinese herbal medicine: mint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/search.biblegateway.com\/verse\/en\/Matthew%2023%3A23?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Matthew 23:23<\/a>, Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for meticulously tithing even tiny amounts of mint, dill and cumin while neglecting \u201cthe weightier matters\u201d of justice, mercy and faithfulness.<a href=\"https:\/\/search.biblegateway.com\/verse\/en\/Matthew%2023%3A23?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"><br><br><\/a>At roughly the same point in history, half a world away, mint was also being used medicinally in China. Known in TCM as<em> Bo He <\/em>\u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/extract\/bohe\">Bo He extract granules, perfect for making instant peppermint tea<\/a> \u2014 mint became a common herb for dispersing Wind-Heat, clearing the head and eyes, soothing the throat and helping move constrained Liver Qi. (See mint\u2019s traditional TCM uses in <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11636048\/\">this research review<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Different traditions, half a world apart, were valuing many of the same plants at roughly the same time, connected by trade routes and a shared belief in the power of the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Certain herbs mentioned in the Bible later became part of the Chinese herbal medicine tradition. Find out which ones have withstood the test of time in Scripture and the Chinese Materia Medica. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,5],"tags":[103,44,102,101,100],"class_list":["post-7618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-21","category-my-health-topics","tag-biblical-botanicals","tag-chinese-herbs","tag-frankincense","tag-myrrh","tag-tcm-history"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>TCM Herbs in the Bible: Scripture Meets Materia Medica<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover five herbs mentioned in the Bible that are also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including myrrh and frankincense.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/tcm-herbs-bible.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TCM Herbs in the Bible: When Scripture Meets the Materia Medica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Certain herbs mentioned in the Bible later became part of the Chinese herbal medicine tradition. 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