Exodus 30:25 - "And thou shalt make it an oil for holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary; it shall be an holy anointing oil" (KJV).

The art of the apothecary is a very ancient one, probably dating back to pre-history, when man first learned to use herbs and barks to heal himself. However, although the word names a compounder of drugs, oils, and perfumes, it was in this latter sense that it was most often used in biblical times. All large Oriental towns had their perfumers’ street. Their stock included anything fragrant in the way of loose powder, compressed cake, or essences in spirit, oil, or fat, as well as seeds, leaves, and bark. Even before 400 B.C., they had formed themselves into guilds.

As our text tells us, the apothecaries blended the incense and th…