1 Samuel 8:13 - "He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers."

The confectioner was a female perfumer or apothecary, similar to a woman chemist of today who works for a perfume manufacturer, distilling new scents. In biblical times, these women gathered the blossoms when the orange-trees, the violets, and the roses were in bloom, and then made from them scented waters which they kept in large, closely-sealed bottles for use in the summer as cooling syrup-drinks. These were presented to guests in tumblers of brass and on silver trays.

The king’s confectionaries would be occupied with the preparation and mixing of such flavoring essences, as well as in the mixing of scented wines. Spiced wine is mentioned in the Song of Solomon (8:2), and wine with myrrh was offered to Jesus at the Crucifixion as an anaesthetic.

Today the center of the perfume industry is in Grasse, France, where violets, orange blossoms, mimosa, roses, lavender, carnations, jasmine, and eucalyptus are especially raised for this purpose, and where many women are engaged in the same type of work as their ancient sisters, although the use of perfume in wine or other drinks is not to our tastes.