The Gifts from the Orient
The Aromatic Plants by Fr. Claudio Doglio Aromatic plants are mentioned many times in the gospels. When Jesus refers to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who paid the tithe on low value plants also, he names a series of them: “ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others.” (Mt 23,23). Luke’s parallel text also mentions the rue. (Luke 11,42). Jesus’ reproach is obvious: you are finicky and pedantic about minutia, but you neglect much more important things. There are also two more aromatic plants that play a significant role in a few episodes of the Gospel, although they are not original of ...