Incense has played an important role in the life of humans for many thousands of years. Incense has been used by various cultures for religious purposes, trade, and aromatherapy. Incense is a combination of gums, resins, and spices. It is derived from trees that can be found in Africa, Saudi Arabia, and India. When burned incence gives off a pleasant odor. Incense was often use in religious purposes by many different cultures. For example, the Egyptians would offer incense to the gods. When burned incense gives off a pleasant aroma and the Egyptian Pharaoh is often depicted in murals offerings incense and other sacrifices to the gods. The Egyptians burnt incense after military victories, to commemorate new shrines, during death rituals, purification purposes, to gain favors from the gods, and to ward off evil spirits. The Jews like the Egyptians burned incense to appease their gods. They would burn incense daily in the veiled shrine of the Holy Place. The Jews believed that burning incense would veil the form of God. The Greeks and Romans like the Egyptians who they had been in long contact with burned incense to celebrate military victories, at funerals, and on the shrines of various gods. Incense was used by the Greeks at funerals, to cover the odor of cremation. The Romans, starting with Emperor Octavian, burnt incense in front of statues depicting the new emperor. The burning of incense in front of the emperor’s statue deified the emperor.
The Incense Road connected Egypt with Arabia and the Indies. The exact age of the road can only be guessed. Archeologists place the date of the beginning of the incense trade sometime around 1,800 B.C., but more than likely earlier than that time. Around 1,800 B.C., the camel was domesticated. The camel was a valuable animal for it could carry heavy loads over long distances without requiring very much water. The Indians would transport spices by sea to the southern port of Arabia Aden. The Arabians would take the spices by caravan north to the city of Petra. There the traders could go to Egypt or Syria. It was better to take goods by caravan over Arabia than by way of the Red Sea. The Red Sea was not a viable route for a number of reasons. The Red Sea was shallow in some areas, was full of dangerous unchartered rock outcroppings and there were pirates. Those who took the overland caravan route stood a better chance of making it to their destination.
The Arabs acting as middlemen between the Indies and the Meditteranean became over time, very wealthy. The Assyrians, then the Persians, and the Greeks were at various times in control of part of the Incense Road. The Arab trade for the most part was unaffected. The Arabs under the various occupiers were able to carry out trade with India relatively unhindered until the Romans stepped in. The Romans rather than try to control the Arab peninsula simply went around it to trade with the Indies. The Romans hired Greek sailors to sail south on the Red Sea around the Arab peninsula to the Indies. The Romans had chosen to go around than trade with the Arabs because the Arabs demanded gold and silver in exchange for spices and silk. The Arabs were losing valuable trade and in response began to raid the ships. The Romans slowly were able to bring under control the west coast of Arabia. Eventually the Romans were able to gain control of the Incense Road. They developed better roads, built wells, and forts along the road to improve travel.
Written by Alex Boyce, 2003