BALSAM TREE (bal'sam tre), or BALSAM. The word Balsamon may come from Baal-shemen, lord of oil; or the most precious of perfumed oils.
The word is not in the Hebrew of the Song of Solomon, but we find the vineyards of Engedi (i:14), which are believed to have been gardens of the balsam tree. In Ezek. xxvii :17 we find the word pannag; which the Vulgate translates Bal samum, and which is so understood by the Chal dee and other interpreters. The usual Hebrew word is Tzeri, the opobalsam, which was found particularly in Gilead.
The balsam tree, though not a native of Judea, was cultivated in great perfection in the gardens near Jericho. on the banks of Jordan. Jo sephus, speaking of the vale of Jericho, says: "Now here is the most fruitful country of Judma, which bears a vast number of palm trees, besides the balsam tree, whose sprouts they cut with sharp stones, and at the incisions they gather the juice, which drops down like tears" (De Bell. hid. lib.
I, chap. 7, sec. 6). The balsam produced by these trees was of such consequence as to be noticed by all time writers who treated of Jud:ea, and it was so dear that it sold for double its weight in silver.
(1) Balm of Gilead. This Lalsam is mentioned in the Scriptures under the name of balm of Gllrod (Jer. viii :22 ; xlvi :I I ; Ii :8). Since the con quest of Palestine by the Romans the balsam tree has entirely disappeared; not one is now to be found. The balessan, balsam, or balm, is an ever green shrub, or tree, which grows to about four teen feet high, spontaneously and without culture, in its native country Azab, and all along the coast to Babelmandel. The trunk is about eight or ten inches in diameter. the wood light and open, gummy, and outwardly of a reddish color, inca pable of receiving a polish, and covered with a smooth bark, like that of a young cherry tree. It flattens at top, like trees that are exposed to snow blasts, or sea air, which gives it a stunted appear ance. It is remarkable for a penury of leaves; the flowers are like those of the acacia, small and white, only that three hang upon those filaments or stalks where the acacia has but one. Two of
these flowers fall off and leave a single fruit ; the branches that bear these are the shoots of the present year ; they are of a reddish color and rougher than the old wood. After the blossoms follow yellow, fine-scented seed, enclosed in a reddish-black pulpy nut, very sweet and contain ing a yellowish liquor like honey. They are bitter and a little tart upon the tongue, of the same shape and size of the fruit of the turpentine tree, thick in the middle and pointed at the ends.
(2) Valuable Product. There were three kinds of balsam extracted from this tree. The first was called opobalsamum and was most highly es teemed. It was that which flowed spontaneously. or by means of an incision from the muds or branches of the tree in summer time. The sec ond was carpobalsamum, made by pressing the fruit when in maturity. The third, and least es teemed of all, was hylobalsamum. made by a de coction of the buds and small young twigs.
1 he great value set upon this drug in the East is traced to the earliest ages. The Ishmaelites or Arabian carriers or merchants, trafficking with the Arabian commodities into Lgypt, brought with them balm as a part of their cargo (Gen. xxxv11:25; According to Straho, it is evident that balm was transplanted into Jutkra from Saha, flour ished and became an article of commerce in Gilead. "A company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with, their camels bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh, going to carry down to Egypt" (Gen. xxxvii :25).
a high place where idols were worshiped.
The word appears in its Hebrew form only in Ezek. xx :29, while in the first part of the verse it is translated "high place." It is obviously a con temptuous derivation that the prophet means to suggest • but the precise point of it cannot be clearly ascertained. The word is resolved into its syllables. and these appear to be identified re spectively with two words meaning 'come' and 'what': thus: 'What (Mah) is the Ba-mah where unto ye come (Ba) ?' (J. Skinner, Hastings' Bib. Diet. )