Cassia

Cassia was an aromatic spice derived from the bark of a tree related to cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), imported in antiquity from India and southeastern Asia via Arabian trade routes. In the Mosaic law it was one of the four chief ingredients of the sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:24), along with myrrh, cinnamon, and calamus. Ezekiel mentions it as a trade commodity of Tyre, supplied from Uzal (Ezekiel 27:19). The Psalmist names it among the fragrant garments of the messianic king (Psalm 45:8). Cassia (Hebrew qiddah) was a costly luxury import throughout the ancient world, its aromatic properties making it valuable both for religious ritual and for personal use.