Galbanum

Galbanum was a pungent, bitter-smelling resinous gum derived from several species of Ferula, large umbelliferous plants native to Persia and the Middle East. It was one of the four spice components of the sacred incense compounded for use in the tabernacle (Exodus 30:34), the others being stacte, onycha, and pure frankincense. The mixture was to be used exclusively in the tabernacle before the Lord and was strictly prohibited for private use.

Galbanum's inclusion in the sacred incense despite its harsh and unpleasant odor on its own has generated comment in Jewish tradition: some interpreters suggested it was included to teach that communal prayer should not exclude even those whose spiritual fragrance, so to speak, is less refined — that the community's worship before God incorporates all its members. Whether this reading is intended by the text or not, galbanum's distinctive presence in the holy compound points to the careful and specific nature of Israel's prescribed worship, in which even the ingredients for incense were divinely appointed rather than left to human preference.