Pleasant and unpleasant smells in the Bible

Ramšak, Mojca (author)

In the Bible and in various religions in general, odour appears in connection with ritual scents, offerings to God, devotion to God, the body odour of anointed bodies, and as a protective agent in the ritual fumigation of rooms. In religious texts, the deities are also described as having a pleasant smell. Incenses, which produce and spread a pleasantly fragrant smoke when burned and are used in religious ceremonies, can be divided into those of plant origin (frankincense, myrrh) and those of animal origin (ambergris), depending on the source of production. Frankincense and myrrh are the fragrances most frequently mentioned in the Bible, but they were also used in cosmetics and medicine due to their pleasant odour and disinfectant effect. Ambergris is not mentioned in the Bible, but its occasional ritual use in Christianity can be deduced from other sources. In addition to frankincense, the Bible also mentions other fragrant substances, mainly of plant origin (galbanum, mastic, cassia, cinnamon, aloe, cypress, sweet flag, saffron), various plant mixtures (nard, balsam), and mineral fragrances. On the other hand, the sacred texts also mention the stench, which is always associated with impurity and immorality. In the article, the author uses examples from the Bible to show the binary nature of odours according to their function.

• Language: English
• Keywords: smell, malodour, religion, Bible, symbolism
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2024
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 207-222
• Numbering: Letn. 79, št. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164072
• UDC: 27-277:159.933
• ISSN on article: 2335-4127
• DOI: 10.34291/Edinost/79/01/Ramsak
• COBISS.SI-ID: 211618307
• Publication date in RUL: 16.10.2024

RAMŠAK, Mojca, 2024, Pleasant and unpleasant smells in the Bible. Edinost in dialog : revija za ekumensko teologijo in medreligijski dialog [online]. 2024. Vol. 79, no. 1, p. 207–222. [Accessed 11 April 2025]. DOI 10.34291/Edinost/79/01/Ramsak. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=164072

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Edinost in dialog : revija za ekumensko teologijo in medreligijski dialog
• Publisher: Inštitut za ekumensko teologijo in medreligijski dialog pri Teološki fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, Inštitut Stanka Janežiča za dogmatično, osnovno in ekumensko teologijo ter religiologijo in dialog, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2335-4127
• COBISS.SI-ID: 268194560

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Prijetni in neprijetni vonji v Svetem pismu

Abstract

V Svetem pismu in nasploh v različnih verstvih se vonj pojavlja v povezavi z obrednimi vonjavami, darovanjem Bogu, predanostjo Bogu, telesnim vonjem maziljencev in kot zaščitno sredstvo pri obrednem pokajevanju prostorov. V verskih besedilih so božanstva opisana tudi kot prijetno dišeča. Kadila, ki pri gorenju proizvajajo in širijo prijetno dišeč dim ter se uporabljajo pri verskih obredih, lahko glede na izvor pridelave razdelimo na tista rastlinskega izvora (kadilo, mira) in živalskega izvora (ambra). Kadilo in mira sta dišavi, ki ju Sveto pismo največkrat omenja, a so ju zaradi prijetnega vonja in razkužilnega učinka uporabljali tudi v kozmetiki in medicini. Ambra v Svetem pismu ni omenjena, vendar je o njeni občasni obredni uporabi v krščanstvu mogoče razbrati iz drugih virov. Poleg kadila Sveto pismo omenja tudi druge dišavne snovi, predvsem rastlinskega izvora (galbanum, mastiks, kasija, cimet, aloja, cipresa, pravi kolmež, žafran), različne rastlinske mešanice (narda, balzam) in mineralne dišave. Nasprotno pa sveta besedila omenjajo tudi smrad, ki je vedno povezan z nečistostjo in nemoralnostjo. Avtorica v članku prikaže binarnost vonjav glede na njihovo funkcijo na primerih iz Svetega pisma

• Keywords: vonj, smrad, religija, Sveto pismo, simbolika