Onycha

Onycha (/ˈɒnɪkə/, Ancient Greek: ὄνυξ, romanized: ónux), along with equal parts of stacte, galbanum, and frankincense, was one of the components of the consecrated Ketoret (incense) which appears in the Torah book of Exodus (Ex.30:34-36) and was used in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

"[2] Shecheleth is related to the Syriac shehelta which is translated as “a tear, distillation, or exudation.”[3] In Aramaic, the root SHCHL signifies “retrieve.”[3] When the Torah was translated into Greek (the Septuagint version) the Greek word “onycha” ονυξ, which means "fingernail" or "claw," was substituted for shecheleth.

Some writers believe that onycha was Unguis odoratus, the fingernail-like operculum, or trap door, of certain sea snails, such as Strombus lentiginosus, Murex anguliferus, and Onyx marinus.

The Babylonian Talmud recorded that onycha was rubbed with an alkali solution prepared from the bitter vetch to remove impurities,[5] it was then soaked in the fermented berry juice of the Caper shrub,[6] or a strong white wine, in order to enhance its fragrance.

Although it was forgotten in the West after the fall of the Roman Empire, Murex opercula are still commonly used as an ingredient in traditional North African and Middle Eastern bakhoor (granulated incense), traditional Indian choya nakh attar (produced by dry distillation of Murex opercula [7]), and quite substantively in East Asian incense.

The Gemara states that “only items that one may eat may be used for the work of Heaven.”[13] Nachmanides, Torah scholar and famed Jewish theologian, emphasized that the commandment concerning unclean animals pertained also to temple services.

[14] James Strong and J. McClintoch write that “it seems improbable that any such substance could have been one of the constituent spices of the most holy perfume; not only because we know of none bearing any powerful and agreeable odor, but specially because all marine creatures that were not finned and scaled fishes were unclean, and as such could not have been touched by the priests or used in the sanctuary.”[15][16] Bahr states that “the odor of the burned shells is not pleasant.”[17] Although the word onycha has been interpreted as meaning "nail", it is pointed out that nail or claw is an extended connotation of onyx,[citation needed] derived from the translucent and sometimes veined appearance of the gemstone onyx which antiquity often describes as a black stone.

[22] There is also some doubt that a mollusk would have been referred to as a "sweet spice" in Exodus 30, since it is the shell of a creature and not an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance.

The root of the Hebrew word means to drop or distil, and shecheleth would seem, therefore, to mean some exudation.” [24] James Strong writes "the Syriac etymology of the word, namely, to run in drops, exude, distil, would lead to the idea of a resinous and odoriferous substance of the vegetable kingdom.

[26] This sweet spicy ingredient has been used in perfumes and incense for thousands of years and grows profusely in the Middle East, specifically in Israel and Palestine.

After labdanum became hard it may have been put through another process causing it to emulate even more of the "beautiful"[33] attributes of the onyx or to refine it, "that it be pleasant.

"[42] The flowers of the rockrose bush are described as having petals with scarlet and black fingernail-shaped markings, thus its historically acclaimed connection with the Greek ονυξ (= onyx).

As mentioned above the original Hebrew word for onycha was שחלת, shecheleth, which comes from a root meaning "to roar" or “peeling off by concussion of sound."

In Aramaic, the root SHCHL signifies “retrieve.” For thousands of years labdanum has been retrieved from the beards of goats and the wool of lambs by this method.

"[59] Labdanum was used not only as a perfume and adhesive for the Pharaohs beard but was also used by the Egyptian art of the apothecary in an incense known as kyphi which was rolled into small balls and burned upon coals of fire.

[75] Lucas records an “instance of labdanum having been found in connection with ancient Egypt [which] is a specimen of Coptic incense of the seventh century from Faras near Wadi Halfa.

[76] Martin Luther, in co-operation with Bible expert and Greek scholar Philipp Melanchton, rejected the operculum theory in favor of onycha being a plant product.

[79] Bochartus, a scholar of profound erudition possessing a thorough knowledge of the principal Oriental languages, including Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic, argued that onycha was labdanum.

It is claimed “Bochartus proves, by many arguments, [onycha ] to be ladanum” [80][81][82] Abrahams writes that "the Hebrew name shecheleth was translated as ladana, giving rise to labdanum.

"[83] The renowned Jewish scholar and writer Saadya (Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon, 882-942), born in Upper Egypt (Fayum) and educated in Fustat (Old Cairo), translated the Bible into Arabic.

Abrahams states that the use of benzoin in the Biblical incense is not inconceivable since Syro-Arabian tribes maintained extensive trade routes prior to Hellenism.

[86] The name "benzoin" is probably derived from Arabic lubān jāwī (لبان جاوي, "Javan frankincense"); compare the mid-eastern terms "gum benjamin" and "benjoin".

The Hebrew word would seem to mean something that exuded, having odorous qualities.”[25] The book of Ecclesiasticus lists storax as one of the ingredients when alluding to the sacred incense of the biblical tabernacle.

Such are the pretensions of the Benzoin to be looked upon as the true Onycha, which, from the text, as I have already said, must have been some fragrant vegetable gum in itself, of foreign production, and ranking with stacte, and myrrh, and galbanum .

all which conditions are fulfilled by the Gum Benzoin.”[89] Dioscorides and Galen describe two kinds of bdellium, the second of which is Benzoin, according to Hardouin and Sprengel.

The ancient Greeks and Romans used benzoin root in a seasoning sauce for a meat boiled in sweet herbs.

The third type is called foot benzoin, and is obtained by splitting the tree and scraping the wood of the trunk and roots.

[112] For centuries, benzoin has been mixed with labdanum, particularly in the Middle East, as an incense to scent homes, places of worship, and as an air purifier.

Styrax (referred to as storax in antiquity) is mentioned alongside of onycha in Eccesiasticus 24:15 when alluding to the sacred incense.

As an incense it produces a sweet, spicy smell that some consider similar, although less bitter than, myrrh, combined with the scent of mushroom.