MYRRH (Heb. môr; Septuagint αυώρια, Lat. myrrha). — A kind of fragrant gum. It exudes spontaneously or through incisions, in liquid form, from a plant of the genus baltamodendron which grows in Arabia. Modern trade, however, obtains it from commiphora Abyssinica, which grows in Arabia and Africa.
Myrrh was mixed with oil in the anointing of Aronne (Ex. 30, 23) and his successors. Various biblical passages (Ps. 44, 9; 48, 8; Prov. 7, 17; Cont. 3, 6) speak of beds and garments perfumed with myrrh. At the court of Assuero the women purified themselves for six months with oil of myrrh (Esth. 2, 12). The Magi presented it to the Child Gesù (Mt. 2, 11). At the Crucifixion it was offered, together with wine, to mitigate the sufferings (Mc. 15, 23), but Nostro Signore refused it in order to endure them in full awareness. Myrrh was also used to anoint the body of the Redentore (Io. 19, 39).