THE JOURNEY TO SACRED FRANKINCENSE PART 4

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since Gary Young’s passing, we have been taking stock of the tremendous contributions he made to the world by revisiting his presentations such as this fascinating seven-part blog post series called “The Journey to Sacred Frankincense.” Here’s Part IV.

I had no idea how or why this was happening and wondered if this was to be my demise. However, my curiosity completely overshadowed any fear that I had, and at the specified time, I went downstairs. No one seemed to pay any attention to me, and as I cautiously walked toward the door, the black car pulled up, the door opened, and I quickly went outside. The man inside the car reached out and took my suitcase and made room for me as I climbed inside. I definitely had an unnerving feeling as I closed the door and the car sped away.

A man with the same voice that I had heard on the phone introduced himself to me and said that he had come to help me. He took me to a small shop in Giza Square where I met Khadija, an angelic-looking American lady. She was dressed in a white, flowing gown, and with the sun reflecting off the glass behind her, she looked like an angel who had just come from heaven.

She said she had been told about me and my work and wanted to help. She was engaged to the minister of Antiquities and said that her fiancé would give me written permission to visit all the places that I wanted to go, which opened up Egypt to me in a way I never dreamed possible.

It was one of the most rewarding times of my life in my research and quest to learn about frankincense. Since then I have returned to Egypt many times and made 15 trips into the Middle East, which includes Yemen and Socotra Island. I asked many questions as I studied the history that kept me following different leads, stories, and legends to so many different places. The desert, the mountains, the ruins, the villages, and the old people all gave me clues, besides what I found in the libraries, museums, and universities.

I thoroughly enjoyed studying biblical archaeology at the Hebrew University and being able to travel and see so many historical sites in Israel. I was so grateful for the time that I was able to spend with Dr. Farag at Cairo University, from whom I learned much about the possibilities of essential oils and their chemical constituents.

To be continued . . .

(Originally published September 9, 2010.)