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As we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord on the waters of the Jordan, let us remember that the Lord our God had previously appeared over the waters in order to do various wondrous deeds. Thus, when He appeared over the waters of the Red Sea, He “opened the bottom of the depths” 290 and led His people through dry land; when he crossed the Jordan in the ark, he turned back the waters of this river: “The Jordan,” it is said, “turned back” (Ps. 113:3). Finally, in the beginning, when the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Gen. 1:1), God created the heavens, the earth, birds, animals, man, and in general the entire visible world. And now over the waters of the Jordan appears God, One in the Trinity: the Father in the voice, the Son in the flesh, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. What does He produce in this appearance of His? He creates a new world and renews everything, just as in the pre-holiday troparion he creates a new world, different from the first. “The old things have passed away,” says Scripture, “and now all things are new” (2 Cor. 5:17). The first world was heavy by nature, could not ascend to the sky and needed land on which it could stand, as if erected. And the new world, brought out of the waters of the Jordan, is so light that it does not need dry land, is not built on earth, has no “barriers, but seeks the heights,” rushes quickly from the water to the heavenly doors open above the Jordan: “Jesus immediately came up out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him” (Matthew 3:16). For the first world, burdened with everyday burdens, if it wanted to reach heaven, it would need a ladder established on earth, the top of which would reach heaven - but even that was only contemplated by Jacob, he himself did not ascend along it - for the new world, ascent to heaven is possible without a ladder. How? Behold, instead of a ladder, the Spirit of God, in the form of a dove, flies over the waters. And that means the following. The human race is no longer like a reptile that creeps on the earth or a crawling animal, but like a feathered bird emerges from the water of baptism; therefore, the Holy Spirit appeared over the waters of baptism like a bird in order to raise His chicks, which He gave birth to in the bath of baptism, to heaven without a ladder. And here the words of the song of Moses are fulfilled: “he flies over his chicks” (Deut. 32:11), or, as Jerome’s translation reads, he calls his chicks to fly. It is precisely this new world that God creates by His appearance on the waters of the Jordan, which does not cling to the earth, but like a feathered bird strives on its wings to the open sky. Let us remember here the expression of Scripture: “And God said: let the waters bring forth, let birds fly in the firmament of the heavens” (Gen. 1:20), and let us see how one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, who now appeared over the waters of the Jordan at the renewal of the world, brings his spiritual chicks out of the water of baptism and calls them to fly, so that they may ascend on their wings of virtue to the heavens that have opened above the Jordan. But before considering this, let us be convinced, on the basis of the teachers of the Church, that every person born of water and spirit is a heavenly chick. Saint John Chrysostom says: it was said earlier: “let the water bring forth reptiles, a living soul”; and since Christ entered the Jordanian streams, the water no longer produces “reptiles, a living soul,” but rational and spiritual beings - souls that do not crawl on the ground, but soar to the sky like birds. That is why David said: “Our soul is like a bird” (Ps. 123:7). This bird is not earthly, but heavenly, for our residence, which is prepared for us starting from baptism, is, according to the word of Scripture, in heaven.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa, reproaching those who, after receiving baptism, turn to their previous evil deeds, says: “shameless people who have accepted baptism, driven, by unknown means, as if into a frenzy, lose the salvation received by the waters of baptism, although, being buried in the body of Christ, they have clothed themselves with the wings of an eagle and through this have the opportunity to fly up to those birds of heaven, which are fearless spirits.” Let us pay attention to these words: “having been buried in the body of Christ (through baptism), they were clothed with the wings of an eagle, so that they could fly.” By this, this holy teacher convincingly proves that people emerging from the waters of baptism are birds soaring to the sky. But we will also see this from history. The Monk Nonnus, Bishop of Iliopolis, when he was supposed to convert the obvious sinner Pelagia to God in Antioch, saw the following vision in a dream at night 291: he imagined that he was standing in the church at the liturgy - and then some kind of black dove, stained with dirt, began to fly near him; he took it, washed it in the font, and after that the dove immediately became as pure as snow and beautiful, and flew straight from here to the sky. This vision indicated that this blessed father would turn the sinner to the Lord and enlighten her with holy baptism. So, the waters of holy baptism are so powerful that they can turn a person into a bird of heaven. The Jordanian waters also do this, giving a person wings on which he could fly into the “heaven that opens before him.” But not only the renewal of human nature in the waters of the Jordan is depicted in the phenomenon, but also the three venerable Persons of the Divine who appear take on the likenesses of various birds. So, we know that the Holy Scripture likens God the Father to an eagle: “as an eagle calls to its nest” (Deut. 32:11). We also read that God the Son is like a cocosh 292: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” He says, “how often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings” (Matthew 23:37). We know, finally, that God the Holy Spirit appeared over the Jordan in the likeness of a dove. So, why are the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity likened to the aforementioned three breeds of birds? Truly because They flocks of the same chicks spiritually remove from the water of baptism, that is, they make people spiritual chicks, some like an eagle, some like a cocoon, and some like a dove. The Church, triumphant in heaven, divides the faithful servants of God, coming from the militant Church, in the heavenly village into three special faces: the face of teachers, the face of martyrs and the face of virgins. We will not be mistaken if we say that these three faces are three flocks of chicks born and hatched from the water of baptism. The face of the teachers is a flock of eagles that soar in the sky and, without crossing their eyes, look at the sunshine; for holy teachers, meaning God, fly high, as if having wings, and with a bright mind, as if with an eye, contemplating the light of the Tri-radiant Deity, they enlighten themselves and others with wisdom. The face of the martyrs is a flock of many-children kokoshes, for through the shedding of their blood for Christ they gave birth to many other children of Christ: the blood of the martyrs really gave birth to many children for the primacy of the Church, of whom there were more than the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. The face of virgins is a flock of pure doves, for they offer themselves entirely as a living sacrifice to God and take care not to please the flesh, but the One Lord. These three flocks of spiritual birds, we said, were born in the water of baptism. Let's look at how this happens. The book of Song of Songs says: “Avert your eyes from me, for they trouble me” (Song 6:4). This means: look at me, Lord, with your merciful eyes and do not turn them away from me, for, by your mercy, I become a bird flying up to heaven. And in His appearance on the Jordan, God looked at human nature: God the Father looked, opening the heavens over the Son; God the Son looked upon, coming from Nazareth of Galilee to be baptized by John on the Jordan - He looked upon, I say, for all the dirt of Adam’s sin, all the infirmities of our nature He collected and brought here in order to wash them and cleanse us from our sins - God the Spirit also looked upon, descending upon the Divine man who was being baptized. Having looked upon us, the One God in the Trinity has not revealed human nature? Truly opened, for through this Divine charity immediately flocks of eagles and doves appeared, that is, the faces of teachers, martyrs and virgins. Let us explain this on the basis of Holy Scripture. The theologian saw in the revelation that came to him, before the throne of God, a sea of ​​glass, as if made of crystal (Apoc. 4:6); this sea signified the mystery of holy baptism, for between the throne of God and the person who intends to approach the throne of God is the water of baptism, and no other way can someone approach God sitting on the heavenly throne than by first crossing the sea of ​​baptism, according to the words of Scripture: “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:19). But why is this sea, which signifies the mystery of baptism, glass and crystal? We know that the interpreters of Divine Scripture will say that it is glass because it contains purity that cleanses the soul of a person receiving baptism, and crystal because it gives hardness to a person’s heart. Another reason it is glass and crystal is that just as a ray of sunlight passes through glass and crystal, so the grace of God penetrates through the mystery of baptism, and with it it comes to a person and enlightens the church of his soul. Finally, for this reason, the sea, which is located before the Throne of God and signifies the mystery of baptism, is glass and crystal, so that the Most Holy Trinity sitting on the throne is reflected and visible in it, as in a glass and crystal mirror, for in holy baptism the image of the Trinity appeared. “Go therefore,” said Jesus Christ, “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Humanly speaking, if God the Father sat on His throne like an eagle, then in the sea located in front of the Throne, as if in a glass and crystal mirror, the image of an eagle should have been reflected. If God the Son sat on the throne like a kokosh - for He calls Himself that way in the Gospel - then in that sea that was in front of the Throne, the image of a kokosh should have appeared, as if in a mirror. If the Holy Spirit sat on that throne like a dove, then the image of a dove should have appeared in that sea. But let us explain the spiritual meaning of these images. We said that the sea, seen before the throne of God, signifies the mystery of holy baptism, in which our baptized nature is cleansed like glass, “from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1), while our soul is strengthened and enlightened, like crystal. And when God in the Trinity looks at this mysterious glass and crystal during our baptism, then truly the image of the Trinity appears in it. Whether God the Father looks like a spiritual eagle, or God the Son, like a spiritual kokosh, or God the Holy Spirit, like a spiritual dove, always the mysterious glass and crystal, that is, our baptized nature, reveals in itself a reflection of these spiritual birds and becomes the chick of an eagle, or kokosh, or dove, i.e., a child of God, One in the Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as It is said: “to those who believe in His name He gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). The Most Holy Trinity looked upon human nature, which was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, and was reflected in it, providing it, like a chick, with the spiritual wings of an eagle, a kokosh and a dove, that is, it multiplied teachers, martyrs, and virgins in the militant church. So, it is clear that each person of the Most Holy Trinity brought out its special spiritual chicks from the waters of the Jordan. God the Father, like an eagle, brought spiritual eagles, that is, church teachers, out of the Jordan. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem says: “The beginning of the world is water, the beginning of the Gospel is the Jordan. The light of day shone from the water, for the Spirit of God, who first hovered over the water, commanded the light to shine out of the darkness. The light of the Holy Gospel shone from the Jordan. The first Teacher of the whole world, Christ - God's power and God's Wisdom - where did He begin His teaching? Is it not from the waters of Jordan? “From that time,” the Gospel says, “Jesus began to preach and say: repent” (Matthew 4:17). And immediately many teachers appeared after Him - these were the holy apostles whom He sent to preach. Thus, the waters gave life to both natural birds (Gen. 1:21) and spiritual birds. For where were Peter and Andrew, James and John called to the apostolic and teaching ministry (Matthew 4:18, 21)? Isn't it from the water? The Lord chose His apostles from among the fishermen. Where did the Samaritan woman come from as a preacher about the true Messiah in her city? Is it not from the water of Jacob's fountain (John 4:6–7). Where did the blind man, who received his sight, come forward as a witness of the miraculous power of Christ? Was it not from the water of the pool of Siloam (John 9:7)? All this was a foreshadowing of holy baptism, in which spiritual blindness is healed, sinful defilements are washed away, and church teachers receive Divine wisdom. For through baptism that grace is given to a person, with the help of which he can acquire great understanding, and from there spiritual wings grow from the teachers of faith, according to the word of Scripture: “they will mount with wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary” (Is. 40:31). God the Son, like a kokosh, gathering scattered children under His wings, brings forth from the water of baptism His chicks - the holy martyrs, Himself, first of all, giving His flesh, baptized in water, to the wounds, Himself, first of all, laying down His life for us on the cross, so that we too would be ready to die for Him. Let us remember here the words of the apostle: “we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (Rom. 6:3). This means almost the same as if the apostle said: everyone who is baptized into Christ must die for Him, must “be united to Him in the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5). And who was baptized into His death if not the holy martyrs, who say: “For Your sake they kill us every day” (Ps. 43:23)? Who else was so “united with Him in the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5), to which He “was led like a sheep to the slaughter” (Is. 53:7), but the holy martyrs who said: “They count us as sheep doomed to the slaughter” (Ps. 43:23). That is why they sing: “having preached the lamb of God, be doomed to the slaughter like lambs” 293 . The holy forty-nine martyrs were baptized into his death, who, having been cast with Saint Callistratus into the lake, “conformed to the likeness of His death” (Their Memory: September 27), as well as ten thousand martyrs who, with Saint Romilus, were crucified on the same day in the Armenian desert (Their Memory: September 6). And all the holy passion-bearers who shed their blood for Christ approached “the likeness of His death,” as those who were baptized into His death. Even in the water of their baptism they were already predestined to the crown of martyrdom. The common kokosh has the custom of choosing the best grains for food and, having found them, calls its chicks to it. Having accepted it as true that all virtues are spiritual food, everyone must admit that there is no better grain, or no higher virtue, than love: “but love is greater than all” (1 Cor. 13:13), - and it is precisely the kind of love that lays down one’s life for a loved one: “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The spiritual kokosh, Christ the Lord, found this grain of love and pointed it out to His chicks, laying down His soul for his friends: “You,” He said to the apostles, “are My friends” (John 15:14). Called chicks - holy martyrs - flocked to this grain and began, prompted by love, to lay down their souls for the Lord, as one martyr speaks to the Lord: “I love you, my bridegroom, and I will accept suffering for you” 294 . Where were these spiritual chicks called to the seed of love? Was it not from the water of baptism, in which they were baptized into His death? Let us listen to Saint Anastasius of Sinaiti 295, who, about the prudent thief, for whom the water that flowed from the ribs of Christ became the water of baptism, says: “To these birds (i.e., to the heavenly spirits) flew from the life-giving water that flowed from the ribs of the Lord, the first of all birds, the holy thief, soaring through the air in a swarm of birds together with the King of the birds - Christ soaring through the air to heaven." God the Holy Spirit, like a dove, brings forth from the water of baptism its chicks - pigeons pure in body and soul, i.e. virgins. For until human nature in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, through the condescension and action of the Holy Spirit, was united with the Divinity and washed by the Jordanian waters, until then marriage was higher than virginity, until then virgin purity, observed for the glory of God, was little known. “What is born of the flesh is flesh” 296. Then the flesh alone gave birth, but the spirit remained barren, which is why God once said: “My Spirit will not forever be despised by men, because they are flesh” (Gen. 6:3). When human nature descended onto the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descended on it, then suddenly from the Spirit the highest life of marriage, virginity, was born, striving not for the carnal, but for the spiritual, according to the words of John the Theologian: “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). And since the spirit has greater honor than the flesh, virginity, united into one spirit with the Lord, has become more honorable than a carnal marital union. Our nature, having ascended into a spiritual marital union with Christ in the Jordan, became fruitful and produced whole virgin faces. And such a spiritual marriage cannot produce anything other than virginity, as the prophet Zechariah pointed out when he said: “wine belongs to the young women” (Zechariah 9:17). By virgins the prophet means virgin faces. The Holy Spirit, according to the word of the prophet, is poured out like wine and produces virgins, for where the Holy Spirit pours out His grace, there virginity cannot but be born. Blessed Jerome, in his translation of the Holy Scriptures, successfully conveys the meaning of the said passage with the words: “wine that produces virgins.” In fact, that wine of grace of the Holy Spirit once poured out on the apostles and made them drunk so much that to some they seemed drunk with wine, and made them such virgins that no blemish remained in them and they became pure and whole as doves. On the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Church sings: “the spirit of salvation creates pure apostolic hearts” 297. So, now this wine is being poured onto the waters of the Jordan, and who doubts that the waters of baptism, mixed with the wine of the Holy Spirit, produce virginity, in accordance with the words of the prophecy: “wine that gives birth to virgins,” and moreover, such virgins to whom the apostle says: “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2)? From the spiritual marriage of our nature with God, virginity is born from the Spirit, which the Holy Spirit, having brought forth from the water of baptism, introduces into the heavenly abodes. Thus, each Person of the Most Holy Trinity, appearing on the Jordan, brings out its special spiritual chicks from the waters of baptism and, having brought them out, calls them to fly on the wings of virtue given to them into the open heavens. Firstly, God the Father, as a spiritual eagle, calls His chicks to flight - spiritual eagles, i.e. teachers, as having special wings, about which the Church sings: “God gave to the chicks that arrived, and they ascended to heaven.” 298 What kind of wings do those chicks have? There is no doubt that, in addition to other virtues common to all, there are two of them: deed and word. He is a church teacher, he is a high-flying eagle, who himself actually does what he teaches others in words. And that the wings of spiritual eagles really are word and deed, this is clearly shown in the book of Ezekiel the prophet, who once saw four animals with four wings each, driving the chariot of God. Those animals made noise with their wings: “And as they walked, I heard,” says the prophet, “the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty (or, according to Symmachus’ translation, like the thunder of a mighty God), a great noise, like the noise of an army” (Ezek. 1:24). Truly a great voice, an extraordinary song! However, what is surprising is not so much the voice itself, but where this voice came from. This voice did not come from the larynx, the word did not come from the tongue, the song did not come from the lips, but from the wings of these animals. The prophet says: “I heard the sound of their wings.” They sang, but not with their larynx, they praised God, but not with eloquent and verbose lips and tongue, but with the same wings on which they flew: “I heard the sound of their wings.” What secret is hidden here? This secret is this: the animals driving God’s chariot meant church teachers, who are vessels chosen to spread the name of God throughout the universe, and with their teaching they draw the Church of Christ onto the straight road leading to heaven, as if God’s chariot, in which there are many tens of thousands of believing souls. The wings of these animals, emitting a voice and singing, signify the deed and word of the teacher. The wings that make it possible to fly indicate that the church teacher himself must first show himself as a model of virtue, he himself must first, in front of everyone, with his godly life, as if feathered, ascend to the sky. The voice coming out of the wings of these animals means a teaching word; the teacher must emit a voice that is consistent with the strength of his flight, that is, he must teach the herd and at the same time he himself is obliged to live as he teaches. For the voice of a teacher does not bring such benefit when the wings of a godly life are not visible. Only that teacher ascends directly to the open sky above the Jordan, who flies not on one wing of the word, but also on the other wing - a virtuous life, who at the same time teaches in word and deed. It is not so easy for both teacher and student to be lifted to heaven by an intricately composed word, or a sweet-voiced mouth, or a loud larynx, like the wings of good deeds. God the Son, like a spiritual kokosh, calls His chicks - the holy martyrs - to fly. And the wings of virtue that belong to them alone, in addition to other common virtues, are the following two: faith and confession. The Apostle says about these martyr wings: “for with the heart they believe unto righteousness, and with their lips they confess unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). Unshakable faith in the heart is one wing; bold confession with the lips of the name of Christ before kings and tormentors is another wing. The first spiritual bird to fly into paradise, the prudent thief who suffered with Christ on the cross, soared precisely on such wings of faith and confession. For at a time when our Lord, who voluntarily suffered for us, was abandoned by everyone, and when even Peter, who promised to die with Him, denied Him, one thief believed in Him with his heart and confessed with his lips, calling him King and Lord: “Remember me, Lord,” he said, “when you come into Your Kingdom.” How great was this faith of the thief when it became scarce in all the disciples of Christ (Matthew 26:56)! When all those who believed were offended by Christ, he alone was not offended, but prayed to him with faith, which is why he heard the following words from Him: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42–48). Saint Ambrose speaks about it this way: “at that hour when heaven accepted Christ, it also accepted the thief, but this glory was granted to the thief by faith alone.” So, it is clear that this bird, that is, the martyr crucified with Christ on the cross, flew into paradise not on any other wings than by faith confessed with the lips. “This glory,” says Saint Ambrose, “was bestowed upon the robber by faith alone.” Finally, God the Holy Spirit, who appeared in the form of a dove, calls on His chicks - virgins - to fly, for it is His nature to make man a winged bird that could penetrate into the highest regions. Saint Damascus sings: To the Holy Spirit, every all-saving wine, if He breathes according to his inheritance, soon takes away from the earthly, uplifts, increases, arranges grief. He also brings grief to the spiritual doves, the holy virgins, calling them to fly. 299. Those doves have special wings of virtue: mortification of flesh and spirit. And that mortification of the flesh is one of the wings that lifts a person to heaven, St. Ambrose of Milan, interpreting the words of the Gospel: “you are better than many birds” (Matthew 10:31), says this: “the flesh, disposed to fulfill the Law of God and put off by sin, in purity of feelings is likened to the nature of the soul and ascends to heaven on spiritual wings.” Here the holy teacher of the Church speaks of assimilation to the nature of the soul, meaning mortification, in which the actual nature of the flesh, as it were, passes into the nature of the soul, when the worst is subordinated to the better and the flesh is enslaved to the spirit, when a person is freed from sin and purifies his feelings, which is impossible without mortification. Having mortified his flesh, a person becomes light and feathered like a bird, and ascends to the sky on spiritual wings. So, the mortification of the body for virginity, soaring to heaven, is the first wing, for whoever wants to maintain purity must first of all mortify his flesh, as indicated by the words of the prophet David, the Holy Spirit, when he addresses Christ with the following words: “All Your garments are like myrrh and scarlet and cassia” (Ps. 44:9). Here the interpreters of Divine Scripture mean by myrrh - the mortification of passions, by staktami - humility, by cassia - faith 300. These fragrances come from the clothes of Christ, that is, from His Holy Church, from the believers, in whom He put on as a garment, taking on His flesh and indwelling those who live purely and holy. So, the Holy Spirit seems to say this: mortification of passions, humility and faith, like precious aromas, are fragrant before Your Father from Your Church, from pure and virgin people who preserve the indicated virtues in their hearts, as if in vessels for preserving aromas. But let us ask: why does the Holy Spirit, glorifying the Church of Christ for various virtues, first of all praise it for mortifying the passions of believers, placing myrrh in the first place? Truly, in order to show that after the suppression of lawless lusts, after the cessation of carnal lust, after the mortification of the body, all other virtues follow, as if following their leader. So, the spiritual chicks of the Holy Spirit, that is, virgins who want to have heaven as their nest, first of all need to have this wing, that is, mortification of the flesh. Their second wing is mortification of the spirit, which consists of not only not committing sin in deed, but also not desiring it in the spirit, not thinking about it in the mind. You can be clean in body, but at the same time have various inappropriate desires, enjoying thoughts of the unclean. It is not in vain that the apostle exhorts: “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1). These words clearly indicate that there is extreme filth - uncleanness of the flesh and uncleanness of the spirit. For the flesh is accustomed to manifest itself in deeds, and the spirit in the thoughts and dispositions of the heart. It is in vain that virginity boasts of its purity and hopes to achieve heavenly glorification, which keeps only the body uncorrupted, but does not try to cleanse the soul, defiled by thoughts and desires. For just as a bird cannot fly on one wing, so a virgin with only bodily purity, without spiritual purity, will not enter the palace of heaven. The one who carefully preserves both purities, like a dove, will fly after the One who appeared “in the form of a dove.” So, we have heard what the One God did in Three Persons, who appeared on the waters of the Jordan at the renewal of the world - how He brought out from the waters of baptism the spiritual chicks of the church - teachers, martyrs, virgins - and called them “into the open heavens.” May there be, both from teachers, martyrs and virgins, and from us sinners - to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - to God who appeared on the Jordan, honor, glory, worship and thanksgiving, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. In the Jordan I am baptized to Thee, O Lord, the Trinitarian adoration appeared: For the voice of the Parents testified to Thee, naming Thy beloved Son: and the Spirit in the form of a dove, the affirmation of Thy words is known. Appear, O Christ God, and enlighten the world, glory to Thee. Thou hast appeared this day to the universe, and Thy light, O Lord, has appeared upon us, in the minds of those who sing Thee: Thou hast come, and Thou hast appeared, the Unapproachable Light. 1st Irmos for the Epiphany of the Lord. Wed. live St. Pelagia under October 8th Kokosh – mother hen; mother bird protecting her chicks. Saint Anastasius of Sinai is one of the outstanding theologians of the Greek-Eastern Church of the 7th century. His memory is April 23. From the canon for Pentecost, hymn 5. Sunday antiphon of the 6th tone. Smyrna is an fragrant resin from the balsam myrrh tree, growing in Arabia and Ethiopia. This resin was used for sacred anointing, for fragrance and fumigation, for rubbing and anointing the body, especially for embalming and anointing the bodies of the dead. Stacti is also an aromatic ointment used to treat diseases. Cassia is a thin and fragrant bark that envelops tree branches. It was used to compose fragrant ointments and aromas, as well as for healing. 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