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incense

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incense

Any resin, gum, balsam, or other substance that, when burned, gives off aromatic smoke. It is used in religious ceremonies, as air freshener, or to deter insects.

In a Taiwanese study published in August 2001, the burning of incense was found to release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are highly carcinogenic. PAH levels in some Buddhist temples were found to be 40 times higher than in the homes of smokers.

Incense was used in the ancient Jewish temple as an offering to God, and its use is described in detail in the Torah. It is not generally used in modern Judaism. Hinuism, Buddhism, and Taoism all make use of incense as part of prayer or meditation. The symbolism is of a sweet smell rising to heaven. Incense was, according to the Bible, offered to the infant Jesus by the magi, and is described in the Book of Revelation as representing the prayers of saints; but its use was not general in the Christian church till the 6th century. It is thought to have some preservative power, valuable in wooden-roofed churches.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Was it not Fate, that, on this July midnight- Was it not Fate, (whose name is also Sorrow,) That bade me pause before that garden-gate, To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses?
Poems by Poe, Edgar Allan View in context
The pilgrim woman was appeased and, being encouraged to talk, gave a long account of Father Amphilochus, who led so holy a life that his hands smelled of incense, and how on her last visit to Kiev some monks she knew let her have the keys of the catacombs, and how she, taking some dried bread with her, had spent two days in the catacombs with the saints.
War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo View in context
I did not make the acquaintance of Thackeray's books all at once, or even in rapid succession, and he at no time possessed the whole empire of my catholic, not to say, fickle, affections, during the years I was compassing a full knowledge and sense of his greatness, and burning incense at his shrine.
My Literary Passions by Howells,William Dean View in context
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