Sacred Anointing Oils
ONE NEW MAN CULTURE | HANDCRAFTED IN ISRAEL
The Scent of Heaven
Ancient Roots. Living Botanicals. Sacred Fragrance.
Our sacred oils are born from a profound idea: fragrance can become a bridge between earth and heaven.
Throughout Scripture, precious oils, incense, aromatic resins, fragrant woods, flowers, and spices have accompanied prayer, consecration, remembrance, worship, and the setting apart of sacred places. From the holy anointing oil described in Exodus to the fragrant gardens of the Song of Songs, the biblical world reveals an extraordinary relationship between fragrance, faith, and the sacred.
At One New Man Culture, we draw upon this ancient heritage to create distinctive anointing oils from carefully selected natural aromatics sourced from Israel and around the world. Precious resins, rare spices, fragrant woods, delicate flowers, and living botanicals are brought together through a combination of ancient apothecary knowledge and modern preparation techniques.
Our oils share the same aromatic heritage that inspires our Ketoret ("sacred incense")-inspired Holy Temple Incense. Working personally with the raw botanical materials, Uriel Levite combines traditional infusions, distillation, extraction, and modern techniques, approaching each ingredient according to its individual character and aromatic qualities.
Yet our work extends beyond the art of botanical perfumery.
Fragrance has a remarkable ability to transform an atmosphere, awaken memories, and create moments of stillness. A single aroma can evoke a passage of Scripture, recall a moment of prayer, or invite us to withdraw from the noise of everyday life and enter a place of reflection and devotion.
For us, these oils are more than fragrant preparations. They are an expression of biblical heritage, ancient craftsmanship, and the enduring relationship between the natural world and spiritual devotion.
They are about atmosphere. Memory. Prayer. Stillness. Sacred space.
This is what we mean by The Scent of Heaven.
Not an escape from the earth, but an invitation to encounter the sacred through the extraordinary fragrances of creation.
Commiphora gileadensis
Afarsimon: A Fragrance with Its Own Blessing
So precious was the fragrant oil of Afarsimon that the ancient Jewish sages preserved a special blessing for it. The Talmud, Berakhot 43a, even records a formulation honoring it as Borei Shemen Artzeinu ("Who creates the oil of our land"), reflecting the extraordinary place this aromatic treasure held in the heritage of Israel.
The Ancient Blessing of Afarsimon
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא שֶׁמֶן עָרֵב.
Transliteration
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei shemen arev.
English Translation
“Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who creates fragrant oil.”
This distinctive blessing, preserved in ancient Jewish tradition, honors the Creator of fragrant oil and the remarkable aromatic heritage of Afarsimon.
A living botanical. An ancient blessing. A fragrance from the Land of Israel.
The Living Balm of Gilead
“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” — Jeremiah 8:22, KJV
Among the most treasured botanicals of the House of Levite are Uriel’s own living Balm of Gilead trees, known as Afarsimon ("balsam of Judea").
He personally cultivates and studies these rare aromatic plants, working directly with their natural aromatic materials. When additional Afarsimon is required, he sources it from a specialist grower in Israel.
Every sacred anointing oil he creates contains Afarsimon, bringing the fragrance of this remarkable plant into the aromatic preparations of One New Man Culture.
But the story of Afarsimon begins long before our time. Its fragrant heritage reaches back to the sacred traditions of ancient Israel, the incense of the Holy Temple, the royal gardens of Jericho, and the extraordinary world of kings and emperors.
From the Sacred Incense of the Holy Temple
Afarsimon holds a remarkable place in ancient Jewish aromatic tradition, particularly through its traditional association with the Ketoret ("sacred incense") of the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
In Exodus 30:34, the Holy One instructs Moses to prepare sacred incense using four principal aromatic ingredients: nataf ("stacte"), shechelet ("onycha"), chelbenah ("galbanum"), and levonah zakkah ("pure frankincense").
Rabbinic tradition identifies nataf with tzori ("aromatic balsam"), which has traditionally been associated with the celebrated balsam of Judea, known as Afarsimon. Although the precise botanical identity of this ancient ingredient remains a subject of historical research, its traditional identification preserves an extraordinary connection between Judean balsam and the sacred incense of Israel.
These precious aromatic materials were carefully prepared and combined for sacred purposes, forming part of the fragrant heritage of the Tabernacle and, later, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
This ancient tradition continues to inspire our own Ketoret-inspired Holy Temple Incense, connecting the living botanicals of One New Man Culture with the aromatic heritage preserved in Scripture and Jewish tradition.
The Fragrance Coveted by Rome
In antiquity, the balsam of Judea was among the most celebrated and valuable fragrances of the ancient world.
Its cultivation was closely associated with the royal gardens surrounding Jericho, near the Dead Sea, where its precious aromatic materials became an important source of wealth and royal revenue. So prized was this fragrance that its plantations became royal possessions, its aromatic resin commanded exceptional prices, and its living plants were displayed in Rome as symbols of conquest.
The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century CE, regarded balsam as one of the most precious fragrances of the ancient world. In his Natural History, he described its cultivation in Judea’s royal gardens, the exceptional value of its aromatic resin, and the extraordinary spectacle of balsam plants being displayed during the triumphal celebrations of Vespasian and Titus following the Roman conquest of Judea.
The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus recorded another remarkable chapter in the history of this precious botanical. Mark Antony granted Cleopatra revenues from the region surrounding Jericho, including its valuable balsam plantations. Herod subsequently leased those revenues from her, illustrating the extraordinary economic importance of this aromatic treasure in the ancient world.
From the sacred aromatic traditions of Israel to the royal gardens of Jericho and the triumphal processions of Rome, the history of Judean balsam reveals a fragrance treasured by generations and coveted by some of the most powerful rulers of antiquity.
A Living Heritage
Today, the name Balm of Gilead is applied to several different botanical species and aromatic preparations. Many products sold under this name, particularly in North America, are made from fragrant poplar buds rather than the plants associated with the ancient Judean balsam tradition.
At One New Man Culture, our work centers on living Afarsimon trees and the precious aromatic materials they provide.
For Uriel Levite, this is more than a name borrowed from ancient history. It is a living botanical heritage that he personally cultivates, studies, and incorporates into every sacred anointing oil he creates.
From the sacred incense traditions of the Holy Temple to the royal gardens of Jericho and the extraordinary fragrance coveted by Rome, the story of Judean balsam has endured for thousands of years.
Today, that heritage continues to inspire our work in Israel, where ancient botanical knowledge meets living cultivation, traditional craftsmanship, and modern preparation techniques.
The living trees. The precious fragrance. The work of our own hands.
From Sacred Incense to Sacred Anointing Oils
Our sacred anointing oils are born from the same precious aromatic tradition that inspires our Ketoret ("sacred incense")-inspired Holy Temple Incense. Drawing upon the ancient Pitum HaKetoret ("the preparation of the sacred incense"), Uriel Levite explores the fragrant ingredients associated with the sacred incense of the Temple in Jerusalem, alongside rare botanicals, precious resins, aromatic woods, exotic flowers, roots, and spices sourced from Israel and around the world.
At the heart of our work are the eleven principal aromatic ingredients preserved in the traditional Jewish account of the Pitum HaKetoret: Tzori ("balsam"), Tziporen ("onycha"), Chelbenah ("galbanum"), Levonah ("frankincense"), Mor ("myrrh"), Ketzi'ah ("cassia"), Shibolet Nerd ("spikenard"), Karkom ("saffron"), Kosht ("costus"), Kilufah ("aromatic bark"), and Kinamon ("cinnamon"). These ancient ingredients form an important part of our botanical research and the aromatic inspiration behind our sacred incense and anointing oils. Some of their precise historical botanical identities remain subjects of scholarly discussion.
Our botanical collection extends far beyond these traditional ingredients. Uriel works with several varieties of frankincense from the Boswellia family, exploring their distinct aromatic profiles, natural resin constituents, and individual characteristics. He also works with precious myrrh, galbanum, onycha, storax, benzoin, mastic, Greek labdanum, spikenard, cassia, cinnamon, calamus, costus, and other aromatic materials associated with ancient perfumery, biblical tradition, and the wider fragrant heritage of the ancient world.
Among these treasured materials are genuine roses, Egyptian blue lotus, fragrant lilies, Rose of Sharon, vanilla, rare and exotic flowers, carefully selected precious woods, rare cedar, and saffron sourced from three distinct growing regions. From the delicate fragrance of flower petals to the rich complexity of ancient resins, every botanical is explored for its origin, aromatic character, and the unique qualities it contributes to our preparations.
A special place in our apothecary belongs to Afarsimon ("balsam of Judea"), the living botanical heritage explored in the preceding section. Personally cultivated by Uriel in Israel, its fragrant materials form part of every sacred anointing oil we create, bringing this historically treasured botanical into our contemporary preparations.
Ancient Knowledge. Modern Techniques.
The preparation of these extraordinary materials requires both ancient knowledge and modern precision. Uriel combines traditional botanical infusion, maceration, steam distillation, and slow extraction with advanced filtration and carefully controlled processing. Each technique is selected according to the nature of the individual botanical and the aromatic qualities he seeks to preserve.
Some materials are distilled to capture their volatile aromatic compounds, while others are slowly infused or extracted to preserve different characteristics of the original botanical. Delicate roses, Egyptian blue lotus, fragrant lilies, exotic flowers, dense woods, precious roots, rare spices, and complex resins each require their own approach. Certain ingredients demand carefully controlled temperatures, extended preparation periods, or specialized extraction techniques. Nothing is rushed simply for the sake of production.
A significant part of this work takes place in our own apothecary, where Uriel personally prepares, infuses, extracts, and distills many of the botanical materials used in his creations. Our sacred oils are created from genuine natural ingredients, without synthetic fragrance oils or artificial aromatic substitutes. Every fragrance begins with the original botanical material itself, whether resin, flower, wood, spice, root, or living plant.
Witness the Art of Our Apothecary
Our work does not remain hidden behind the finished bottle. Through our social media channels, we invite you into the world of One New Man Culture, where you can witness the preparation of our sacred oils through authentic photographs and videos filmed during the actual creation process.
From our living Afarsimon trees in Israel to precious frankincense and myrrh, rare flowers, Egyptian blue lotus, fragrant lilies, saffron, aromatic woods, and botanical resins, visitors can follow these extraordinary natural materials as they are prepared, infused, distilled, extracted, and transformed into our fragrant creations.
Watch traditional apothecary knowledge meet modern technology as we work directly with real botanical ingredients, carefully controlled temperatures, distillation equipment, and advanced filtration methods. Discover the individual character of our materials and the time, patience, and craftsmanship involved in their preparation.
What you see is our actual work, carried out with natural aromatic materials rather than synthetic fragrance oils. Our photographs and videos offer a closer look at the ingredients, preparation techniques, and craftsmanship behind our creations.
From saffron sourced from three distinct regions and precious Greek labdanum to rare cedar, genuine roses, Egyptian blue lotus, exotic flowers, the ancient ingredients of Pitum HaKetoret, and living Balm of Gilead cultivated in Israel, our work brings together centuries of aromatic tradition through ancient and modern apothecary techniques.
The earth provides the materials. Our hands prepare them. Ancient tradition and modern craftsmanship bring them forward. Together, they create what we call The Scent of Heaven.