During the days of Jesus, Sandarac was known as "gold" and is considered by some to be the gold given to the baby Jesus.
Sandarac or Avar trees grow in Morocco and yield a resin called sandarac or gum juniper, which is valued for incense burning. Its warm, balsamic fragrance is calming and relaxing.
Sandarac can be burned to neutralize negative energy and illness-causing tension. Because the resin creates a great deal of smoke, other ingredients are usually mixed with it. Folk recipes combine coriander seeds, benzoin and mastic.
Sandarac is often used as a fixative in woody or oriental perfumes. Its name derives from the Assyrian words for "as bright as the moon." Aristotle thought that bees produced it.
