The History of Herbs

The history of herbs goes way back to as early as the beginning of time. In the book of Genesis (the first book of the bible) chapter 1:30-31 God speaks about the herb which he has given us as meat.

Also, in some Old Testament books, herbs like caraway, wheat, mandrake and barley were mentioned, and as civilization developed, and the history of herbs was studied more frequently, so did man's knowledge of the use of herbs.

In ancient times, men use herbs in various ways, which we in a much more civilized time today might find some of them very strange, these include:

√ herbs used as medicines

√ as food

√ in cooking to flavour food

√ as a preservative for meats

√ help to keep down the odour of people who bath irregularly

√ to purify the air

√ to purify water

√ used to make dye

√ as disinfectants

√ as currency, instead of money

√ as a perfume

√ to ward off evil

√ to make crafts

√ in rituals and ritual baths

√ to make cosmetics

Herbs in Ancient Civilizations

In ancient times, herbs such as dill and laurel were used by Romans and Greeks as crowns, they also used dill to purify the air. Herbs were also used to preserve and flavour food since no refrigerator existed then. Some herbs were used for medicinal purposes, even though many herbs were not discovered of its use.

Herbs is said to be the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind. Some herbs were used by the Pagans to pay homeage to their deceased, and see them safely off on their journey to the land where they will await rebirth. They also use it to help them deal with the fact that their loved one has left. This was one of their belief.

The purpose of the ritual baths performed in those days were done to cleanse oneself from inside out. Some cultures also used herbs like angelica root to protect against unwanted spirits, as an incense to perfume houses, and when burnt it is said to let out a calming scent.


Herbs in Modern Civilizations

Most of the purposes that herbs were used for in ancient days still exist. That is why the history of herbs plays such a fundamental role. Some which are not in use today include herbs been used as money instead of currency, been used to purifying the air, purify water, less commonly used as a preservative and in ritual baths. Instead of the herb itself used as perfume and disinfectant, the extract is used along with other ingredients. Herb extract is also used to make products like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hair treatments, deodorant, man made medicine and much more products.

Today, people are looking for ways to improve their health, and most people see using more herbs as the way to do it. Whether by cooking, using as tea, juicing or other ways, to either cure or prevent diseases or just improve their overall bodily function. You can too, with the valuable information available about herbs and spices, trust me, its worth it. I Hope you enjoyed reading about the history of herbs.

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