The stories around the perfumes of the Bible are as abundant as the contemporary fragrances that are available. Identifying the ingredients used in biblical times is difficult when information and meaning is lost in ancient languages. Biblical perfumes might be expected to be made from natural products with the majority of ingredients from flower oils providing heart notes to the fragrances but although flowers are mentioned in the Bible it is never as part of a perfume. The biblical ingredients are base notes; their natural origins are either as defensive substances or as products of decay, which opens up an avenue of speculation as to why this is so! Aimed at a broad audience from chemists and general scientists to historians and those interested in religious studies also lay readers with an interest in exploring chemistry in the world of art and creative professions.