Some say it was Kaneh Bosem. There is no question that cannabis was used in Jewish rituals at their holiest of temples. The plant originally came west from India.
Luke was an investigative reporter. He wrote what others had witnessed/experienced and told him. By the time Luke wrote his account, the baby Jesus was a “young child” and was living in a house so that could be why his account is different.
The word Matthew used ‘olibanum’ - translated frankincense is an “aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from the trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae.” (from wiki)
It is thought that they came from Arabia, if that is so, they traveled West.
Frankincense is found in the East Indies – Arabia. Myrrh was also a product of Arabia and it comes from a tree like frankincense. They would have brought the baby Jesus the best that they had, which would have been gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Frankincense and myrrh might be more along medicinal gifts?
Whatever the reason, it had to hold a very high value for the people bringing it.
From the article I posted:
About 2,000 years ago, frankincense was mainly prized for its use in religious ceremonies as incense, as most varieties have a woody, musky scent thanks to a group of chemicals in the resin called terpenes. At the time, thousands of tons were shipped from Africa around the Mediterranean, to India, and even as far as China, making frankincense one of the most lucrative commodities.
“Back then, Somali frankincense — Boswellia frereana — was the variety that was most traded,” Ali told Live Science. “In Arabic, it’s called Asli, which means ‘the original’ or ‘the first,’ and it’s thought to be the one that was presented to Jesus.”
I believe this to be very accurate, especially if Kaneh Bosem was involved.
The New Testament was written and translated from different languages than the Old Testament, so it could just be as simple as the interpretation of the time.
Myrrh, Cinnamon, Kaneh Bosem (incense?), Cassia, and Olive Oil were extremely important plants for extremely important people.
That brings us to the second occasion it was mentioned in the New Covenant Scripture “…most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts…” The Revelation 18
Frankincense was mentioned with other costly things.