The rose, Hebrew VERED, is mentioned in Rabbinic literature, and in
the Apocrypha. The rose's identity has been consistent since the times
of Ben Sira. There were four species of roses that grew wild in the
Land of Israel, R. phoenicia and R. canina being the most important.
In the 19th century, before the new Jewish settlement, the most common
species were R. centifolia and R. damascena, both used today in the
production of essential oils.
The rose was used primarily for its fragrance, being crushed in a carrier oil, the most common being olive, in order to absorb its odor. The rabbis would refer to "pleasant oil", meaning aromatic oil. According to the Talmud, rose [infused] oil was used by nobility to ease aching muscles. The rabbis debated whether this was a medicinal use of the oil.
Rosewater was another use of this flower, as it is in the Middle East down to the present.
Notes relevant to this article will go here.