Aphrodisiacs were known to people of the Middle East thousands of years ago. One episode involving aphrodisiacs is recounted in Genesis (Chapter 30, verses 14-17) where Leah exchanged aphrodisiac mandrakes with her sister Rachel for the right to sleep with Rachel's husband, Jacob:

14. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

Mandrake is also mentioned in the Song of Solomon(7:13), which is translated into English (King James version) as:

The mandrakes give a smell and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved (Scripture Text)

It is not clear from the passage what kind of smell the mandrake gives, but it is best described as 'peculiar' while the fruit is highly regarded in spite of the smell. Mandrake is in the same family as tobacco, the tomato, potato, and the aphrodisiac goji berry. The aroma of mandrake fruit was believed to drive away evil spirits.

Danger, Will Robinson! There are several plants refered to as mandrake. The mandrake of the bible is believed to be Mandragora officinarum. The root of this plant has been used as an anaesthetic and an overdose is quite deadly (Socrates was sentenced to death and drank Mandrake to carry out the punishment). Along with opium, mandrake root was historically a primary medicine for acute pain.

A liquer from the mandrake fruit is made by Micha Linn of Kibutz Mishmar Haemek in Israel. The fruit contains little or none of the toxic alkaloids found in the root, and may contain other ingredients that affect the libido.

American mandrake (Podophyllum) is botanically and chemically distinct from the mandrake of the bible. American mandrake does have some medical properties (primarily burning off warts, and as an experimental cancer treatment), but it is very caustic and not advised except under supervision.

Aphrodisiacs are also discussed at greater length in the Kama Sutra, a minor sacred text of the Hindus.