"... he was in Beit-Anyah at the bais of Shimon the leper, reclining at tish, and an isha (woman) came, having an alabaster flask of costly perfume, pure nard, and having broken open the alabaster flask, she poured [it on] the head of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. Now some were there who in ka’as (anger) said to one another, for what reason has this waste of ointment taken place? For this was able to be sold for more than three hundred denarii and to be given to the aniyim ..." [Bible:OJB:B’rit Chadasha:Mark14]
300 denarii was considered to be over a year’s income. Today, the equivalent might buy a 20 second commercial advertisement on prime-time TV. Or it might make a significant contribution to a charity for the homeless.
What would you spend it on?
[Thread courtesy of Nemo, thanks.]
[863:3177]
7 comments:
'value' is in the eye of the beholder ?
Yeah, sometimes people are worth it. But extravagence isn't always the norm.
why did this woman pour the perfume on Jesus' head? did his hair smell bad?
Have you never had a facial?
I think it was all a lavish act of devotion. One gospel says head the other says feet, so it was probably a full body job. The act of pouring perfume on the feet was more of an unusual act and would certainly have raised eyebrows in that culture. Cleaning feet was a servants work and here some young chick was rubbing expensive perfume in to Jesus' feet, very bizarre almost kinky.
do we know anything about the woman? who she was?
Well if you read the passage in John's Gospel and assume it's the same occasion it's Mary of Bethany? Is this the same woman as Mary of Magdala, I'm not sure. There is an annointing episode in Luke, but that is definitely a different annointing.
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