Sister Dana...
When Christ came to be anointed by a woman at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany, two days before the Last Supper, he chided the chiding disciples, among them Judas, saying that what she has done will be told in remembrance of her wherever the Gospel is proclaimed in the whole world (
Matthew 26.13;
Mark 14.9; see also
Luke 7.36-50, who had the event be earlier and in Galilee;
John 12, who had it be six days before Passover). Jesus' words echo
Psalm 44.8,18, which had described the anointing with the oil of gladness, then stated to the bride of the marriage, 'I will make your name to be remembered from one generation to another; therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever'. Jesus added, in three of the accounts, that this anointing by the woman was in preparation for his burial (
Matthew 26.12;
Mark 14.8;
John 12.7).
In Judaism it was forbidden for a lay person to make or apply such chrism, which is olive oil mixed with myrrh and balm (
Exodus 30.22-33). The tale of the anointing of Christ by a sinful woman occurs in all four Gospels, albeit with differences. That tale is followed by the 'idle' one (
Luke 24.11) of the women, including Mary Magdalene, coming to the tomb with spices to anoint and embalm the corpse of Christ (
Matthew 27.55-28.10,
Mark 15.40-16.8 and shorter ending,
Luke 23.55-24.11,
John 20.1-2, 11-18), who thus become the first (though not legal), witnesses to the Resurrection. John, Jesus and whoever Mary was, whether the Magdalene or the sister of Martha and Lazarus or another, and the other women who followed Jesus from Galilee, supporting the disciples out of their resources (
Luke 7.1-3), ministering to them, made it possible for all Israelites, women as well as men - and later all Gentiles - to be a priestly people consecrated to God.
Jesus' band, with John's before his, changed the rules, reversing hierarchies into liminality, Jesus' band even including women. John and Jesus together instituted a powerful Messianic reform of Judaism back to its earliest theocratic principles - which was resisted utterly by those who stood to lose from that reform, those who had gained privileges, wealth and power from the fear and corruption that conquest brings, such men as the privileged Priests and Scribes, and even from those normally opposed to them, the Pharisees, who, in this instance, colluded with them in plotting to destroy their critic and judge, Jesus.
(Praxis)
Although we may not always agree with every author it is interesting and helpful to get an insight to customs regarding women of those days.
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