The anointing of Jesus by the world

The Apocrypha does not directly report the anointing of Jesus, but the origin of the incense world by which he was anointed. According to the “ Arabian gospel of the childhood of the Savior ” after circumcision of Jesus, the midwife Salome took

... the foreskin (it is true, others say that she took the umbilical cord) and placed it in a vessel with ancient backgammon oil. But her son was a seller of incense, and, handing him the vessel, she said:
“ Beware of selling this bottle of incense backgammon, even if you were offered three hundred denarii for it .”
It was this same vessel that Mary the sinner bought and poured onto the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then she wiped them off with her own hair. ^[one]

Such a number of discrepancies have long raised questions among scholars of gospel texts. Currently, a significant portion of secular scholars believe that one or two real events in the life of Jesus are behind the gospel stories of the anointing. Most believe that this is the same anointing, the story of which was referred by the evangelists to different aspects of Jesus' life. In general, preference is given to the version of Mark, although the exact definition of time (Holy Week) and place (Bethany) is considered by most secular historians as a late addition. ^[2] Church tradition, in contrast, recognizes the credibility of the anointing message during Holy Week.

Some researchers ^[3] proposed the following solution to the problem:

• Matthew and Mark describe the same event, with Matthew relying on Mark's data
• Luke most likely talks about another ablution, which chronologically took place much earlier.
• John combines both stories, adding details from the ministry of Martha to him (from Luke 10: 38–42 )

Orthodox biblical archbishop Averky believes that there were two ablutions. ^[4] According to some accounts, this number reaches three.

Opinions of Church Fathers

Origen believed that there were a total of 3 anointings and 3 anointed ones, in chronological sequence:

1. an unnamed harlot in the house of Simon the Pharisee, in the Galilee, which is mentioned only in the Gospel of Luke;
2. Mary , the sister of Lazarus, in their house in Bethany, after the resurrection of Lazarus, but before entering Jerusalem, that is, on Saturday (Gospel of John);
3. another woman in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany on Holy Wednesday (Matthew and Mark).

Theophilact Bulgarian adhered to the same point of view. ^[5] Saint Jerome distinguished the sinner from the 7th chapter of the Gospel from Luke from the woman who performed the anointing in Bethany. St. Ambrose Mediolansky in “ Interpretation of the Gospel of Luke ” also distinguishes between the anointing in Galilee and Bethany, but refrains from making a final judgment about who performed them, saying that it could be the same and different women. Saint John Chrysostom admitted that Matthew, Mark, and Luke may speak of the same woman, but distinguished her from Mary, the sister of Lazarus. ^[6] St. Augustine ^[7] and St. Gregory Dvoeslov believed that there was one anointed, but two anointings ^{[8] [9]} , and Gregory Dvoeslov identified the anointed woman with Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. In 23 omilia, he says this: “ That which Luke calls his wife a sinner, and which John calls Mary, we believe that it was Mary, from whom seven demons were cast out according to Mark.” This identification was entrenched in Western tradition and was accepted by most Western medieval authors.

Jesus deciphers one of the meanings of this action himself - a woman prepares him for burial.

In addition, scholars indicate ^[3] that the very word “ Messiah ”, as Jesus declared himself, literally means “anointed one,” and the disciples could see in the act committed by the woman an echo of this rite.

Researchers also suggest ^[10] that the name of the woman is not mentioned in earlier gospels, but they tell in detail about the place of this event because in the eyes of the early Christians this event was more important than its performer. In particular, the significance of this preliminary anointing by the world was due to the fact that timely anointing, that is, anointing of the body of the crucified Jesus, was not actually performed during his burial. Matthew and Mark directly declare that Jesus was not anointed after his death, and Luke mentions that the disciples intended to anoint Jesus with peace, and only John testifies positively that Jesus was anointed in the grave with a lot of potions.

Despite the fact that most researchers are inclined to the primacy of the version presented by Mark, the most popular in the later Christian tradition, probably due to their theatricality, was the treatment of Luke, which features a sinner, washing her feet with tears and wiping them with her long luxurious hair. This primarily concerns the Western European Catholic tradition, which has another important feature - she considered Mary Magdalene a harlot and, at the same time, Mary from Bethany . Nowhere in the Gospels is this explicitly stated, but this identification made it possible to smooth out the ambiguity and turn the three protagonists of the evangelical story (a woman, a sinner and Mary from Bethany) into one.

Thus, although the name of Magdalen is not mentioned in any of the descriptions of ablution, she turned into his main character. Thanks to this story, luxurious hair has become one of its main attributes, as well as an alabaster vessel with the world.

The story of the anointing of Jesus by the world and the betrayal of Judah are the main themes of the liturgy of the Great Environment . The verses on “ Lord Cries ” contrast Judas' self-interest with the selflessness and repentance of the sinner, who washed her eyes with tears and anointed the Savior's feet with peace. The most famous of Stichera of the Great Environment is the latter, the author of which is the Monk Cassia :

Lord, even in many sins, the falling wife, Yours, who felt the Divine, took the rank of myrrh-bearing women, weeping the world, before the burial brings you: alas! I feel like a night’s incitement to fornication is unrestrained, but a gloomy and moonless repentance of sin. Accept my sources of tears, like clouds produce sea water. Having bowed to my sigh of heart, bowed the heavens with your unspeakable exhaustion: let me kiss your purest nose, and wipe away the packs of my head of hair, even in paradise Eve, by noon, having uttered my ears with noise, I hid my fear. Who are many of my sins, and of the fate of Your abyss? My soul, save my soul, but do not despise your slave to me, and have mercy beyond measure ^[11]

Transfer

A woman who has indulged in many sins, Yours, Lord, who has felt the Divine nature, as a myrrh-bearing woman, weeping, brings You peace before burial, saying: Oh, woe to me! The fire of unrestrained fornication, the gloomy and moonless night of sin. Lean against my heart's sighs, He bowed the heavens with your unspeakable exhaustion, but I kiss your pure feet and wipe them with my hair - the very feet whose steps Eve heard in paradise disappeared in fear. Many of my sins and the abyss of thy fate who will see? The Savior of my soul, having immense mercy, do not despise Your slave.

Suddenly, the theme of the anointing of Christ by the world appears in the liturgies of the East Syrian rite . Censing before reading the Gospel is preceded by a prayer: “May the aromas emanating from You, Lord, mix when the sinful Mary poured out the fragrant world on Your head with this incense that we bring to You for Your glory and for the forgiveness of our sins and transgressions ...” ^{[12 ]}

In the Orthodox icon-painting, washing the feet as a separate plot is not, although it can be found in hallmarks ^[13] . In addition, an analogy can be found in the iconography of Mary and Martha from Bethany , bowing to the feet of Jesus in scenes of the resurrection of Lazarus, which on some boards seem to anoint him ^[14] .

This plot is included in Western European art as an integral part of the iconography of Mary Magdalene. Although, if you wish, you can find several images of a woman anointing the head of Jesus, yet they are completely lost in the number of paintings with washing the feet.

Magdalene was portrayed as a beautiful woman, a harlot, in expensive robes and with luxurious untidy hair. She kisses the Savior's feet and spills them with tears. This plot is found in book miniatures, in easel painting, as well as in engravings, tapestries [1] and stained glass windows [2] [3] .

• Washing the feet of the disciples is another episode of the Passion , where Jesus, in turn, washes the feet of the apostles.
• Maria Magdalene

• Gallery and Gallery
• About discrepancies in gospel testimonies
• The Ministry of Mary of Bethany