TimCallahan
Philosopher
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- Mar 11, 2009
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An interesting aspect of the gospels is that they all have pericopes. A pericope (pronounced: per-ih-CO-pay) is a story that, while being part of the gospel, is complete in itself, such as the story in the Gospel of John (though apparently added to it after the gospel was written) of the woman taken in adultery. The word "pericope" is derived from two Greek words, the prepositional prefix peri, meaning "around," and a word meaning "to cut." Thus, a pericope is a "cut around," a story that can be cut out from the narrative and stand on its own as an independent tale.
The four canonical gospels all contain different versions of a pericope often referred to as that of the "anointing woman." In all versions of the tale, Jesus is a guest at someone's house and is sitting or reclining at supper. A woman comes up behind him and anoints either his head or feet with ointment. The act is rash and presumptuous, since a woman would not ordinarily have the right to anoint someone. Somebody, either the host, the disciples or a particular disciple, condemns the woman for the act; but Jesus reproves them (or him) and praises the woman. In other words, he flouts tradition and propriety to champion an open act of generosity.
In Mark and Matthew, the same story is told (Mk. 14:3 - 9; Mt. 26:6 - 13) Two days before the Passover, Jesus and his disciples are having supper at the home of Simon the leper (actually, the probably refers to any scaly skin disease, such as psoriasis), in Bethany. An unknown woman comes in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, breaks it open and pours it over Jesus' head. Some of the disciples are indignant, saying, "Why was the ointment wasted? It could have been sold for more than 300 dinarii and the money given to the poor." Jesus says, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me." He goes on to say she has anointed him beforehand for burial, then adds that they will always have the poor with them, but they won't have him with them much longer. He adds that wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be told in memory of her. After this incident, Judas goes out to the chief priests to betray Jesus.
Luke changes the story considerably (Lk. 7:36 - 50), putting it earlier in the ministry of Jesus at an unnamed town, at the home of Simon the Pharisee, and making the act all the more scandalous, since the woman - often conflated with Mary Magdalene - is a "sinner" (Gr. hamartolos), with the clear indications she's a prostitute. She is obviously penitent, since when she comes in she is weeping. She wets his feet with her tears and wipes them dry with her hair, then kisses his feet and anoints them with ointment. Jesus' host, Simon the Pharisee says to himself that Jesus couldn't be a prophet, or he wouldn't allow the woman to touch him, for she is a sinner. Jesus responds to him, telling him a parable of a creditor and two debtors, one owing him 500 dinarii and one owing him 50 denarii. When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which one, Jesus asks, does Simon think will love the man more. Simon says the one who owed more, and Jesus says he's correct. Then Jesus says to Simon that when he entered Simon's house, he didn't give him water to wash his feet, but the woman has wet his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. He says that Simon didn't greet him with a kiss, but the woman hasn't ceased kissing his feet. Then he says that though her sins are great, she is forgiven.
John seems to have taken something from both of these versions. He sets the story again in Bethany, this time six days before Passover, at the house of Lazarus, whom he has raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary (Jn. 12:1 - 8). Mary of Bethany takes a pound of pure nard (i.e. spikinard, imported from India), which is very costly, anoints Jesus' feet with it and wipes them with her hair. Judas says, "Why wasn't this ointment sold for more than 300 dinarii and the money given to the poor." John adds that Judas really didn't care about the poor and that he was a thief. Jesus defends Mary, again saying, as in Mark and Matthew, "Let her alone," and also saying, let her keep the ointment for his burial, adding that the they always have the poor with them, but they won't always have him.
For those who see the gospels as, to any degree, historical, I'd like to ask what they see as the historicity of this incident. Did all three of these anointings take place? Did it happen once, then get retold different ways? If so, which of these versions is the true one? Or, do you think, even though you take the gospels as basically historical, that the entire story was made up?
The four canonical gospels all contain different versions of a pericope often referred to as that of the "anointing woman." In all versions of the tale, Jesus is a guest at someone's house and is sitting or reclining at supper. A woman comes up behind him and anoints either his head or feet with ointment. The act is rash and presumptuous, since a woman would not ordinarily have the right to anoint someone. Somebody, either the host, the disciples or a particular disciple, condemns the woman for the act; but Jesus reproves them (or him) and praises the woman. In other words, he flouts tradition and propriety to champion an open act of generosity.
In Mark and Matthew, the same story is told (Mk. 14:3 - 9; Mt. 26:6 - 13) Two days before the Passover, Jesus and his disciples are having supper at the home of Simon the leper (actually, the probably refers to any scaly skin disease, such as psoriasis), in Bethany. An unknown woman comes in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, breaks it open and pours it over Jesus' head. Some of the disciples are indignant, saying, "Why was the ointment wasted? It could have been sold for more than 300 dinarii and the money given to the poor." Jesus says, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me." He goes on to say she has anointed him beforehand for burial, then adds that they will always have the poor with them, but they won't have him with them much longer. He adds that wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be told in memory of her. After this incident, Judas goes out to the chief priests to betray Jesus.
Luke changes the story considerably (Lk. 7:36 - 50), putting it earlier in the ministry of Jesus at an unnamed town, at the home of Simon the Pharisee, and making the act all the more scandalous, since the woman - often conflated with Mary Magdalene - is a "sinner" (Gr. hamartolos), with the clear indications she's a prostitute. She is obviously penitent, since when she comes in she is weeping. She wets his feet with her tears and wipes them dry with her hair, then kisses his feet and anoints them with ointment. Jesus' host, Simon the Pharisee says to himself that Jesus couldn't be a prophet, or he wouldn't allow the woman to touch him, for she is a sinner. Jesus responds to him, telling him a parable of a creditor and two debtors, one owing him 500 dinarii and one owing him 50 denarii. When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which one, Jesus asks, does Simon think will love the man more. Simon says the one who owed more, and Jesus says he's correct. Then Jesus says to Simon that when he entered Simon's house, he didn't give him water to wash his feet, but the woman has wet his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. He says that Simon didn't greet him with a kiss, but the woman hasn't ceased kissing his feet. Then he says that though her sins are great, she is forgiven.
John seems to have taken something from both of these versions. He sets the story again in Bethany, this time six days before Passover, at the house of Lazarus, whom he has raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary (Jn. 12:1 - 8). Mary of Bethany takes a pound of pure nard (i.e. spikinard, imported from India), which is very costly, anoints Jesus' feet with it and wipes them with her hair. Judas says, "Why wasn't this ointment sold for more than 300 dinarii and the money given to the poor." John adds that Judas really didn't care about the poor and that he was a thief. Jesus defends Mary, again saying, as in Mark and Matthew, "Let her alone," and also saying, let her keep the ointment for his burial, adding that the they always have the poor with them, but they won't always have him.
For those who see the gospels as, to any degree, historical, I'd like to ask what they see as the historicity of this incident. Did all three of these anointings take place? Did it happen once, then get retold different ways? If so, which of these versions is the true one? Or, do you think, even though you take the gospels as basically historical, that the entire story was made up?
