Jennifer Rothnie Supporter Housewife, Artist, Perpetually Curious

An 'alabastron' is a container, vial or box of perfume. The name coming from Alabastron, Egypt, where a soft white marble could be found. Egyptian alabaster is also known as onyx-marble. Originally alabastrons were made from this marble, as it was ideal for keeping the scent of the fragrance inside intact. Later, alabastrons were made from many materials (gold, glass, clay, glass thread, silver, ivory, etc). 

The usual form was a sort of a long, narrow necked necked vase or flask with no handles. Some were decorated quite ornately. Alabastrons were designed to preserve the odor of the fragrance for a long time if sealed (some were said to have lasted for centuries). Other alabastrons had stoppers instead of seals, to allow the perfume to be used daily. For the sealed ones, the perfume was meant to be used all at once when the seal was broken. This made sealed alabastrons ideal for inclusion in a woman's dowry as the perfume would keep, or to break the seal and use at a burial. 

There are several accounts in scripture of women annointing Jesus with perfume, some of which reference an 'alabaster box' (the alabastron). 

Mary annointed Jesus' feet in Bethany with a pint of nard 6 days before Passover (John 12:1) - nothing is said about whether this perfume was stored in an alabastron or not. Regardless, it would have been expensive. When Passover was only two days away, Jesus was in Bethany again, in the home of Simon the Leper. Here, a woman broke an alabastron (or it's seal) and poured the entire contents on his head. (Mark 14:1-11, Matt 26:1-13). This was an immensely expensive gift (an entire flask of perfume, plus the jar itself), but it was rich in symbolism for his upcoming burial.

Earlier in his ministry and long before his last Passover, Jesus had been anointed by another woman with an alabastron. (Luke 7:36-Luke 8:3) This was in the home of a pharisee, and this woman 'had lived a sinful life'. She wet His feet with her tears and poured perfume on his feet (we don't know how much, it might have been an alabastron with a stopper). Unlike later when he compares the women's actions to preparation for burial, here he speaks of the woman's great love. Her actions were of deepest repentance and adoration, wheras even Jesus' host had failed to give even surface hospitality.

July 26 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The Bible speaks of an alabaster box in the two incidents involving women, one of whom was Mary of Bethany, who brought ointment in the box to anoint Jesus. The Greek word translated "alabaster box...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report