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In John 19:39, we read that Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of (34 kg) mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. That is more than half the body weight of an average man of those days. Going by today's standards, 34 kg was on the higher side. ( As per biblestudylessons.com ,the value of the mix , as per present-day market rates would have been between 150 and 200 Thousand dollars !) It is possible that, as Sabbath was ensuing, Jesus' friends wanted to compensate for the lack of opportunity to anoint the body by adding an abundant measure of spice mixture at the burial. It is also possible that they had taken, in right earnestness, Jesus' foreword of the resurrection and wanted to preserve the body at any cost. Unfortunately, John does not explain, but the very fact that the Evangelist mentions the exact weight of the mixture suggests that it was more than what was ordinarily required.

As per traditions, did Nicodemus use an unusually large quantity of spice mixture to anoint Jesus' body on burial? Inputs from scholars of any denomination are welcome.

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    Addendum : We need to rule out the possibility that Nicodemus did not use the entire 34 kg mixture, but kept some as reserve for Sabbath day. Here we have Lk ,24:1 saying that the ladies prepared spices before setting off to the tomb on Sunday morning. The said preparing may have been done Saturday night after end of Sabbath time.
    – Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
    Commented Aug 4, 2023 at 2:58
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    "But the very fact that the Evangelist mentions the exact weight of the mixture, implies that it indeed was extraordinary." Does it? This is the same author who mentioned how many fish they caught. Maybe it's not extraordinary at all.
    – curiousdannii ♦
    Commented Aug 4, 2023 at 3:07
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    Thanks, curiousdannii. John comments that even with 153 large fish, the net was not torn. It is believed that the disciples netted the fish Tilapia which is a fresh- water fish ,not habitual of moving in shoals. As such, capturing of 153 of them in one go , was a matter of record. As for the significance of 153, if taken as a symbol, there are many including Augustine of Hippo who speak for such an interpretation.
    – Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
    Commented Aug 4, 2023 at 7:32
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    (Speculation, so not an Answer.) The tomb was newly constructed and perhaps it was used only as a convenient temporary emergency morgue. Large amounts of spice in the tomb (not wrapped with the body) would help prevent contamination so that after the body is moved to its permanent resting location this tomb will still be relatively clean and new. At that time, these bulk unprepared spices could also be removed and later reused for others (in much smaller amounts). That is why the women prepared more spices, so that the body could be properly washed and rewrapped with their new spices.
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Aug 4, 2023 at 21:22
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    Ray Butterworth, your ' speculation' is as good as fact ! When Jesus said that he had no place to lay his head on, he must also have meant his would- be- tomb. And he knew, he would have to 'rent it' only for a day or two ( if the check-in time was 6.00 pm )
    – Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
    Commented Aug 5, 2023 at 3:58

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Did Nicodemus use an unusually large quantity of spice mixture to anoint Jesus' body on burial?

This was definitely a large amount to anoint Jesus’ body. The Gospels do not say if he used the entire amount. So how much Nicodemus actually used on the body of Jesus is actually unknown.

If λίτρας in John 19. 39 is meant to be a dry measure then the amount is about seventy-five pounds because the Roman pound was about twelve ounces. Even if λίτρας is meant to be a liquid measure this is a large amount of spices.

The large amount that Nicodemus and Joseph took was definitely a sign of their great love and respect for Jesus: It was a kingly amount for a king’s burial! This is explained here: Nicodemus and His Spices (John 19.39)

Did you catch the amount of spices Nicodemus brought to the burial? Normal Jewish burials called for five pounds of spices — an amount typically on hand in a Jewish household. Seventy-five pounds was an extraordinary amount — the quantity used to bury royalty. - An Unusual Thing Happened on the Way to Jesus’ Burial

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  • Thanks, Ken Graham. Please let the readers know your own views, too. As for the prospects of Nicodemus having kept some spice as reserve, kindly refer to Lk 24:1.
    – Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
    Commented Aug 5, 2023 at 4:08
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    @KenGraham - Thanks for the links, I've filed Barry Shafer's words away for perhaps my next "coffee morning" talk!
    – Andrew Shanks
    Commented Aug 5, 2023 at 9:17
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Large Amount Consider that the disciples, Nicodemus and Joseph, knew that Jesus had a large following during His ministry, and like funerals of famous people, very many people who knew and heard Jesus teach, would be coming to pay their last respects at the tomb. Remember that "crowds" followed Jesus on His itinerant teaching journeys---much more than the Twelve...the Seventy...the women from Galilee.

Also consider that all those people could not show up at the Tomb until several days later because of the Sabbath day's journey limitations of the Pharisees. So, to make it halfway decent (bearable smell), this amount of preservatives would be needed to keep the tomb from becoming too rank. Without refrigeration or embalming the corpse of Jesus would quickly deteriorate. The two men were wisely thinking ahead.

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    You have a point, ray grant. I have seen this custom during a few burials: all those who attend the burial take turn to drop a small measure of frankincense ( almost always arranged for by the the family of the deceased person) in the grave after the coffin is deposited and before the grave is covered. This practice may have borrowed it's origin from a Jewish custom.
    – Kadalikatt Joseph Sibichan
    Commented Aug 5, 2023 at 12:54

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