Spikenard

Spikenard (Hebrew: nerd; Greek: nardos pistike) was a costly aromatic ointment extracted from the root of the Indian plant Nardostachys jatamansi, imported from the Himalayan foothills to the Mediterranean world via trade routes. It was "very precious" (Mark 14:3; John 12:3), indicating its great commercial value. It appears in the Song of Solomon as a luxury fragrance associated with the beloved's intimacy (Song 1:12; 4:13–14).

The most significant New Testament appearances are the anointing accounts: at Bethany, a woman (identified as Mary in John 12) broke an alabaster jar of spikenard worth approximately a year's wages and poured it on Jesus's head or feet. Judas's protest at the "waste" prompted Jesus's defense of the act as a preparation for his burial and a memorial that would accompany the gospel proclamation everywhere (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9). The gesture's extravagance was the point: the love it expressed exceeded any economic calculation.