What Spices Were Used In Jesus' Burial?
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 9, 2026 (Donate)
When someone is sentenced to be put to death on a cross, those
who cared were already preparing for their death and burial.[1]
Jesus was different. There were indeed many who cared—even if they were fearful
for their own lives.
But because of the sudden arrest, judgment, and immediacy of
the cross. Many weren't prepared for the sudden burial of Christ. Even so, the
burial of Jesus Christ involved a remarkable quantity of aromatic spices,
particularly myrrh and aloes. This was because a wealthy and respected man
stepped in at the last moment—Nicodemus.
These spices, like myrrh and aloes, were hard to come by and
thus, they were expensive. But they were fragrant, which helps mask the smell
of a rotting corpse. So certain spices were traditionally associated with the
dead.
What Does The Bible Say?
The Gospel of John probably provides the clearest account of
the spices used in preparing Jesus' body for burial. John 19:39-40 (NKJV)
records:
"And Nicodemus, who at first
came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about
a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of
linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury."
The passage reveals two main burial spices: myrrh and aloes.
However, it doesn't specify how much of each was used but we can do
some estimates.
How Much Was Used?
Nicodemus brought approximately 100 Roman pounds (Greek: litras)
of myrrh and aloes combined. A Roman pound weighed approximately 327 grams,
making the total about 32.7 kilograms, or 72 modern American pounds—if the
conversion ratios are correct historically.
This was an extraordinary quantity of burial aromatics. Such
an abundance meant it was costly. Nevertheless, the exact proportions are
unknown. For example, the mixture could have contained 50 Roman pounds of myrrh
and 50 Roman pounds of aloes; it could have been 90 Roman pounds of aloes and
10 Roman pounds of myrrh. But Scripture simply doesn’t say.
The 100 pounds refers to the combined weight of the
aromatic burial spices. They may have a variety of dried resins, oils (e.g., Song of Solomon 5:5), powdered
aromatics, and fragrant wood.
Then there are the spices that were never used—later brought but Christ had already resurrected. Consider Luke
23:56a (NKJV):
Then they returned and prepared
spices and fragrant oils.
We also read in Luke:
Now on the first day of the
week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with
them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. (Luke 24:1,
NKJV)
Mark 16:1-4 (NKJV) also reveals:
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they
might come and anoint Him. Very early in
the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when
the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the
stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that
the stone had been rolled away — for it was very large.
So the women came back to Christ’s tomb on early Sunday morning
bringing spices to anoint His body. After his initial burial, they prepared
spices and oils (remember, they were initially unprepared). Then, they came to the gravesite early in the morning with the spices they prepared.
We don’t know the quantity of spices they brought—it could have
been a lot. The ladies bought more spices besides what they initially mustered. Did they carry the spices, did they use
wheeled cart, did they use a donkey? We simply don’t know.
Did the women know that Nicodemus already used spices at the
last moment when Christ was wrapped in linens? Did they think they needed to
bring the full portion to treat a body? Or were they bringing supplemental
spices because the initial spices used may not have been enough since the job
was rushed as Sabbath approached? These are all good questions to which we may not know the answer this side of heaven!
What Was Myrrh?
Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin (i.e., harvested and dried
sap). We get it from certain trees of the genus Commiphora, especially Commiphora
myrrha. These trees grow in northeastern Africa and Arabia. So getting myrrh was rare
in Israel and had to be imported as great cost. Can you see why it was an
expensive gift given to Christ at His birth?
Myrrh has a distinctive bittersweet fragrance and was used
in perfumes, incense, for medicines (e.g., pain dulling), and obviously burial practices. Its
pleasant aroma helped mask the odors associated with death and decomposition of
the body.
Myrrh was very valuable and often associated with wealth and
royalty. Interestingly, myrrh appears at both the beginning and end of Jesus'
earthly life.
- Matthew
2:11: The Magi presented the young Jesus with gold, frankincense, and
myrrh.
- Mark
15:23: Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh before His crucifixion, but
He refused it.
- John
19:39: Nicodemus brought myrrh for Jesus' burial.
The myrrh presented by the Magi has traditionally been
understood as foreshadowing Christ's suffering and death, and specifically the Office
of the Prophets, who were often wrongly shamed and put to death.
What did Mary and Joseph do with Christ’s myrrh? Great
question. Is it possible it was saved and used for Christ’s burial? Though
it is a nice thought, the shelf life of dried myrrh is usually less than 5
years.
What Were The Aloes?
The aloes mentioned in John 19:39 were probably aromatic
wood, often identified with Agarwood (also called aloeswood ) or Aquilaria,
rather than the succulent Aloe vera commonly used today.
As a fragrant wood, it was highly prized. It could be ground
or shaved and was used in perfumes and burial preparations. Its smelly,
delicate fragrance complemented the aroma of myrrh.
Psalm 45:8 lists myrrh, aloes, and cassia with royal garments. Cassia is groups of flowering trees and some associate cinnamon-producing trees to this name as well. This shows an interesting biblical connection between fragrant substances and kingship or wealth. Christ is King of Kings after all.
Why Were These Spices Significant?
The spices are a way of honoring Jesus in death. Joseph of
Arimathea provided a new, unused tomb, while Nicodemus supplied an unusually
large quantity of costly burial spices.
The abundance of spices could be appropriate for someone of
royal importance. Whether the Romans realized it or not, as Jesus was mocked as
the King of the Jews during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:29, 37), His burial
included honors that could be considered royal and with dignity.
These preparations show that Christ’s followers genuinely expected
to bury a dead body and it remain in the grave. They weren’t preparing for His
resurrection.
The fact that spices were prepared and/or put on the body
also reveals the state of mind that the apostles and Jesus’ followers
anticipated. Yet, they failed to remember! Jesus Christ bodily rose from the dead
on the third day, just as He had foretold (e.g., Luke 24:6-7).
The burial spices reveal the love shown to Jesus in
honoring His body. But His empty tomb reveals His love for us and testifies
to His victory over death.
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
[1] Although
many poor criminals were likely short of those who cared for them and their
grave was likely a common pit as disposed of by the Romans.
