The anointing at Bethany by Mary of Bethany.
The anointing at Bethany by Mary of Bethany is described in the Gospel of John and is also mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, though with some differences in detail.
According to John, six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, and a dinner was given in his honor. Martha served, Lazarus was among those reclining at the table, and Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus' feet, wiping them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
In Matthew and Mark, the anointing is also described as happening in Bethany, specifically at the home of Simon the Leper. An unnamed woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume from an alabaster jar, and this action was also defended by Jesus against objections, stating that the poor would always be with them but he would not always be with them. The event is significant as it is seen as a preparation for Jesus' burial and is often interpreted as a sign of Mary's deep devotion and understanding of Jesus' impending death.
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." - Matthew 26:6–13
