Spikenard

[JohnR7]

"The fragrant root of spikenard, or "nard" as it is sometimes called, is still used in herbal remedies today, but has been partially forgotten in our time. It has antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore can be used to heal wounds or skin conditions. The scent is reputed to be calming and sedating. Spikenard may have immune system boosting qualities and properties similar to ginseng, but more research needs to be done on this herb before internal use."

http://www.angelfire.com/ut2/egyptherb/spikenard.html

John 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

The Greek word used for Spikenard, means a very pure, unadulterated form of it. I am told you can buy it that way today, but it is very expansive. It would cost you about $100 for a dose and we have other drugs that are a lot cheaper that they use today in modern medicine. Of course a cheap form that is not highly purified, you could buy for five or six bucks.

 

[lucaspa]

Originally posted by JohnR7
[Bhttp://www.angelfire.com/ut2/egyptherb/spikenard.html

John 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. [/B]

So?  John, what's the point?  People are going to empirically find plants with pharmacologic activities.  After all, originally modern drugs were derived from the purified active components of plants.  And several of these are mentioned in the Bible as being known to the people of the time.  This is an interesting bit of trivia, but did you mean it to have a larger point? 

 

[JohnR7]

Originally posted by lucaspa
This is an interesting bit of trivia, but did you mean it to have a larger point? 

Not really, everyone makes a big deal about how Judas threw a fit over how much the "perfume" cost. But actually it was more than just a perfume, it was a drug that in it's purest form calmed the nerves and actually reduced some of the pain he was going to feel when he was beaten and nailed to the cross.