By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Archeologists have found unopened vases of aromatic oils dating from the first century AD in the ancient Palestinian town of Magdala, from where Mary Magdalene gets her name.
According to a report in the Telegraph.co.uk., archaeologists of the Franciscan academic society Studium Biblicum Franciscanum found the unopened vases conserved in mud at the bottom of a swimming pool in Magdala, a town located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Speaking of the discovery Fr. Stefano De Luca, who is leading the dig, said: “The mud-filled condition of the site allowed us to find these truly extraordinary objects, which were intact and sealed and still contain greasy substances.
“We think these are balms and perfumes and if chemical analysis confirms this, they could be similar to those used by Mary Magdalene in the Gospels to anoint the feet of Christ.
“The discovery of these vases is very important. We have in our hands the cosmetic products from the time of Jesus. It’s very likely that the woman who anointed Christ’s feet used these products, or ones similar in organic composition and quality.”
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