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「過了安息日，抹大拉的馬利亞和雅各的母親馬利亞並撒羅米，買了香膏要去膏耶穌的身體。」（馬可福音16： 1）
「七日的頭一日，黎明的時候，那些婦女帶著所預備的香料來到墳墓前。」（路加福音24：1）
每個民族對殮葬殯儀都非常重視，猶太人也不例外。他們從屍體的準備到葬禮都是由Chevra Kaddisha（ 或作 “神聖社會” ）一手包辦。Chevra Kadisha 是一群受過專門訓練的猶太人，他們會先依照死者性別來分配，男屍由男性專人、女屍由女性專人為死者清洗。這個莊嚴的淨化儀式叫做 “ Tahara”。Chevra Kadisha 在為死者做淨化的過程時，會遵循一套嚴格的規矩，邊朗誦禱告詞與詩篇邊進行儀式，讓死者歸回永恆的安息。猶太人認為，新生兒剛出生時會先洗淨身體才進入這個世界；相同的，當我們離開世界時，也應該尊重死者，讓他用一個乾淨、有尊嚴的身體去見他的造物主。
古代猶太人過世時，同樣也會先為死者清洗淨化屍體。清洗之後，會用細麻布從腋下開始，緊緊的往下包到他的腳踝，接著再把香料膏抹在布的縫隙之間。這些香料的成分大部分是沉香、沒藥、牛膝草、玫瑰油和玫瑰水。沉香沒藥在古代非常受重視，不只是因為它價值連城，它對屍體散發的惡臭味還有極強的掩蓋作用。這些混合香料有黏稠性，除了有防腐作用之外也可以把包屍體的布封密住。依照古猶太規矩，死者埋葬必須與人類居住的地區相隔一段距離。所以人死了之後，從家裡一直到被帶到墳墓之間，常常會有幾個小時的時間。這個香料可確保在整個入殮與葬禮的儀式過程中，不會讓參與者聞到不快的氣味。
我們都知道當人一死，身體會立刻腐爛。在很短時間內，屍體內部產生的氣體和化合物混合就會開始被分解，因此會散發出獨特的氣味──屍胺、腐胺、糞臭素、吲哚、硫化氫、二甲基二硫化物和三硫化物。這些成分會讓屍體散發出強烈的腐爛肉菜味、糞便味，霉味，蒜味跟臭雞蛋味，中東地帶將近30度的炎熱氣溫更是加快屍體腐化的速度，我們就可理解為什麼在聖經裡，上帝吩咐猶太人要視屍體為不潔淨的（參申21：23；民數記19：11-13）。不潔淨的身體除了細菌的繁殖之外，腐爛的惡臭味對死者也是極大的不敬。對古猶太人來說，如果屍體不被埋葬是一大恥辱，如申命記28：26 所形容 ：「你的屍首必給空中的飛鳥和地上的走獸作食物，並無人鬨趕。」可想知，死者如不能被安葬等於是一種咒詛。因此猶太人一般都會盡量在人死後24小時內殮葬。但唯一的例外就是安息日。
「當紀念安息日，守為聖日。」（出埃及記20： 8-11）是當年耶和華藉由摩西在西乃山上為以色列人頒布十誡的其中一誡。因為「到第七日，神造物的工已經完畢，就在第七日歇了祂一切的工，安息了。神賜福給第七日，定為聖日。」（創世記 2：2-3）人們六日工作，但第七日要歇下所有工作，並守這日為聖日。因此他們不能在安息日埋葬死人或準備香料，連為死人哀悼都要在安息日之前結束。也就是說，當耶穌的身體從十字架取下來後必須在安息日日落之前埋藏了，否則會衝突到安息日。
耶穌被埋葬之後所發生的事，引發了一些可探討的問題：
首先，上述的馬可福音和路加福音經節，都陳述這些婦女去耶穌墳前準備幫他膏香料。相信這些婦女很清楚，依照當時的猶太傳統，從亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起，死人都埋葬在由岩石切割或是天然的洞穴裡（創世紀 25：9；49：29-33；50：12）。這些婦女再怎麼強壯，再怎麼用當時最先進的工具，也不可能將1000-2000公斤重的大岩石從洞穴口挪開。她們卻一股熱忱，花了許多心血、時間跟金錢預備香料，清早爬起來，還走了一段長遠的路來做一件她們明知不可能做的事情。這就等於我們明知超商已經打烊了，還帶著菜籃跟錢包想去買菜一樣。既然這些婦女都知道洞穴的口會緊緊的被大石頭堵住，爲什麽她們還要去呢？
第一世紀的猶太人葬禮習俗是，人在死後，家屬會留在家裏服喪7天。這7天中如果你要離開家居場所，唯一會去的地方就是去墳墓邊紀念哀悼。在約翰福音11：31就有記載，當拉撒路死後，他的姐姐馬利亞離開家裡時，大家都以為他是要 “往墳墓那裡去哭。” 因此有人分析，其實這些婦人本來就知道她們在墳墓不會見到耶穌，她們只是要去墳墓邊哭。他們太愛、太想念耶穌了，她們只想去哪裡靠近耶穌來紀念、懷念他。她們真正想得到的是心理上的安慰。如果是這樣，為什麼要花精神跟金錢來準備香料，還大老遠把這麽重的東西帶在身邊？
其次，約翰福音19：38-39 記載「亞利馬太人約瑟... …把耶穌的身體領去。尼哥底母，就是先前夜裏去見耶穌的，帶著沒藥和沉香約有一百斤前來。他們就照猶太人殯葬的規矩，把耶穌的身體用細麻布加上香料裹好了。」既然耶穌的屍體都已經被亞利馬太人約瑟和尼哥底母都妥當處理完畢了，為什麼這些婦女還要預備更多的香料去添加在耶穌已經有香料的屍體上呢？
針對這一點，有學者分析，耶穌受難是安息日之前的預備日，也就是一週的第六日。等到耶穌的身體從十字架上被取下來時天已很晚。當時尼哥底母和約瑟可能在非常匆忙的狀況下，想趁還沒有日落之前，馬虎地幫耶穌洗身、裹布、膏香料，可能做得不夠週詳。這些婦女在知道這種情況之下感到很不忍心，決定親自補貼更多香料去來彌補尼哥底母和約瑟做得不夠完整的手續。但是聖經記載約瑟和尼哥底母為耶穌所做的可不是小事一樁。他們用了大量昂貴的香料來裹在耶穌的身上。一百斤的沒藥和沉香不是小數目，這等於現今的75磅左右，也就是幾乎35公斤的香料。如果耶穌的身軀是70公斤，加上香料，試想要處理一個100多公斤的屍體有多麼困難。一個不用心的人不太可能願意做這件事。何況聖經寫，他們是照著 “猶太人殯葬的規矩”處理耶穌的身軀，因此草率馬虎做這件事的可能性並不大。
其三，因為這些婦女必須等到安息日過了，在 “七日的頭一日，黎明的時候” ，也就是週日一大早才能去拜訪耶穌的墳墓。屍體擺放了兩三天的時間不算短。在約翰福音11章38-39記載了耶穌讓拉撒路從死裡復活的故事。當時耶穌到拉撒路的墳墓前，拉撒路的墳墓跟耶穌的墳墓一樣，是一個洞，也有一塊石頭擋著。耶穌當時吩咐人說：「你們把石頭挪開。」拉撒路的姊姊馬大對耶穌說：「主啊，他現在必是臭了，因為他死了已經四天了。」古人跟現代人一樣有常識，就算耶穌身上已經膏了香料，他身體的腐化和惡臭過程一定已經開始了，腐爛味道不可能沒有滲透出來。在正常情況下，一旦屍體被埋葬了，不會有人去挖出屍體，或是跑進去陵墓洞穴中拜訪死者。畢竟這個香料氣味的持久性不是為了已經在陵墓洞穴裡面的臭味而設計的。一旦岩石堵住了，除非是盜墓賊，不會有人隨便進去墓穴裡面的。既然這些婦女知道耶穌的屍體的腐爛已經進入第三天，她們為什麼想把自己置身在一個發臭、不衛生的環境？
最後，雖然耶穌在世時打破了當時猶太的傳統，他對婦女有相當的尊重。但第一世紀的古猶太人社會中，奴隸、小孩、婦女，一般都是屬於比較低賤的地位。女人有可能可以為自己的丈夫和兒子或直系親屬處理屍體、塗抹香料，但要為一位非直系親屬的成年男子處理身體，在沒有被死者的家人同意的情況下，這種做法恐怕不會被社會接受，也是不敬的。既然這些婦女知道她們的社會地位，為什麼還要冒自己聲譽之險，大膽的來做一件她們可能沒有權利做的事？
對此，有專家解釋，婦女之所以選擇黎明去看墳墓正是為了減少別人的輿論。可是不管有沒有人目睹她們摸黑中做的事，令人不解的是她們為什麼要讓自己不潔淨呢？在民數記19：11，耶和華吩咐以色列人「摸了人死屍的，就必七天不潔淨。」這些婦女既然如此遵照上帝所頒布 “安息日” 的教導，為什麼他們不遵守 “潔淨” 的教導呢？
總之，「耶穌的空墳墓」故事是基督教經聖的真理，是基督教信仰的根基。使徒保羅說：「若沒有死人復活的事，基督也就沒有復活了。若基督沒有復活，我們所傳的便是枉然，你們所信的也是枉然。」（哥林多前書15：13-14）其實空墳墓的重要性並不亞於婦女墳墓之行的重要性，因為如果沒有婦女，就沒有見證人；沒有人見證，話就傳不開；話沒傳開，耶穌復活不就被打了個問號了嗎？
但是，不管是從岩石堵陵墓、添加香料、拜訪腐爛屍體、婦女社會地位和潔淨規範的角度來看這件事情，她們這趟行程的理由都顯得有點牽強。尤其在四本福音書裡，四位作者對 “哪些婦人”、“幾個婦人” 去拜訪了耶穌墳墓，說法都不一致（參部落格：四福音問答題）。既然他們的敘述都不相同，再加上這些不太能成立的理由，為什麼福音書作者一定要把這些婦女搬到舞台上做故事的插曲呢？會不會是因為這些作者都有一個共識──“空墳墓需要見證人！” 會不會是因為耶穌的門徒都已經逃之夭夭了，婦女們便成為扮演 “見證人”角色的最佳人選，而“香料”也成為最佳道具？在“預備香料”成為最佳理由後，就可以順理成章把婦女帶到耶穌的墳前。有了婦女，「空墳墓」的故事就自然成立了。
雖然讀者對這一段記載，各有各的解釋。但至少大部分的人都能同意，四福音書對耶穌復活後發生的事情記載得非常少。婦女發現空墳墓是一座介於 “耶穌之死” 與“耶穌復活” 中間最重要的橋樑與轉折點。如果基督徒想要建立他們的信心在 “耶穌復活”上，是不是要先相信 “婦女發現空墳墓” 的記載是真實合理的呢？
The Spices and the Tomb
"After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought perfumed oils to anoint Jesus' body." (Mark 16:1)
"On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women brought the prepared spices to the tomb." (Luke 24:1)
Funeral and burial customs hold immense significance across all cultures, and the Jewish community is no exception. Every aspect, from the preparation of the deceased's body to the funeral itself, is meticulously handled by the Chevra Kaddisha, also known as the "Sacred Society." Comprising specially trained Jewish individuals, the Chevra Kadisha allocates gender-matched personnel to cleanse the deceased; men for male bodies, and women for female bodies. This solemn purification ritual is known as the "Tahara." Throughout the process of purification, the Chevra Kadisha adheres to a strict set of guidelines, combining recitations of prayers and Psalms with the ritual, guiding the departed towards eternal rest. Just as a newborn is cleansed before entering the world, the same reverence is extended to the departed, allowing them to meet their Creator with a clean and dignified body.
In ancient times, deceased Jewish individuals underwent a similar purification process. Following cleansing, the body was wrapped tightly in linen, starting from the armpits and extending down to the bare feet. Fragrant spices were then applied within the folds of the linen. These spices primarily included frankincense, myrrh, spikenard, rose oil, and rose water. The value of frankincense and myrrh extended beyond their rarity; they effectively masked the foul odor emitted by decaying bodies. These blended fragrances were not only adhesive and preservative but also sealed the linen wrapping. According to ancient Jewish traditions, burials needed to be at a distance from inhabited areas. Consequently, the journey from the home to the burial site often spanned several hours. The use of these spices ensured that participants in the entire embalming and funeral process would not be subjected to unpleasant odors.
We are aware that a deceased body immediately begins to decompose. Gases and compounds within the body mix and initiate decomposition, emitting distinct odors such as cadaverine, putrescine, indole, hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and trimethylamine. These elements result in strong odors resembling rotting meat, feces, mold, garlic, and rotten eggs. In the Middle East, where temperatures can reach nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the decomposition process is expedited. This understanding sheds light on why the Bible instructs the Jewish people to consider bodies as unclean (Deuteronomy 21:23; Numbers 19:11-13). Beyond bacterial growth, the stench of decay disrespects the deceased. To ancient Jews, not burying a body was a great dishonor, as articulated in Deuteronomy 28:26, "Your dead bodies shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away."
Therefore, it's customary for Jewish individuals to strive to bury the deceased within 24 hours of their passing, as a gesture of respect. However, there is one exception—
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11) This commandment was among the Ten Commandments given by God to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai. It is based on the notion that "on the seventh day, God completed His work that He did, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He did. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." (Genesis 2:2-3) While people work for six days, the seventh day is designated as a day of rest and sanctity. Therefore, on the Sabbath, they cannot bury the dead or prepare spices, and even mourning for the deceased must conclude before the Sabbath starts. In the case of Jesus, his body needed to be buried before the onset of the Sabbath at sundown after he was taken down from the cross, to avoid violating the sanctity of the day.
The events that unfolded after Jesus was buried give rise to several intriguing questions:
Firstly, why did the women go to the tomb? Both the passages from Mark and Luke indicate that these women went to Jesus' tomb to prepare spices for anointing his body. It's believed that these women were well aware of the Jewish tradition at the time, which involved burying the deceased in rock-hewn or natural caves, as seen since the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 25:9; 49:29-33; 50:12). Even though these women could not possibly move the massive stones, weighing between 1000 to 2000 kilograms, that sealed the entrance of the tomb, they showed remarkable zeal. They expended considerable effort, time, and money to prepare the spices, woke up early in the morning, and walked a considerable distance to do something they knew was practically impossible. It's akin to heading to a grocery store with a shopping bag and wallet, fully aware that it's closed. Since these women were aware that the tomb's entrance would be tightly sealed by a large stone, why did they still proceed?
In the first century Jewish funeral customs, when someone passed away, the family members would observe a mourning period of seven days, during which they would remain at home. If they left their home during these seven days, it was usually to visit the tomb to remember and mourn the deceased. In John 11:31, it's mentioned that after Lazarus died, his sister Mary left the house, and people assumed she was going "to the tomb to weep there." Therefore, some analysis suggests that these women likely knew they wouldn't encounter Jesus at the tomb; they simply wanted to mourn by the tomb. Their love and longing for Jesus were so deep that they only wanted to be close to him at the tomb to remember and honor him. What they sought was emotional solace. If this were the case, why would they go through the trouble of preparing spices, and even carry such heavy items a long distance with them?
Furthermore, why did they bring spices? In John 19:38-40, it records, "After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So, he came and took away his body. Nicodemus, who had first come to him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So, they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews." Since Jesus' body had already been properly handled by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, why did these women still prepare more spices to add to Jesus' body that already had spices?
Regarding this, some scholars speculate that the crucifixion of Jesus took place on the day before the Sabbath, which was the sixth day of the week. By the time Jesus' body was taken down from the cross, it was already late in the day. Joseph and Nicodemus might have been in a hurry to wash and wrap Jesus' body, anoint it with spices, and perhaps they did not perform these procedures meticulously. These women, upon knowing this, might have felt uneasy about the situation and decided to personally bring additional spices to compensate for the incomplete procedures performed by Joseph and Nicodemus. However, it's worth noting that what Joseph and Nicodemus did for Jesus was no small matter. They used a substantial amount of expensive spices to wrap Jesus' body. A hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes is equivalent to approximately 75 pounds today, which is nearly 35 kilograms of spices. Considering that Jesus' body weighed around 70 kilograms, the process of handling a body weighing over 100 kilograms, including the spices, would have been quite challenging. It's unlikely that someone who didn't care deeply would be willing to do this. Furthermore, the Bible states that they handled Jesus' body according to "the burial custom of the Jews," so the likelihood of them performing this task hastily and carelessly seems improbable.
Next, why were they willing to become ceremonially unclean? These women had to wait until after the Sabbath to visit Jesus' tomb "on the first day of the week, at early dawn." The body had been lying there for two or three days, which isn't a short period of time. In John 11:38-39, there's the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus approached Lazarus' tomb, which was similar to Jesus' tomb, a cave with a stone covering it, Jesus instructed them to "remove the stone." Lazarus' sister Martha said to Jesus, "By this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." Just like people today, the people back then understood that even if Jesus' body had been anointed with spices, the process of decay and putrefaction would have already begun, and the smell of decay would have permeated. Normally, once a body was buried, no one would dig it up or enter the tomb to visit the deceased. After all, the lasting aroma of these spices wasn't designed to counteract the odor that would already be present in the tomb. Once the stone was in place, only grave robbers might enter the tomb; people wouldn't casually go into a tomb. Since these women knew that Jesus' body had been decaying for three days, why did they want to place themselves in an environment that was smelly and unsanitary?
Furthermore, while Jesus broke with certain Jewish traditions during His lifetime and had a high regard for women, in the social context of first-century Jewish society, slaves, children, and women generally held lower status. Women might have been allowed to prepare and anoint the bodies of their husbands, sons, or close relatives, but performing these procedures for an adult male who wasn't a close relative and without the consent of the deceased's family would likely not have been socially acceptable and might have been seen as disrespectful. Knowing their social standing, why would these women risk their reputation and boldly engage in an action they might not have had the right to do?
Experts explain that the reason these women chose dawn to visit the tomb was to minimize public attention. However, regardless of whether anyone witnessed their actions in the dark, what remains puzzling is why they willingly made themselves ceremonially unclean. In Numbers 19:11, the Lord commanded the Israelites, "The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days." Since these women were so faithfully adhering to God's teachings about the Sabbath, why did they not follow the teachings of ceremonial cleanliness?
In summary, the story of "Jesus' Empty Tomb" is a foundational truth of Christianity and an essential pillar of Christian faith. The apostle Paul said, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:13-14) The significance of the empty tomb is no less important than the journey of the women to the tomb, for without the women, there would be no witnesses; without witnesses, the message wouldn't spread; without the message spreading, the resurrection of Jesus might be questioned.
However, no matter from the perspective of the stone covering the tomb, adding spices, visiting a decaying body, the social status of women, or adherence to cleanliness norms, the reasons for this journey by these women seem somewhat strained. Especially considering that in the four Gospel accounts, the descriptions of "which women" and "how many women" went to visit Jesus' tomb are inconsistent (please refer to the blog post: Four Gospels Q & A). Given that their narratives don't align and the reasons don't seem entirely convincing, why did the Gospel authors feel compelled to include this incident involving the women in their accounts? Could it be that these authors had a common consensus—the empty tomb needs witnesses? Could it be that since Jesus' disciples had already fled, the women became the best candidates to play the role of witnesses, and the spices became the perfect prop? After "preparing spices" became the optimal reason, it naturally followed that the women would be brought into the story of Jesus' tomb. With the women, the story of the "empty tomb" could then naturally take shape.
Although readers may have various interpretations of this passage, most would agree that the four Gospels provide very little detail about the events following Jesus' resurrection. The discovery of the empty tomb by the women is a pivotal and transitional point between "the death of Jesus" and "the resurrection of Jesus." If Christians want to establish their faith in "the resurrection of Jesus," perhaps they must first believe that the account of "the women discovering empty tomb” is true and reasonable.
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