Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 16:1

"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him." — Mark 16:1 (ASV)

When the Sabbath was over (about 6:00 P. M. Saturday evening), the three women mentioned at the Crucifixion (15:40), two of whom were also present at Jesus’ burial (15:47), brought aromatic oils to anoint the body of Jesus. The anointing was not for the purpose of preserving the body (embalming was not practiced by the Jews) but was an act of love and devotion, probably meant to reduce the stench of the decomposing body. Palestine’s hot climate causes corpses to decay rapidly.