Spices, or fragrant substances
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Exod. 30:23; Song of Songs 4:10), whose use was very varied, such as: nard, myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, aloes, cassia, and others. For the most part, aromatic substances were made up of a mixture of various fragrant essences: sometimes in the form of a fragrant powder for burning, sometimes in the form of an ointment for anointing the body, etc. (Prov. 7:17; Luke 23:56). Some of the aromatic substances were native to Palestine, others were brought into Judea from southern Arabia and India.
The spices mentioned in the Gospel of Mark (14:3) simply mean the fragrant myrrh used for pouring on the head and anointing the feet of honored guests (Luke 7:37, 38). Among the aromatic substances of biblical times are many that, even at the present day, form the subject of considerable trade between Europe and Asia. Fragrances were especially used among the Jews for the burial of the dead. Hebrew women wore small perfume flasks at their girdles and anointed their bodies with them (Esther 2:12).