myrrhbearer

English

Myrrhbearers on Christ’s Grave, c. 1235 AD, Mileševa Monastery in Serbia

Etymology

From myrrh +‎ bearer.

Noun

myrrhbearer (plural myrrhbearers)

1. An individual mentioned in the New Testament who was directly involved in the burial or who discovered the empty tomb following the resurrection of Jesus.
   • 1982, Sunday Morning: A Time for Worship, The Liturgical Press, →ISBN, pages 60–61:

     The refrains of the myrrhbearers give the sense of this service: By the tomb stood an angel radiant in light, and thus did he speak to the myrrh-bearing women: […]

   • 2006, Meera Lester, The Everything® Mary Magdalene Book: The Life And Legacy of Jesus’ Most Misunderstood Disciple, F+W Publications, Inc.:

     In the Resurrection narrative of the Gospel of Luke, Mary Magdalene is a myrrhbearer and a messenger. She and the other women with her went to Jesus’ tomb and found the stone rolled away.

   • 2017, Katie Munnik, The Pieces We Keep: Stories for the Seasons, Wild Goose Publications, →ISBN, page 58:

     Some Churches celebrate Joanna and the other myrrhbearers on August 3rd.

Related terms

• myrrhbearing

Further reading

• Myrrhbearers on Wikipedia.Wikipedia