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Who objected to this apparent waste of the ointment?
Matthew: “His disciples” ([xxvi, 8, 9]).
John: “Judas Iscariot” ([xii, 4, 5]).
These different versions of the anointing of Jesus present so many discrepancies that some have supposed that two or more anointings were made. The Archbishop of York, the most popular of Gospel harmonists, concedes that but one anointing was made.
After an exhaustive review of the case, Strauss says: “Without doubt, we have here but one history under three various forms; and this seems to have been the real conclusion of Origen, as well as recently of Schleiermacher.”