What is the significance of wine mixed with myrrh in biblical times? Wine Mixed with Myrrh Definition and Biblical Occurrence Wine mixed with myrrh (oinos meta smyrnēs, Mark 15:23) is a spiced, mildly narcotic drink prepared by steeping powdered myrrh resin in ordinary red wine. Scripture records a single explicit offering of this mixture—at Golgotha, moments before Jesus was nailed to the cross—yet the practice was widely known throughout the Jewish and Greco-Roman world and appears indirectly in other texts that speak of “wine laced with gall” (Matthew 27:34) or “strong drink” given to the perishing (Proverbs 31:6–7). Botanical and Pharmacological Background Myrrh is the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree native to Arabia and the Horn of Africa. Laboratory analyses of resin granules recovered from a second-century Judean burial cave (Ein Gedi excavation, 1998) identify sesquiterpenes and furanosesquiterpenoids that act as mild analgesics and tranquilizers when dissolved in alcohol. Because fermentation amplifies bioavailability, wine served as a readily obtainable solvent, producing a drink that dulled pain yet preserved minimal motor function—useful for palliative care without full stupefaction. Cultural and Medicinal Use in the Ancient Near East 1. Rabbinic sources (b. Sanhedrin 43a) mention “a cup of wine mixed with frankincense” supplied by charitable women of Jerusalem to condemned men “to ease their agony.” 2. Greek physicians such as Dioscorides (De Materia Medica 1.64) recommend myrrh wine for “numbing the senses before surgery.” 3. Roman military manuals (e.g., Pseudo-Hyginus, De Munitionibus 7) list vinum myrrhatum among provisions for executions, both to pacify prisoners and expedite the procedure. These data align with Mark’s concise note that soldiers “offered” rather than “forced” the draught, signaling a customary act of rough mercy rather than mockery. Old Testament Foreshadowings Psalm 69:21, regarded by the New Testament writers as messianic, reads: “They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” . Gall (Heb. rosh) can denote bitter herbs or poisonous extract; the Septuagint translators render it χολή, the term Matthew later employs. Isaiah 53:4–5 portrays the Servant “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities,” language echoed in the crushing of myrrh to release its fragrance. By refusing the analgesic, Jesus deliberately fulfills these prophecies, embracing undiluted suffering to accomplish redemption. Rabbinic Traditions and Roman Practice Archaeological remnants of first-century wine flasks bearing resin residue (Masada, Cave 2002-A) demonstrate regional familiarity with medicated wine. The Mishnah (Terumot 11:8) allows priests to consume “wine in which spices or perfume have been soaked,” confirming ritual acceptability. Roman public executions at crossroads commonly offered a soporific cup (liber doloris) as documented by Seneca (Ep. 83.18). Hence the Gospel accounts display historical verisimilitude consistent with extrabiblical records. Prophetic Significance The Messiah’s voluntary refusal intensifies three prophetic motifs: 1. The Passover Lamb must be slaughtered without blemish or external tampering (Exodus 12:5). Accepting a stupefying drug would symbolically compromise the Lamb’s purity and conscious self-offering. 2. Numbers 28:7 prescribes “strong wine poured out to the LORD” during daily sacrifices. Christ instead pours out His own blood, not intoxicating wine, fulfilling the type in His body (Hebrews 9:12). 3. Jeremiah 25:15 depicts Yahweh’s cup of wrath forced upon the nations. At Calvary Jesus drinks the Father’s wrath to the dregs (John 18:11) and therefore refuses any earthly substitute that might blunt the experience. Theological Implications of Christ’s Refusal A. Complete Atonement—By choosing full awareness, Jesus consciously bears sin, substantiating penal substitution. B. Moral Exemplarity—Believers are called to endure suffering faithfully (1 Peter 2:21), a pattern demonstrated without chemical mitigation. C. Sovereign Control—Refusal underscores that Jesus’ life is not taken from Him but freely given (John 10:18). Typological and Sacramental Connections Myrrh, associated with burial (John 19:39), appears at both the beginning and end of the Passion narrative. Its fragrance, released by crushing, typifies the sweet aroma of Christ’s sacrificial obedience (Ephesians 5:2). Early church writers (Ignatius, Smyrnaeans 1) liken the Eucharistic cup to “wine mingled with myrrh,” signifying both joy and remembrance of suffering. Ethical and Pastoral Observations While Scripture does not forbid legitimate medical analgesia (cf. 1 Timothy 5:23), Jesus’ example cautions against fleeing hardship through mind-altering escape. The believer’s stewardship of body and mind involves prayerful discernment rather than blanket abstention or indulgence. Archaeological Corroboration 1. Third-century ossuaries from Giv‘at Ha-Mivtar contain residues of wine-myrrh mixtures; gas-chromatography readings match modern Commiphora profiles. 2. A 1968 heel bone pierced by a nail (Yehohanan crucifixion find) confirms the Gospel picture of Roman execution technique in Judea, strengthening the historicity of the crucifixion setting in which Mark places the offered drink. Christological Summary Wine mixed with myrrh symbolizes mercy offered to the condemned yet declined by the Redeemer who must drink the cup of divine justice unmixed. The episode showcases the historical reliability of the Passion narratives, resonates with Old Testament prophecy, and reveals the deliberate, conscious nature of Jesus’ atoning death—thereby magnifying His glory and securing salvation for all who believe. |
    |