Scholars see that during the time of anointing at Bethany, ointment of pure nard was used, which according to them, was an aromatic oil native to India(Eng. spikenard).
But Greek name for this nard is nodos, and it is derived from the Persian nardin, they have pointed out. This nard, in reality, refers to the Indian nadi means ‘river’; the literature reads bHagigah ‘witnessed’ the action against Jesus at this place of anointing, which means this Bethany became the place where both spiritual and the political life of Jesus met the love and apathy of both the people and the king at the last part of his life; and English translation which ‘witnessed’ this scene referring to ‘stones and boards of a man’s house against him’, is out of place here in this narratives.
Hebr bHagigah or ‘bHa-gigah’ stands for the sacred river Ganges known to biblical authors as Gaga from which the term Gaza has been derived by modern scholars. In ancient times, Gargas or Gargis was name of a clan who were living on the bank of this river. We find a dynasty in this name much before the time of Jesus . The other name used here refers to one Beth-phage which certainly marks Bagha(should not be translated as the ‘Tiger’); at certain point of its lower stream, and another place near Bethany referred to here is Beth-Vara(Jgs 7:24). The latter term is found in the Avesta as well as in Indian puranas.
Jesus feet were ‘anointed’ means his feet were ‘washed’ in the sacred water of the Ganges. In the OT we find ‘the head of a king was anointed’ here (2 Kgs 9:1-13; 1 Sm 10:1); this implies that sacred waters were sprinkled on king’s head. Mt considers this action as those of the ‘devotees’; the term ‘disciples’ is not the right one to explain the ‘action’ happening at Bethany. In Jn 12:4, these devotees are mentioned as ‘Judas’ (Iudah), and perhaps, this is the most appropriate term for such sacred acts in those times which witnessed large public gathering.
The meaning of the action of the devotees during the festive time of the year has been expressed through the Gk pistikos ; it is related to pistis, means a special type of ‘offering’ to the ‘ancestors’. It is called by the locals as ‘pistaka’. Both Pali and Sanskrit texts also know this word as ‘Madhu-pistaka’; It is one type of sweet ‘cake’. Here ‘madhu’ also stands for ‘honey’. Anointing appears in all the four Gospels.
Aram talya delaha is wrongly understood by biblical scholars; its meaning cannot either be ‘servant of the God’ or the ‘Lamb of God’, and it has nothing to do with ‘banishing the world’s sin’ as observed by biblical scholars to expand the scenes at Bethany to meant ‘apocalyptic message’.
Talya delaha is the name of a place at the lower stream of the river Ganges below Bethany, and this marks the ancient settlement of the Hasti clans or the biblical Elephantine(wrong English translation). Its other name was Dalhe also known as Hastinapur. Most of the ancient texts mention that this town has been washed away by the flood of the river Ganges. And this disaster in popular term has been described as ‘sin’. This, perhaps, has made the people, and also a tradition has been sue motto evolved out fear of death to pacify the anger of God. This finds a place in popular belief to worship the city’s ancient site in such memory of the devastation.