ALABASTER

The name of small perfume vaselike vessels originally made of a stone found near Alabastron, Egypt.

However, cases made from genuine alabaster were used for the more costly ointments and perfumes, like those with which Jesus was anointed on two occasions​—once in the house of a Pharisee in Galilee (Lu 7:37) and once in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany.​—Mt 26:6, 7; Mr 14:3.