a wreath woven of nard blossoms

νάρδος, ου, ἡ (prob. a Semit. loanw. [HLewy, Die sem. Fremdwörter im Griech. 1895, 40], but ultimately of Indo-European orig. [Pers. nārdı̄n; Sanskr. naladâ])

① an aromatic plant from which oil of nard is derived, (spike)nard (En 32:1) a perennial herb of the Valerian family: Zohary 205, native to India (Onesicritus: 134 Fgm. 22 Jac.; Arrian, Anab. 6, 22, 5) στέφανος ἐκ νάρδου στάχυος πεπλεγμένος a wreath woven of nard blossoms ApcPt 3:10 (cp. Theophr., HP 9, 7, 2ff).

② an aromatic oil of the (spike)nard plant, extracted fr. the root (Nicander, Ther. 937, Alexiph. 402 νάρδου ῥίζαι), oil of nard (s. Peripl. Eryth. c. 39; 48; Diosc., Mat. Med. 1, 6, 75; Pliny, NH 12, 26; 13, 2; 4; PSI 628, 7 [III B.C.]; PEdg 69 [=Sb 6775], 5 [257 B.C.]; POxy 1088, 49; PGM 13, 19; 353; SSol 1:12; 4:13f) μύρον νάρδου ointment or perfume of nard Mk 14:3; J 12:3. In the latter pass. a pound of it is valued at 300 denarii=an average worker’s wages for a period of almost ten months (vss. 3 and 5). ILöw, D. Flora d. Juden III 1924, 482–88; SNaber, Νάρδος πιστική: Mnemosyne 30, 1902, 1–15; WSchoff, Nard: JAOS 43, 1925, 216–28; JBrown, The Mediterranean Vocab. of the Vine, VetusT 19, ’69, 160–64; New Docs 1, 85.—DELG. M-M. S. πιστικός 3.