by Sara Parvis

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the women of Easter are called the Myrrh-bearers. They are celebrated as such on the second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday in the West).

They come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, only to find the tomb empty, and to see someone – a young man, two angels, Jesus himself – who tells them he is risen. How many women are in the group varies from Gospel to Gospel.

Dr Sara Parvis is a senior lecturer in Patristics at the University of Edinburgh.