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Armstrong now dwells on the question of the spices --

According to Mark 16:1, Mary Magdalene and her companions did not buy their spices to
anoint the body of Jesus until after the Sabbath was past. They could not prepare them un-
til after this -- yet after preparing the spices they rested the Sabbath day according to the
commandment! (Luke 23:56).

Study these two texts carefully.

There is only one possible explanation: After the annual high-day Sabbath, the feast day
of the days of Unleavened Bread -- which was Thursday -- these women purchased and
prepared their spices on Friday, and then they rested on the weekly Sabbath, Saturday,
according to the commandment (Ex. 20:8-11).

A comparison of these two texts proves there were TWO SABBATHS that week, with a
day in between. Otherwise, these texts contradict themselves (ibid., p.13).

William Dankenbring, in his article, also follows this line of reasoning:

This was the end of Nisan 14. The high holy Sabbath drew nigh, when they then cele-
brated. Luke continues:

And they returned, AND PREPARED SPICES AND OINTMENTS..." (v. 56).

This must have taken some time -- probably hours. They would have had to go to the
market probably, purchase the spices, and then prepare them for use. They would have
done this after the high holy annual Sabbath, Nisan 15, on which "no servile work could
be done." Therefore, since the holy day was from Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset,
and since all markets would be closed during the night, this means that they would have
done these things during the daylight hours of Friday. We continue with Luke's account:

...and [they] rested on the sabbath day according to the commandment (v. 56).

This would have been the weekly Sabbath -- the second Sabbath of that awesome week.

Luke then continues the story, as follows:

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepul-
chre, bringing the spices which they had prepared..." (How Long Was Jesus Christ in the
Grave?)

These conclusions reached by Armstrong, Dankenbring and others are TOTALLY
UNTENABLE because NOWHERE do the gospels suggest that two Sabbaths intervened (one after
another, with a day in between) between the day of the crucifixion and that of the resurrection. The
whole scenario about the spices has once again been taken right out of context and twisted, pulled,
pushed and stomped on to fit the Wednesday-Saturday myth that these people are trying to

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