“When the Sabbath
Was over,
Mary Magdalene,
And Mary,
The mother of James,
As well as Salome,
Brought spices,
So that they might go
And anoint him.”
Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν.
There is no confusion about the day of the week when the empty tomb was first found. All 4 gospel stories have it take place after the Sabbath. Thus, this would have been the 3rd day since the death of Jesus on Friday. Luke, chapter 23:56-24:1, said that it was the women from Galilee who brought spices to anoint the body, but he did not mention Mary Magdalene. John, chapter 20:1, said that it was Mary Magdalene alone who came to the tomb. Matthew, chapter 28:1 had Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb on the first day of the week. In all these stories, there was either one or more women, no men, who came to the tomb. Mark mentioned 3 women. Mark said that when the Sabbath was over (Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου), Mary Magdalene (Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ) and the other Mary (καὶ Μαρία), the mother of James (ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου), as well as Salome (καὶ Σαλώμη) probably the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came to the tomb. This Salome may have been a sister of half-sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. These women brought spices (ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα), so that they might go and anoint Jesus (ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν). The idea of visiting a tomb or grave site would not have been out of the question, since this was a common practice.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 