 
Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus.
John 11:1-2 "Now there was a certain man ailing, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha her sister. And Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with ointment and who wiped his feet with her hair."
 
Bethany, close to Jerusalem.
 
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Jesus stayed in Bethany when he visited Jerusalem. The gospel of Luke tells of Martha preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples. Both Luke and John's gospel tells how Jesus loved the two sisters and their brother. Jesus was living in Bethany when he started his public life. He was living somewhere and possibly with this family. When Lazarus fell ill the sisters sent a message to Jesus and expected him to come immediately. This suggests he was considered an extended family member. Also, like a brother, Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb.
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John 1:28-29...These things happened in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him.....1:35-39 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and saw Jesus walking. He said "Behold the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard this they followed Jesus. And turning, Jesus saw them and said. "What do you want?" They said "Rabbi (meaning Teacher) where do you live? He said to them. "Come and see". They therefore went and saw where he was living and remained with him the rest of the day, from about the tenth hour onwards.
John 11:1-36 c/f "Now there was a certain man ailing, Lazarus from Bethany of the village of Mary and Martha her sister....As their brother Lazarus was ill the sisters sent a message saying "Lord the one that you love is ill." ....Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus....Jesus told his disciples... Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep...Then he told them plainly... Lazarus died....When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him but Mary remained in the house.... Martha said to Jesus. "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.." ....she went away and called Mary her sister secretly saying "The Teacher is here and is asking for you. And when she heard this (Mary) rose quickly and came to him..."
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After the death of Lazarus there were Jews at the house and then at the tomb of Lazarus. They immediately reported back to the Pharisees and chief priests what happened there. These people were on familiar terms with both the family and the chief priests which suggests the family of Lazarus had the status of a leading Jewish family. Also, after Jesus was arrested an unnamed disciple followed with Peter then told a gate keeper to allow Peter into the inner court yard of the high priest. This disciple was part of both the inner ircle of Jesus and the inner circle of the chief priest. Who was he? Lazarus was loved by Jesus and had been brought back to life by him. One could expect him to follow closely when Jesus was arrested. The disciple telling the gate keeper what to do could have been Lazarus.
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11:19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, that they might console them concerning their brother..11:31 The Jews in the house with (Mary) who were consoing her, seeing that Mary got up quickly and went out, followed her thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
11:45.. Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and who had seen what he did believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. The chief priests and Pharisees therefore assembled a council and said "What are we going to do?"
18:15-17 And Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. The other disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the court yard of the high piest. But Peter stood at the door outside. The other disciple, known to the high priest therefore went and spoke to the portress and he brought Peter inside.
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If members of such a family married it would be expected they would marry within Jewish circles. It would be unthinkable for someone, especially a woman, to link up with a Gentile.
 
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Luke's gospel tells of soldiers asking John the Baptist how they should live? Greeks were asking after Jesus in the Temple. A centurion asked him to heal his servant etc.
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Luke 3:12-14 Also men serving in the army asked him (John the Baptist) saying "What may we also do?" And he told them "Do not intimidate anyone nor accuse them falsely and be satisfied with your pay."
John 12:20-21 Now there were some Greeks going up to the temple that they might worship at the feast. These therefore approached Philip, the disciple from Bethsaida of Galilee and asked him saying" Sir we wish to see Jesus."
Matthew 8:5-6 And when he entered into Capernaum, a centurion approached him and asked his help saying "Lord, my boy has been paralysed and is in great pain..."
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The fabric of Jewish society depended (and depends) on inter-marriage. If a member of a leading family broke this custom it would cause great scandal. Also, in the case of Mary, sister of Lazarus, it would cause such a stir amongst the Jewish establishment the very lives of Jesus and his close followers could be endangered. They would be blamed for this. Mary may have had a right to self-determination but not at the expense of others.
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7:36 And a woman in the city who was a sinner and who knew that he (Jesus) was reclining in the Pharisee's house brought in an alabaster box of ointment and standing behind him at his feet, she was weeping so much her tears began to wet his feet. She wiped these off with her hair and fervently kissed his feet and anointed him with the oinment. But seeing this the Pharissee who had invited him (Jesus) thought to himself "If this man were a prophet he would have known what sort of woman this is who is touching him and he would know she is a sinner...."
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Forgiveness would appear to the Jewish establishment that Jesus condoned what she did. His act of acceptance would make the chief priests more hostile than ever.
 
They probably expected people to "read between the lines." There were not that many options for sin for somebody like Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha. Also, out of politeness, they would avoid the topic - like people in the centuries to follow.
 
Mark does not say who the woman is. He does not say she was a sinner, nor was she asking forgiveness. Nor was there any great outpouring of grief on her part.
Mark's focus is on the anointing. There is a parallel here with the anointing of King David (c.a.1000 B.C.) by the prophet Samuel. There is an inference that it was the anointing that
triggered the betrayal by Judas. It appears there is special significance that Jesus was anointed by a female for this new kingdom.
Do writers to follow connect the feminine with the new kingdom?
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anoints