Parfumul uleios de nard era așa de scump pentru că era o raritate. Era adus din munții Himalaia, dintre India și China:

„(Heb. nerd), a much-valued perfume (Cant. 1:12; 4:13, 14). It was „very precious”, i.e., very costly (Mark 14:3; John 12:3,5). It is the root of an Indian plant, the Nardostachys jatamansi, of the family of Valeriance, growing on the Himalaya mountains” – from Net.Bible