Mary, mother of Jesus
First-century Jewish mother of Jesus, venerated across multiple faiths.
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Mary, a first-century Jewish woman from Nazareth, was married to Joseph and became the mother of Jesus. Across Christianity, she is honored with many titles—virgin, queen, and Mother of God—several of which appear in the Litany of Loreto. In Islam, she holds the highest status among all women, is frequently named in the Quran (which includes a chapter titled after her), and is also venerated in the Baháʼí and Druze faiths. The synoptic Gospels identify her as Jesus’ mother, while Matthew and Luke describe her as a virgin who conceived through the Holy Spirit.
She gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, raised him in Nazareth, was present at his crucifixion in Jerusalem, and remained with the apostles after his ascension. Although the Bible does not cover her later life, many Christian traditions—Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Protestant—believe her body was taken into heaven at death, known as the Assumption in the West and the Dormition in the East. Veneration of Mary dates to early Christianity, and she is often regarded as the holiest saint.
Christian
Major Christian traditions vary in their Mariology and devotional practices: the Catholic Church and some Oriental Orthodox churches hold dogmas like the Immaculate Conception and bodily assumption, while many Protestants emphasize scriptural roles. Lutheran confessions affirm the virgin birth, the title Theotokos, and perpetual virginity. Marian devotions include prayers, hymns, feast days, veneration of images and relics, church dedications, and pilgrimages to shrines.
Names and titles
Over centuries, believers have reported many apparitions and miracles attributed to her intercession. She has been a frequent subject in Byzantine, medieval, and Renaissance art. Her name in New Testament manuscripts derives from the Hebrew Miryam, rendered in Greek as Maria or Mariam, with the English form Mary coming from the Greek. In Christianity, she is commonly called the Virgin Mary due to the belief that the Holy Spirit impregnated her without sexual relations with Joseph, though the word “until” in scripture has sparked debate about whether they later had other children.
In Christianity
Titles include Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Mother of God, Theotokos (God-bearer), Our Lady, and Queen of Heaven—the last previously used for goddesses like Isis or Ishtar. Orthodox Christians use Theotokos, Aeiparthenos (ever-virgin), and Panagia (all-holy). The Council of Ephesus in 431 recognized Theotokos, and its Latin equivalents are Deipara and Dei Genetrix, though often translated as Mater Dei. Some titles have scriptural basis, such as “Queen Mother,” rooted in the Hebrew tradition of the Gebirah.
In Islam
Others arise from reported miracles or appeals. In Islam, Mary is called Maryam, mother of Isa, and honored as Sayyidatuna (Our Lady), Siddiqah (truth-confirmer), Qanitah (devout), and Tahirah (purified), reflecting her status as one of two humans untouched by Satan. The Quran describes her as “daughter of Imran” and “sister of Aaron,” linking her to Miriam from the Hebrew Bible.
Lore & Background
The synoptic Gospels name Mary as the mother of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit. After giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, she and her husband Joseph raised him in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, and she was in Jerusalem at his crucifixion and with the apostles after his ascension. Although her later life is not accounted in the Bible, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Protestant traditions believe that her body was raised into heaven at the end of her earthly life, known in Western Christianity as the Assumption of Mary and in Eastern Christianity as the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Mary's name in the original manuscripts of the New Testament was based on her original Hebrew name מרים (Miryam), transliterated as Maryam or Mariam. The English name Mary comes from the Greek Μαρία, a shortened form of the name Μαριάμ. In Christianity, she is commonly referred to as the Virgin Mary, in accordance with the belief that the Holy Spirit impregnated her, thereby conceiving her first-born son Jesus miraculously, without sexual relations with her betrothed Joseph.
Among her many other names and titles are the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, the Mother of God, the Theotokos, Our Lady, and Queen of Heaven. In Islam, Mary is known as Maryam, mother of Isa. She is often referred to by the honorific title 'Sayyidatuna', meaning 'Our Lady', and also called 'Siddiqah', 'Qānitah', and 'Tahira'. In the Quran, she is described both as 'the daughter of Imran' and 'the sister of Aaron' and Moses, alluding to Miriam from the Hebrew Bible, though a Hadith from Muhammad explains that title is metaphorical.
Reader's Guide
Mary has been venerated since early Christianity and is often considered to be the holiest and greatest saint. There is a certain diversity in the Mariology and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church and some Oriental Orthodox Churches hold distinctive Marian dogmas, namely her Immaculate Conception and her bodily assumption into heaven.
Many Protestants hold various views of Mary's role that they perceive as being in accordance with the Scriptures. The Confessions of the Lutheran Churches have taught the virgin birth, Theotokos, and perpetual virginity. The multiple forms of Marian devotions include various prayers and hymns, the celebration of several Marian feast days in liturgy, the veneration of images and relics, the construction of churches dedicated to her and pilgrimages to Marian shrines. Many Marian apparitions and miracles attributed to her intercession have been reported by believers over the centuries.
She has been a traditional subject in arts, notably in Byzantine art, medieval art and Renaissance art. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Methodist churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the Mother of God. The Church of the East historically regarded her as Christotokos, a term still used in the liturgy of the Assyrian Church of the East.
Did You Know?
- Mary is mentioned numerous times in the Quran, including in a chapter (surah) named after her.
- The earliest New Testament account of Mary is in the epistle to the Galatians, where she is referred to as 'a woman' and is not named.
- In the Gospel of John, the adult Jesus addresses Mary as 'Woman', which in Koine Greek was not disrespectful and could even be tender.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Mary, mother of Jesus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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