Mary Magdalene

Lore & Background

During the Patristic era, Mary Magdalene was mentioned only briefly by early Church Fathers, with her image evolving from a minor gospel figure to being conflated with other women in the Bible. Eventually she became viewed in Western Christianity, largely due to Pope Gregory I's influential 591 sermon, as a repentant prostitute, despite there being no biblical basis for this portrayal. Gnostic writings often portray Mary Magdalene as a prominent, spiritually insightful figure favoured by Jesus, challenging traditional patriarchal norms. The Eastern Orthodox Church has always viewed Mary Magdalene as a virtuous Myrrhbearer and 'Equal to the Apostles', distinct from other biblical women. The Catholic Church historically conflated her with the repentant sinner in Luke 7 but later emphasized her role as the first witness to the resurrection and honoured her as the 'Apostle to the Apostles'. Many alleged relics of Mary Magdalene, including her skull, a piece of forehead flesh, a tibia, and her left hand, are preserved in Catholic sites in France and Mount Athos, with notable displays and annual processions honouring them.

Reader's Guide

Historians, secular and religious alike agree that, like Jesus, Mary Magdalene was a real historical figure. Nonetheless, very little is known about her life. Unlike Paul the Apostle, Mary Magdalene left behind no known writings of her own. She was never mentioned in any of the Pauline epistles or in any of the general epistles. The earliest and most reliable sources about her life are the three Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which were all written during the first century AD. Mary Magdalene's epithet Magdalene probably means that she came from Magdala, a village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exorcised 'seven demons' from Mary Magdalene. Because Mary is listed as one of the women who supported Jesus' ministry financially, she must have been relatively wealthy. All four canonical gospels agree that several women watched Jesus's crucifixion from a distance, with three explicitly naming Mary Magdalene as present. Mark 15:40 lists the names of these women as Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother of James; and Salome. Matthew 27:55–56 lists Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joseph, and the unnamed mother of the sons of Zebedee. Luke 23:49 mentioned a group of women watching the crucifixion, but did not give any of their names. John 19:25 lists Mary, mother of Jesus, her sister, Mary, wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene as witnesses to the crucifixion. All four canonical gospels agree that Jesus's body was taken down from the cross and buried by a man named Joseph of Arimathea. Mark 15:47 lists Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses (not Jesus, explicitly identified as a different Mary) as witnesses to the burial of Jesus. Matthew 27:61 lists Mary Magdalene and 'the other Mary' as witnesses. Luke 23:55 mentions 'the women who had followed him from Galilee', but does not list any of their names. John 19:39–42 does not mention any women present during Joseph's burial of Jesus, but does mention the presence of Nicodemus.

Did You Know?

• The number seven in the 'seven demons' may be merely symbolic, since in Jewish tradition seven was the number of completion.
• Mary Magdalene always appears first whenever she is listed in the Synoptic Gospels as a member of a group of women, indicating she was seen as the most important among them.
• The earliest description of Jesus's post-resurrection appearances is a quotation of a pre-Pauline creed preserved by Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15.