Historical Figures Codexery

Mary Magdalene

A prominent follower of Jesus, witness to his crucifixion and resurrection, and a historical figure venerated across Christian traditions.

Mary Magdalene was a historical figure who traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.[1][2] Scholars, both secular and religious, accept her as a real person from the first century.[3][4] Very little is known about her life, and she left behind no known writings of her own.[4]

Quick Facts

Titles
  • Apostle to the Apostles
  • Equal-to-the-Apostles
  • Myrrhbearer
Birthplace
Possibly Magdala, Roman Judea
Feast day
22 July
Canonized
Pre-Congregation

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Her epithet "Magdalene" probably means she came from Magdala, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee.[5] The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus exorcised "seven demons" from Mary Magdalene.[6] All four canonical gospels agree that several women watched Jesus's crucifixion, with three explicitly naming Mary Magdalene as present.[7] The Vatican formally repudiated the false image of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute in 1969.[8][2]

The Gospel of John describes Mary Magdalene making two trips to the tomb; on her second visit, she became the first person to see the resurrected Jesus.[9][10] According to the Gospel of John, Jesus sent Mary Magdalene to announce his resurrection to the other disciples, a role that has led some Christian traditions to call her the "apostle to the apostles."[10] Pope Gregory I's Easter sermon in 591 merged Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and the unnamed "sinful woman" from Luke 7:36–50, initiating the portrayal of her as a prostitute.[11][2]

What the cited sources add

John Rivera's article states that there are 14 mentions of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament, and none indicate she engaged in prostitution or adultery.[8] According to Rivera, Sister Chris Schenk has encouraged women to celebrate Mary Magdalene's feast day on July 22.[8] The BBC account explains that the Catholic Church did not declare Mary Magdalene was not the penitent sinner until 1969.[2]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mary Magdalene, the clichés", BBC, Religions, July 20, 2011 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Mary Magdalene, the clichés", BBC, Religions, July 20, 2011. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
  3. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schrader, "The Meaning of "Magdalene": A Review of Literary Evidence", Journal of Biblical Literature, 2021-12-01, p. 751–773 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006; Haag 2016; Casey 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Casey 2010; Ehrman 2006; Casey 2010; Ehrman 2006; Maisch 1998; Casey 2010; "3137. Maria or Mariam", Strong's Concordance; Casey 2010; Casey 2010; ; Casey 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006; Ehrman 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "John Rivera, "Restoring Mary Magdalene" in "Worldwide Religious News", The Baltimore Sun, April 18, 2003", Wwrn.org, April 18, 2003. facts only, no text reused. wwrn.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hinkle 2003; Ehrman 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ehrman 2006; Hinkle 2003 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Mary Magdalene" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schenk, "Crispina and her sisters: women and authority in early Christianity", Fortress press, 2017, p. 11; "Mary Magdalene, the clichés", BBC, Religions, July 20, 2011; Meyers 2000, p. 122 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Mary Magdalene (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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On Sacred Atlas: Mary Magdalene