Mary of Magdalene
Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross
West: Penitent East: Myrrhbearer and Equal of the Apostles
Born	unknown, Magdala?
Died	unknown, Ephesus, Asia Minor or Marseilles, France[1]
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Eastern Orthodox Anglican
Feast	22 July
Attributes	Western: alabaster box of ointment, long hair, at the foot of the cross[2] Eastern: container of ointment (as a myrrhbearer), or holding a red egg (symbol of the resurrection); embracing the feet of Christ after the Resurrection
Patronage	apothecaries; Atrani, Italy; Casamicciola Terme, Ischia; contemplative life; converts; glove makers; hairdressers; penitent sinners; people ridiculed for their piety; perfumeries; pharmacists; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; tanners; women[2]
Saints Portal

Mary Magdalene is described, both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted disciple of Jesus. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half The term Myrrhbearers ( Greek: Μυροφόραι Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы mironosiţe refers to the women who came An equal-to-the-apostles ( Greek:, isapostolos; Latin: aequalis apostolis; întocmai cu Apostolii равноапостольный ravnoapostolni Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings Each Saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct Minerals Gypsum (a hydrous sulfate of Calcium) and Calcite An ointment is a viscous semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Atrani is a town and Comune on the Amalfi Coast in the Province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy Casamicciola Terme is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 30 km southwest A glove ( Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of Garment (and more specifically a Fashion Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain Forgiveness from the one wronged In spiritual terminology piety is a Virtue. While different people may understand its meaning differently it is generally used to refer either to religious devotion Perfume is a mixture of fragrant Essential oils and Aroma compounds Fixatives and Solvents used to give the human body animals objects and living Pharmacists are Health professionals who practice the art and science of Pharmacy. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such tends to lead a person to Regret New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings of the early Christian church that give accounts of the teachings of Jesus, aspects of the life of Jesus accounts In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) She is considered by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches to be a saint, with a feast day of July 22. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of She is also commemorated by the Lutheran Church with a festival on the same day. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Orthodox Church also commemorates her on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, which is the second Sunday after Pascha (Easter). The term Myrrhbearers ( Greek: Μυροφόραι Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы mironosiţe refers to the women who came Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year.

Mary Magdalene's name identifies her as "of Magdala" — the town she came from, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee — and thus distinguishes her from the other Marys referred to throughout the New Testament. Magdala ( Aramaic מגדלא Magdala or Hebrew מגדל Migdal, meaning "tower" is the name of at least two places The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת) (Arabic بحيرة طبريا)

The life of the historical Mary Magdalene is the subject of ongoing debate, while the less-obscure development of the "penitent Megdalene", as the most beloved medieval female saint after Mary, both as an exemplar for the theological discussion of penitence and a social parable for the position and custody of women,^[3] provides matter for the social historian and the history of ideas. An exemplum (Latin for "example" pl exempla, exempli gratia = "for example" abbr Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession A parable is a brief succinct story in Prose or verse, that illustrates a Moral or Religious lesson The history of ideas is a field of Research in History that deals with the expression preservation and change of human Ideas over time

Contents 1 New Testament references 2 Identification with Mary of Bethany and "the woman sinner" 3 Identification as a prostitute 4 Veneration 4.1 In the East 4.2 In the West 4.3 Mary as a penitent 5 Easter Egg tradition 6 Gospel of Mary 7 Relationship with Jesus 7.1 Metaphysical marriage 8 Cultural references 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links

New Testament references

In Luke 8:2-3 Mary Magdalene is mentioned as one of the women who "ministered to Him [Jesus] of their substance". The same passage also refers briefly to an act of exorcism performed on her, on an occasion when seven demons were cast out. These women, who earlier "had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities", later accompanied Jesus on his last journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:41; Luke 23:55) and were witnesses to the Crucifixion. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Mary remained there until the body was taken down and laid in a tomb prepared for Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion In the early dawn of the first day of the week Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Gospel of Peter 12), came to the sepulchre with sweet spices to anoint the body. "Mom" "Mum" and "Mommy" redirect here James son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Peter was a prominent passion narrative in the early History of Christianity, but over time passed out of common usage The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races They found the sepulchre empty but saw the "vision of angels" (Matthew 28:5). None of the four Gospels gives an inclusive or definitive account of the Resurrection of Jesus or of his appearances The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel As the first witness to the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene went to tell Simon Peter and "the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved" (John 20:1–2) (gaining her the epithet "apostle to the apostles"), and again immediately returned to the sepulchre. None of the four Gospels gives an inclusive or definitive account of the Resurrection of Jesus or of his appearances The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon She remained there weeping at the door of the tomb. According to John she was the first witness of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus, though at first she did not recognize him. The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension When he said her name she was recalled to consciousness, and cried, Rabboni. Most scholars believe that historical '''Jesus''' primarily spoke Aramaic, with some Hebrew and Greek, although there She wanted to cling to him, but he forbade her: John 20:17 "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God. "'"

This is the last mention in the canonical Gospels of Mary of Magdala, who now returned to Jerusalem. She is probably included in the group of women who joined the Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:14).

Identification with Mary of Bethany and "the woman sinner"

Tradition as early as the third century (Hippolytus, in his Commentary on Song of Songs) identifies Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and with the woman sinner who anointed Jesus' feet^[4]:

"And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. For places named after the saint see Saint-Hippolyte Saint Hippolytus of Rome (c In the Gospel of John, Mary of Bethany ( Hebrew מרים Miryām, Miryam "Bitter" "^[5]

Though the woman remains unnamed, she has been identified with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and the resurrected Lazarus (Luke 10:38–42 and John 11:1–2), as John 11:1–2 says:

Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and Martha her sister. Saint Martha ( Judæo-Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ "The lady" was the sister of Lazarus Lazarus ( Hebrew: אלעזר Elʿāzār Eleazar "God (has helped" is the name of two separate men mentioned in the New Testament. And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.

The identification of Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and "the woman who was a sinner" is reflected in an influential sermon Pope Gregory I gave in 591, which said: "She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary [of Bethany], we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark. "

Though Gregory's identification of all three women as the same Mary was generally accepted in the West, the Catholic Church celebrates Mary Magdalene on her feast of 22 July as the woman of that name "to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, not as the sister of Saint Martha nor as the sinful woman whose sins the Lord forgave (Lk 7:36-50). Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of "^[6] The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1910 also stated that "there is no suggestion of an identification of the three persons (the 'sinner', Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany). The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia " Eastern Orthodox Christians distinguish them all as three different persons: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (whom the Orthodox commemorate on 4 June, together with her sister Martha), and the unnamed "woman who was a sinner" of Luke 7:36-50. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Protestants mostly reject all these identifications, except for Seventh-day Adventists, who consider the three women to be the same. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance They also believe that Jesus was the one who cast the seven demons out of her.

Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. (…) It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. (…) It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour. ^[7]

They believe she’s mentioned differently in the passages that talk about a woman anointing Jesus’ feet in Simon’s house (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8), in order to reflect the change of character, "distinguishing her" from the Mary that she was before^[8]. It wouldn’t be the first time a Bible character is mentioned differently in order to reflect a change of character (e. g Saul that became Paul). Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and

Identification as a prostitute

Mary Magdalene is often referred to as a prostitute, but she was never called one in the New Testament. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money.

Jeffrey Kripal, a religion scholar, wrote, "Migdal was a fishing town known, or so the legend goes, for its perhaps punning connection to hairdressers (medgaddlela) and women of questionable reputation. Jeffrey J Kripal (Ph D University of Chicago, 1993 is the J Newton Rayzor Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at This article deals with the modern settlement for the ancient village see Magdala. This is as close as we get to any clear evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute"^[9]. According to Kripal, the identification of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute also goes back to the above mentioned sermon by Pope Gregory^[10].

In this sermon, Gregory identified Mary as peccatrix, a sinful woman, using her as a model for the repentant sinner, but he did not call her meretrix, a prostitute.

However, he also identifies Mary with the adulteress brought before Jesus (as recounted in the Pericope Adulterae, John 8), supporting the view of 3rd and 4th century Church fathers that had already considered this sin as "being unchaste". The Pericope Adulterae (pəˈrɪkəpi əˈdʌltəri in anglicised Latin)is a traditional name for a famous passage ( Pericope) about an adulterous woman— The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Sexual abstinence is the practice of voluntarily refraining from some or all aspects of Sexual activity.

Gregory's identification and the consideration of the woman's sin as sexual later gave rise to the image of Mary as a prostitute.

This viewpoint is also espoused by much Western medieval Christian art. In many medieval depictions, Mary Magdalene is shown as having long hair, which she wears down over her shoulders, while other women follow contemporary standards of propriety by hiding their hair beneath headdresses or kerchiefs. The Magdalene's hair may be rendered as red, while the other women of the New Testament in these same depictions ordinarily have dark hair beneath a scarf. This disparity between depictions of women can be seen in works such as the Crucifixion paintings by the Meister des Marienlebens. The Master of the Life of the Virgin, in German the Meister des Marienlebens, (working c 1463 — c

This image of Mary as a prostitute was followed by many writers and artists until the 20th century. Even though it is less prevalent nowadays, the identification of Mary Magdalene with the adulteress is still accepted by some Christians. This is reflected in Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis's novel The Last Temptation of Christ, as well as in José Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and Hal Hartley's The Book of Life. Nikos Kazantzakis ( Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) ( February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Ottoman Empire - The Last Temptation of Christ (or The Last Temptation; Greek: Ο Τελευταίος Πειρασμός O Teleftaíos Peirasmós José de Sousa Saramago, GColSE (ʒuˈzɛ sɐɾɐˈmagu born November 16, 1922) is a Nobel-laureate Portuguese Andrew Lloyd Webber Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948 is a British Composer of Musical theatre, the elder son of William Lloyd Webber Rock operas, Concept albums Song cycles and Oratorios all differ from a conventional rock album which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each Jesus Christ Superstar is a Rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, AO (born January 3 1956 The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 film co-written co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson. Hal Hartley (b November 3 1959, Lindenhurst New York) is an American film director writer and pioneer of the Independent film The Book of Life is a movie that was released in 1998, and was made by Hal Hartley.

One possible explanation for the labeling of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute is that there has been confusion between her and Mary of Egypt. Mary of Egypt (ca 344 – ca 421 is revered as the Patron saint of penitents most particularly in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Another possible explanation is that it has been deliberately used to camouflage the close relationship between Jesus and Mary.

Veneration

In the East

The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains that Mary Magdalene, distinguished from Mary of Bethany, and further distinguished from the "sinful woman", had been a virtuous woman all her life. There is a tradition that Mary Magdalene led so chaste a life that the devil thought she might be the one who was to bear Christ into the world, and for that reason he sent the seven demons to trouble her.

Mary Magdalene is honored as one of the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus, and received a special commission from him to tell the Apostles of his resurrection (John 20:11–18). Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Mary's role as a witness is interesting due to the fact women at that time could not be witnesses in legal proceedings. Because of this, and because of her subsequent missionary activity in spreading the Gospel, she is known by the title, "Equal of the Apostles. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament An equal-to-the-apostles ( Greek:, isapostolos; Latin: aequalis apostolis; întocmai cu Apostolii равноапостольный ravnoapostolni " She is often depicted on icons bearing a vessel of ointment, not because of the anointing by the "sinful woman", but because she was among those women who brought ointments to the tomb of Jesus. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos For this reason, she is called a Myrrhbearer. The term Myrrhbearers ( Greek: Μυροφόραι Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы mironosiţe refers to the women who came

According to Eastern traditions, she retired to Ephesus with the Theotokos (Mary, the Mother of God) and there she died. Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 and are there preserved. A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS

In the West

Gregory of Tours, writing in Tours in the sixth century,^[11] supports the tradition that she retired to Ephesus, with no mention of any connection to Gaul. Saint Gregory of Tours ( November 30, c 538 &ndash November 17, 594) was a Gallo-Roman historian and bishop of Tours Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western

How a cult of Mary Magdalene first arose in Provence has been summed up by Victor Saxer^[12] in the collection of essays in La Magdaleine, VIIIe–XIIIe siècle^[13] and by Katherine Ludwig Jansen, drawing on popular devotions, sermon literature and iconology. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France ^[14]

Mary Magdalene's relics were first venerated at the abbey of Vézelay in Burgundy. Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne département in the Bourgogne région of France. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Jacobus de Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of the relics of Mary Magdalene from her sepulchre in the oratory of Saint Maximin at Aix-en-Provence to the newly-founded abbey of Vézelay;^[15] the transportation of the relics is entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard, duke of Burgundy. Blessed Jacobus de Varagine or Voragine (Giacomo da Varazze Jacopo da Varazze (c In Christianity, an oratory is a Room for Prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne département in the Bourgogne région of France. Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which ^[16] The earliest mention of this episode is the notice of the chronicler Sigebert of Gembloux (died 1112), who asserts that the relics were removed to Vézelay through fear of the Saracens. Sigebert of Gembloux ( Sigebertus Gemblacensis) (c 1030 &ndash October 5, 1112) was a medieval author known mainly as a pro-Imperial historian of a Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. There is no record of their further removal to the other St-Maximin; a casket of relics associated with Magdalene remains at Vézelay.

Afterwards, since September 9, 1279, the body of Mary Magdalene was also venerated at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Provence. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a commune of southeastern France, 40 km east of Aix-en-Provence, in the westernmost point of Var département This cult attracted such throngs of pilgrims that the earlier shrine was rebuilt as the great Basilica from the mid-thirteenth century, one of the finest Gothic churches in the south of France. A pilgrim is one who undertakes a Pilgrimage, literally 'far afield' The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

The competition between the Cluniac Benedictines of Vézelay and the Dominicans of Saint-Maxime occasioned a rash of miraculous literature supporting the one or the other site. The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny, pronunciation klyˈni is an abbey in France. This article concerns Roman Catholic Order of Saint Benedict see also Benedictine Confederation and Benedictine. The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is Jacobus de Voragine, compiling his Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend) before the competition arose, characterized Mary Magdalene as the emblem of penitence, washing the feet of Jesus with her copious tears, protectress of pilgrims to Jerusalem, daily lifting by angels at the meal hour in her fasting retreat and many other miraculous happenings in the genre of Romance, ending with her death in the oratory of Saint Maximin, all disingenuously claimed to have been drawn from the histories of Hegesippus and of Josephus. Blessed Jacobus de Varagine or Voragine (Giacomo da Varazze Jacopo da Varazze (c The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea by Jacopo da Varagine is a collection of fanciful hagiographies or lives of the Saints that became a late medieval An emblem is a pictorial Image, abstract or representational that epitomizes a Concept — e As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative Josephus (AD 37 – c 100 also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias and after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus

The French tradition of Saint Lazare of Bethany is that Mary, her brother Lazarus, and Maximinus, one of the Seventy Disciples and some companions, expelled by persecutions from the Holy Land, traversed the Mediterranean in a frail boat with neither rudder nor mast and landed at the place called Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer near Arles. Lazarus ( Hebrew: אלעזר Elʿāzār Eleazar "God (has helped" is the name of two separate men mentioned in the New Testament. The Seventy Disciples or Seventy-two Disciples were early followers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit "Saint Marys of the Sea" Provençal Occitan Lei Santei Marias de la Mar) is the capital of the Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, Mary Magdalene came to Marseille and converted the whole of Provence. Magdalene is said to have retired to a cave on a hill by Marseille, La Sainte-Baume ("holy cave", baumo in Provencal), where she gave herself up to a life of penance for thirty years. The Sainte-Baume (en Provençal: Massís de la Santa Bauma according to classical orthography and La Santo Baumo according to mistralian orthography is When the time of her death arrived she was carried by angels to Aix and into the oratory of Saint Maximinus, where she received the viaticum; her body was then laid in an oratory constructed by St. Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a commune of southeastern France, 40 km east of Aix-en-Provence, in the westernmost point of Var département Viaticum is the term the Catholic Church and some Anglo Catholic Anglicans uses for the Eucharist (Communion given to a dying person Maximinus at Villa Lata, afterwards called St. Maximin.

In 1279, when Charles II, King of Naples, erected a Dominican convent at La Sainte-Baume, the shrine was found intact, with an explanatory inscription stating why the relics had been hidden. Charles II, known as "the Lame" ( French le Boiteux, Italian lo Zoppo; 1254 &ndash 5 May 1309) was A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church

In 1600, the relics were placed in a sarcophagus commissioned by Pope Clement VIII, the head being placed in a separate reliquary. Not to be confused with Antipope Clement VIII. Pope Clement VIII ( February 24, 1536 &ndash March 3, 1605 A reliquary (also referred to as a Shrine or by the French term Chasse) is a container for Relics These may be the physical The relics and free-standing images were scattered and destroyed at the Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an In 1814, the church of La Sainte-Baume, also wrecked during the Revolution, was restored, and, in 1822, the grotto was consecrated afresh. The head of the saint now lies there and has been the centre of many pilgrimages.

Other religions, especially Christian Mysticism and many New Age faiths, venerate Mary Magdalene as the Bride of Christ, an avatar of Sophia, and even the Co-Messiah with Jesus Christ, or simply combine all three.

Mary as a penitent

The traditional Roman Catholic feast day dedicated to Mary Magdalene celebrated her position as a penitent. This was changed in 1969, with the revision of the Roman Missal and the Roman Calendar, and now there is no mention in either of Mary Magdalene the sinner. ^[17]

The Magdalene became a symbol of repentance for the vanities of the world to various sects. Mary Magdalene was the patron of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Magdalene College, Cambridge (both pronounced "maudlin"). Magdalen College redirects here see also Magdalene College Cambridge Magdalen College (ˈmɔːdlɨn "maudlin" is one of the constituent Magdalene College redirects here see also Magdalen College Oxford Magdalene College (ˈmɔːdlɪn was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel in time In contrast, her name was also used for the Magdalen Asylum, institutions for "fallen women", including the infamous "Magdalen Laundries" in Ireland. Magdalene Asylums were institutions for so-called "fallen" women most of them operated by different orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

In the Orthodox Church, Mary Magdalene is not celebrated as a penitent, but rather as a woman who lived a virtuous life.

Easter Egg tradition

For centuries, it has been the custom of many Christians to share dyed and painted eggs, particularly on Easter Sunday. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb. Among Eastern Orthodox this sharing is accompanied by the proclamation "Christ is risen!", and the person being addressed would respond "Truly He is risen!"

One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by Emperor Tiberius. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed "Christ is risen!" Caesar laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red, and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house. ^[18]

Another version of this story can be found in popular belief, mostly in Greece. It is believed that after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary put a basket full of eggs at the foot of the cross. There, the eggs were painted red by the blood of the Christ. Then, Mary Magdalene brought them to Tiberius Caesar (see above).

Gospel of Mary

A group of scholars, the most familiar of whom is Elaine Pagels, have suggested that for one early group of Christians Mary Magdalene was a leader of the early Church and maybe even the unidentified Beloved Disciple, to whom the Fourth Gospel commonly called Gospel of John is ascribed. Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey (born February 13, 1943) is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University The phrase the disciple whom Jesus loved or Beloved Disciple is used several times in the Gospel of John, but in none of the other accounts The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon ^[19]

Ramon K. Jusino, an internet writer, offers an explanation of this view, based on the textual researches of Raymond E. Brown, in "Mary Magdalene, author of the Fourth Gospel?", 1998, available on-line. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical Ann Graham Brock (see ref. ) summarized this reading of the texts in 2003. She demonstrated that an early Christian writing portrays authority as being represented in Mary Magdalene or in the church community structure.

These scholars also observe that the Mary Magdalene figure is consistently elevated in writings from which formal leadership roles are absent. In certain texts, while either the Peter or the Paul figure is more involved, Mary Magdalene's role is often diminished, while in other texts, the opposite occurs. A tug-of-war is evident between these two opposing systems of church government, revealing debates regarding the importance of the key roles of women in Biblical texts.

Scholars of the Mary who appears in the Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts have identified her with the Magdalene, even though she is merely given the (Coptic) equivalent of "Mary". Nag Hammadi ( Arabic نجع حمادي is a city in Upper Egypt. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems However, Stephen J. Shoemaker thinks that this Mary is actually the Blessed Virgin Mary (Shoemaker 2001), that this fits in better with the notions that Mary was intimate with Jesus, was his greatest disciple, and was to be the center of Jesus' religion; Shoemaker has made a study of Marian liturgies and devotion in Early Christianity. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary

Further attestation of Mary of Magdala and her role among some early Christians is provided by the gnostic, apocryphal Gospel of Mary Magdalene which survives in two 3rd century Greek fragments and a longer 5th century translation into Coptic. New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings of the early Christian church that give accounts of the teachings of Jesus, aspects of the life of Jesus accounts The Gospel of Mary is an apocryphal book discovered in 1896 in a fifth-century Papyrus Codex. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. Coptic or Coptic Egyptian ( MetRemenkīmi) is the final stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt In the Gospel the testimony of a woman first needed to be defended. All of these manuscripts were first discovered and published between 1938 and 1983, but as early as the 3rd century there are Patristic references to the Gospel of Mary. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. These writings reveal the degree to which that gospel was despised and dismissed by the early Church fathers. In the fragmentary text, the disciples ask questions of the risen Savior (a designation that dates the original no earlier than the 2nd century) and are answered. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

Then they grieve, saying, "How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If even he was not spared, how shall we be spared?" And Mary bids them take heart: "Let us rather praise his greatness, for he prepared us and made us into men. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic Idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self " She then delivers — at Peter's request — a vision of the Savior she has had, and reports her discourse with him, which shows Gnostic influences.

Her vision does not meet with universal approval:

"But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, 'Say what you think concerning what she said. For I do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are of other ideas. '"

"Peter also opposed her in regard to these matters and asked them about the Savior. 'Did he then speak secretly with a woman, in preference to us, and not openly? Are we to turn back and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?'"

Karen King of Harvard Divinity School has observed, "The confrontation of Mary with Peter, a scenario also found in The Gospel of Thomas, Pistis Sophia, and The Greek Gospel of the Egyptians, reflects some of the tensions in second-century Christianity. Karen Leigh King (born 1954 is an American academic working in the field of Early Christianity and Gnosticism. Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge Massachusetts, in the United States. The Gospel According to Thomas ( Coptic: ⲡⲉ̅ⲩ̅ⲁ̅ⲅⲅ̅ⲉⲗ̅ⲓⲟⲛ̅ ⲡⲕ̅ⲁ̅ⲧⲁ ⲑ̅ⲱ̅ⲙⲁⲥ also known as The Gospel Pistis Sophia is an important Gnostic text The five remaining copies which scholars date c The Greek Gospel of the Egyptians is a Gnostic religious text Peter and Andrew represent orthodox positions that deny the validity of esoteric revelation and reject the authority of women to teach. " (introduction, The Nag Hammadi Library)

Relationship with Jesus

Some modern writers have come forward with claims that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century These writers cite Gnostic writings to support their argument. Sources like the Gospel of Philip depict Mary Magdalene as being closer to Jesus than any other disciple. The Gospel of Philip is one of the Gnostic Gospels, a text of New Testament Apocrypha, dating back to around the third century but lost to modern researchers In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. However, there is no known ancient document that claims she was his wife. The Gospel of Philip, the only historical text from which it could be inferred that Mary was Jesus' wife, depicts her merely as Jesus' koinonos, a Greek term indicating a "close friend", "companion" or, potentially, a lover:

"There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary. "

"And the companion of the [Savior is] Mary Magdalene. [But Christ] loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often[]. The rest of the disciples [were offended by it and expressed disapproval. ] They said to him, ‘Why do you love her more than all of us?’ The Savior answered and said to them, ‘Why do I not love you like her?’"

The closeness described in these writings depicts Mary Magdalene, representing the Gnostics, as understanding Jesus and his teaching while the other disciples, representing the Church, did not. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Kripal writes that "the historical sources are simply too contradictory and simultaneously too silent" to make absolute declarations regarding Jesus' sexuality. ^[20] Indeed, it was common in early Christianity to kiss a fellow believer by way of greeting (see 1 Peter 5:14 in the New Testament), and as such kissing would have no romantic connotations. ^[21]

Mary Magdalene appears with more frequency than other women in the canonical Gospels and is shown as being a close follower of Jesus. Mary's presence at the Crucifixion and Jesus' tomb, while hardly conclusive, is at least consistent with the role of grieving wife and widow, although if that were the case Jesus might have been expected to make provision for her care, as well as for his mother Mary. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from It also seems to contradict Jesus refusing physical contact in John 20:17 (see Noli me tangere). Noli me tangere, meaning "don't touch me" is the Latin version of words spoken according to, by Jesus to Mary Magdalene

Proponents of a married status of Jesus argue that bachelorhood was very rare for Jewish males of Jesus' time, being generally regarded as a transgression of the first divine commandment: "Be fruitful and multiply". PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ This article is about commandments in Judaism For the Jewish rite of passage see Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Mitzvah ( Hebrew: מצוה According to this reasoning, it would have been unthinkable for an adult, unmarried Jew to travel about teaching as a rabbi. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master

A counter-argument to this is that in Jesus' time the Jewish religion was very diverse and the role of the rabbi was not yet well defined. It was really not until after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in A. The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE D. 70 that Rabbinic Judaism became dominant and the role of the rabbi made uniform in Jewish communities. Before Jesus, celibate teachers were known in the communities of the Essenes, although these communities were quite separate from mainstream Judaism. The Essenes were strictly speaking a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD John the Baptist was celibate. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Later, Paul of Tarsus was an example of an unmarried itinerant teacher among Christians. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Jesus himself approved of voluntary celibacy for religious reasons and explicitly rejected a duty to marry: "There are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it. " (Matthew 19:12).

The idea that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus was popularized by books like The Jesus Scroll (1972), Holy Blood, Holy Grail (1982), The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991), The Woman with the Alabaster Jar (1993), Bloodline of the Holy Grail: The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed (1996), and The Da Vinci Code (2003). The Jesus Scroll was a best-selling book first published in 1972 and written by Australian author Donovan Joyce. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (retitled Holy Blood Holy Grail in the United States) is a controversial book by Michael Baigent The Da Vinci Code is a controversial mystery / detective Novel by US author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday

The Medieval "Golden Legend" says "Some say that S. Mary Magdalene was wedded to S. John the Evangelist". ^[22]

Metaphysical marriage

Writers employing metaphysical analogy and allegory have asserted that Christ was already married — to the Church, in the literary topos of The Bridegroom that was developed and enlarged upon in medieval theology. Analogy is both the cognitive process of transferring Information from a particular subject (the analogue or source to another particular subject (the target and An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Topos (literally "a place" pl topoi) referred in the context of classical Greek Rhetoric to a standardised method of constructing This is an overview of the History of Theology in Greek thought Christianity, Judaism and Islam from the time of ^[23] This image goes back to Old Testament depictions of the covenant between God and his people as a marriage, especially in the books Hosea, Ezekiel and the Song of Songs. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Hosea ( Greek = Ōsēe) was the son of Beeri and a prophet in Israel in the 8th century BCE He is one of the Twelve Prophets According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx Imagery of marriage also appears in the Gospels and is applied to Jesus in the letters of the Apostle Paul (e. g. Ephesians 5:22–33) and in the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament. Described by William Barclay as the "Queen of the Epistles" the Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου This was later expanded by the Church fathers. Some writers, following an early tradition that Jesus is in a mystical sense the second Adam that began with Paul and continued with Irenaeus and others, embody this sense with literal parallels: like the first Adam, his bride was taken from his side when he had fallen asleep (died on the cross). Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France In medieval Christian anagogic exegesis, the blood and water which came from his side when he was pierced, was held to represent the bringing forth of the Church with its analogy in the water of baptism and the wine of the new covenant. Anagoge is a Greek word suggesting a "climb" or "ascent" upwards Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out' involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a Holy In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Covenant theology (also known as Covenantalism or Federal theology or Federalism) is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for Thus Christ can be said in an allegorical sense to already have a wife in the Church.

Cultural references

In film and literature:

• Bruce Chilton's Mary Magdalene: A Biography, Doubleday, 2005. Bruce Chilton is a scholar of Early Christianity and Judaism, now Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, and formerly Lillian Claus ISBN 978-0385-51318-0
• Elizabeth Cunningham's novels "The Maeve Chronicles", including "Daughter of the Shining Isles", "The Passion of Mary Magdalen", and "Magdalen Rising"
• Abel Ferrara's 2005 film Mary: French actress Juliette Binoche stars as an actress impersonating Mary Magdalene. Elizabeth Cunningham (b 1953 is a feminist visionary novelist and author of The Maeve Cronicles, which includes the books The Passion of Mary Magdalen and Abel Ferrara (born July 19, 1951 in The Bronx) is an American movie Screenwriter and director. Mary is a 2005 film written and directed by the controversial American director Abel Ferrara. Juliette Binoche (in French ʒylijɛt biˈnɔʃ born 9 March 1964 is an Academy Award -winning French film actress.
• Christopher Moore includes Mary Magdelene (called 'Maggie' in the book) as a childhood friend of Jesus (called Joshua in the book) and Biff in his book Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Christopher Moore (born 1957 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American writer of Absurdist fiction.
• Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar
• The novel and movie The Last Temptation of Christ
• Margaret George's novel Mary, Called Magdalene (Peguin Books: New York, 2002)
• Ki Longfellow's novel, The Secret Magdalene (Crown/Random House, 2007–2008) is in preproduction for Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, writer/director Nancy Savoca
• Kathleen McGowan's novel The Expected One (Simon & Schuster, 2006)
• Dan Brown's novel and later movie The DaVinci Code (2006)

In music:

• Pop singer Sandra's "Maria Magdalena"
• Tori Amos' songs "Marys of the Sea" and "Mary"
• Popular Croatian singer Doris Dragović's "Marija Magdalena"
• A Perfect Circle, "Magdelena" off the Album Mer De Noms
• Meshell Ndegeocello's song "Mary Magdalene"
• The Mars Volta's song "Asilos Magdelena"
• Johnny Cash's songs "If Jesus Ever Loved A Woman" and "Lights of Magdala"
• Richard Shindell's song "The Ballad of Mary Magdalen"

See also

• St. Mary Magdalene's Church
• Jesus bloodline
• Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
• Saint Sarah
• Miryai

Notes

References

• Acocella, Joan. "The Saintly Sinner: The Two-Thousand-Year Obsession with Mary Magdalene". The New Yorker, February 13 & 20, 2006, p. 140–49. Prompted by controversy surrounding Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.
• Brock, Ann Graham. Mary Magdalene, The First Apostle: The Struggle for Authority. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. ISBN 0674009665. Discusses issues of apostolic authority in the gospels and the Gospel of Peter the competition between Peter and Mary, especially in chapter 7, "The Replacement of Mary Magdalene: A Strategy for Eliminating the Competition".
• Burstein, Dan, and Arne J. De Keijzer. Secrets of Mary Magdalane. New York: CDS Books, 2006. ISBN 1593152051.
• Jansen, Katherine Ludwig. The Making of the Magdalen: Preaching and Popular Devotion in the Later Middle Ages. Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press, 2000. ISBN 0691058504.
• Kripal, Jeffrey John. (2007), written at Chicago, The Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226453804 ISBN 0226453812. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.
• Pearson, Birger A. "Did Jesus Marry?", Bible Review, Spring 2005, pp 32–39 & 47. Discussion of complete texts.
• Picknett, Lynn, and Clive Prince. The Templar Revelation. The Templar Revelation Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ is a Pseudohistory book written by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0593038703. Presents a hypothesis that Mary Magdalene was a priestess who was Jesus' partner in a sacred marriage.
• Shoemaker, Stephen J. "Rethinking the ‘Gnostic Mary’: Mary of Nazareth and Mary of Magdala in Early Christian Tradition", in Journal of Early Christian Studies, 9 (2001) pp 555–595.
• Thiering, Barbara. Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. New York: Simon & Schulster (Atria Books), 2006. ISBN 1416541381.
• Wellborn, Amy. De-coding Mary Magdalene: Truth, Legend, and Lies. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2006. ISBN 1592762093. A straightforward accounting of what is well-known of Mary Magdalene.

External links

• St Mary Magdalene, Catholic Encyclopaedia 1911
• Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene
• St Mary Magdalen and the case for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church
• Legends of Mary Magdalene
• The Pesher of Christ: The Marriage of Jesus by Dr. Barbara Thiering
• Articles and more than 40 Paintings
• Early Christian Writings: Gospel of Mary
• Gospel of Mary: (English), syncretic text, incorporating Coptic and earlier Greek versions; further web links
• The Da Vinci Code and Mary Magdalene The Gospels: Metaphor as "The Great Code"

Barbara Thiering (born 1930 is an Australian writer In books and journal articles she has attempted to challenge Christian orthodoxy, drawing on claimed new evidence

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic