Who was Mary Magdalene?
Mary Magdalene is likely the most famous of the female followers of Jesus Christ. In her most famous moment, she discovered that the tomb of Jesus was empty. At the direction of an angel, she went to tell Peter, John and the other disciples that Christ was risen. It was for this action, she became known as “the apostle to the apostles.”
At the moment, Mary Magdalene might be best known as the central figure in a 2,000-year-old cover up. According to the Dan Brown fiction novel “The Da Vinci Code” and the movie of the same name, Mary Magdalene was actually the wife of Jesus and they later had children together. In Brown’s novel, the characters suggest that the early church covered up this fact and that the Roman Catholic hierachy is aware of the “lie” and still covering it up to this day. (It is worth remembering that prior to the great schism in the year 1054, there was only one worldwide catholic, or “universal” church. Protestants didn’t leave the Roman Catholic fold until the 1500s.)
Which brings us to now, as we prepare to begin the third millenium of Christianity. Through the centuries, debates have raged and wars have been fought over the exact nature of Jesus – was he human, was he God, or was he some manner of combination of the two – over if Peter really was the first bishop of Rome, over if Paul was supposed to bring the message of Jesus to the non-Jews of the world and many other questions. The questions of the exact nature of Mary Magdalene has been a question almost since the beginning as well.
In 591 A.D. Pope Gregory I said in a sermon that “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.”
Naturally, as soon as the church’s top authority offered a decision on who Mary Magdalene was, dissent began.
Here’s a brief look at what we know about Mary Magdalene:
Name: Mary
Birthplace: Magdala – hence Mary Magdalene can be translated as “Mary of Magdala.” Magdala was an important agricultural, fishing and trade center at the junction of two trade routes in Galilee. The town’s name is derived from the Hebrew migdal, meaning “tower,” suggesting it was the site of a guard tower or fortress overlooking the important route
Bible References: Mary shows up about 12 times, by name, in the New Testament.
Name Order: Nine times in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene’s name appears among a short list of woman who are doing something or going somewhere, such as to visit the tomb of Jesus. In all but one of those nine times, Mary’s name appears first. Arguments have been made on both sides of this issue and what this listing pattern means about the importance of Mary. That her name almost always appears first would seem to indicate a position of honor. That her name appears last in one other listing would seem to counter that argument. For comparison, consider the disciple Peter. Every single time that Peter’s name is listed along with others in the Bible, his name is listed first.
A Woman of Means: In Luke 8:3, Mary Magdalene and several other women are identified as helping to bankroll the ministry of Jesus and the disciples. “These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”
A Woman of Demons: Also in Luke 8, we learn that Jesus cured Mary Magdalene, and other women, of demon and disease. “…and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.”
The Prostitute: Nowhere in the Bible is Mary Magdalene identified as a prostitute. Some believe that her “demons” and apparent lack of a husband suggest that she was indeed a “working” woman.
“Of” Places, Sons and Husbands: Chief among the arguments that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were not married is the fact that the Bible doesn’t mention that he was. Throughout the New Testament, various women are identified, as was the custom in those times, by naming their husbands or sons. Again, we turn to Luke 8, where we meet “Joanna, the wife of Cuza,” in Matthew 27, we read of two other women, both identified by their sons: “Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” It is worth noting that Mary Magdalene is always identified by her home town, rather than by a husband or even by sons. It seems highly unlikely the Gospel writers would have snubbed the wife of the Risen Lord in this way.
At the Tomb: Mary Magdalene watched the crucifixtion of Christ. Because the crucifixtion happened late on a Friday, before the Sabbath day, Jesus was placed in his tomb in a hurried manner. On Sunday, after the Sabbath, Mary and some others went to properly annoint the dead body of Jesus. It was on Sunday morning, according to all four Gospels, that Mary first discovered the tomb of Jesus was empty. He had risen. Initially, she encountered an angel who told her this news. Later, she was the first to witness the risen Christ himself. (John 20)
No Hugs: Upon seeing and recognizing the resurrected Christ, Mary Magdalene wanted to hug him, to cling to him. Jesus instructed her otherwise. “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.” (John 20:17) With these final instructions, to go tell the disciples of the Resurrection, Mary Magdalene is not heard from again in the Bible.
The Egg: According to legend, because of her fame as being a member of Jesus inner circle, Mary Magdalene was once invited to a banquet by Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar. When she greeted him by saying “Christ is Risen!”, Caesar laughed and suggested that one of the eggs on the banquet table had a better chance of turning red than of a man rising from the dead. Mary picked up the egg and it immediately turned crimson red. This led to the tradition of dying eggs for Easter.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia: “She saw Christ laid in the tomb, and she was the first recorded witness of the Resurrection.”
