Her name was Miriam. She was from Magdala, a town 120 miles north of Jerusalem on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. She was to become, first, Miriam of Magdala, then Mary of Magdala, and finally Mary Magdalene, which alternated with The Magdalene. She was the one female member of Christ’s followers whose personal closeness to Jesus evidently irritated Saint Peter (before he was a saint). That was when her life was being mauled by what was to become about 2,000 years’ worth of full-time misogynism. The original Miriam became “the whore” primarily due to her fellow Christians’ mental flaccidity.
The consequence: For a very long time she has been known as the harlot who became one of Jesus’ closest followers – redeemed by Christ and cured of illness by him. This did not involve making seven devils/demons take a walk, or because of any sinfulness. He saved her physically (from a series of illnesses) and spiritually (outlining the path of an Apostle).
Yet, while the Bible mentions her an extraordinary number of times – due to her presence at Jesus’ crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection – it never calls her a harlot. That’s because she wasn’t, just as she wasn’t infected by seven “devils,” as Pope Gregory “The Great” insisted. It was Gregory, frustrated by the plethora of Marys – a popular name at the time – who sandwiched together a number of Marys making up Jesus’s feminine followers.
Clearly one of these was was Mary of Bethany, another a woman identified by the Bible’s clerks simply as an unnamed “sinner,” and a third named Mary Magdalene. Early on, Mary of Bethany was conflated with the unnamed “sinner.” Later, The Magdalen was given this role as a “whore.” That was, say Biblical analysts, because her closeness to Christ aroused jealousy, made her distrusted and disliked by misogynists. Simon Peter was not a fan.
Peter harbored suspicions regarding Magdalene’s “true” intentions. Periodically, he saw her as someone who might take his place in Christ’s attentions. John’s gospel reports that Peter is the first man to enter the empty tomb of Jesus – after “all the women” of course, certainly after the inexhaustibly loyal Magdalene (John, 20: 1-9). In Luke’s account, “the women’s” early report of an empty tomb is dismissed by the Apostles.”
But the final chapter of Mark’s Gospel contains two narratives related to Mary Magdalene at the burial site. First, along with Mary, the mother of James and Salome, the Magdalene was advised by “a young man dressed in a white robe” that Jesus had risen, and given instructions to tell his disciples that he was going before them into Galilee.
In a second, longer ending, Jesus appears “first” to Mary Magdalene “alone,” who then relates his appearance to “those who had been with him.” But they did not believe her. The∫ occurrence of these two different accounts is one of the factors contributing to the theory that Jesus’ first post-resurrection≈√ appearance was to Mary Magdalene, with no mention of others.
Thus, Miriam\Magdalene wasn’t then or later what either Peter or Gregory – or uncounted others – believed her to be, despite the fact that the word “maudlin” derives from her reputation as a tearful penitent. What she was, not only then, but for the most of the following 2,000 years, was a victim of mistaken identity.
More significantly, when the male Apostles fled, Magdalene stood her ground, with others, witnessing Christ’s savage crucifixion, rough burial and astounding resurrection, providing both the physical and spiritual bond of continuity in the central story of Christian history. The Magdalene was “chosen” to be the first of the disciples to behold the risen Christ (John 20: 11-18). Thus, this event is “self-correcting” in the often seemingly patriarchally overweight Canonical Gospel, something that is often missed. A key moment in the Bible is when women, Magdalene leading, discover the empty tomb and deliver the news of this miracle in which few people at first believed – Jesus‘ fundamental godliness. And these women deliver the miraculous news to Christ’s frightened male Apostles. It’s hard even for sexists to miss the implication: Twelve men formed the inner circle of the Jesus movement and got titles to go with that privileged access. But “it was the women who were at the resurrection because they were more faithful to Jesus” writes several students of Christianity. The males fled. “So much for patriarchal titles,” says one Biblical analyst.
Relying on the Gnostic record – gospels rejected by those who compiled the New Testament – those more tenacious analysts emphasize that Mary Magdalene was Jesus‘ close female partner. After the resurrection she became a leader within the early church – and in the eyes of not a few, a possible rival of Saint Peter.
The “New Testament apocryphal texts” portray Mary Magdalene as a visionary and leader of the early movement whom Jesus loved more than other disciples. Several Gnostic gospels, such as the Gospel of Mary, written in the early second century, see Mary as the special disciple of Jesus, one who has a deeper understanding of his teachings and is asked to impart this insight to other disciples. Several Gnostic writings, dated to the second and third centuries, paint a drastically different picture of Mary Magdalene from that of the Canonical Gospels. In Gnostic writings Mary Magdalene is seen as the disciple whom he prized more than others. The Gnostic Gospel of Philip names Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ companion. Gnostic writings describe tensions and jealousy between Mary Magdalene and other disciples, especially Peter. The Gospel of Mary presents her as one of the disciples who has a private vision from the resurrected Jesus and describes it to other disciples. Peter said to Mary, “Sister, we know the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember, but we do not, nor have we heard them.” Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.” And she began with these words: “I saw the Lord in a vision,” she said, “and I said to Him, Lord, I saw you today in a vision.” Almost, but not all, of Mary’s vision is unfortunately within the lost pages. When Mary told what she had seen, she fell silent. Mary is then confronted by Andrew and Peter, who do not have faith in what a woman says.
“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?” Then Mary, grieving, said, “My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you believe I thought this up myself, in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?” Mary is defended by Levi: “But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? Surely the Savior knew her very well. For this reason he loved her more than us”
The repeated reference in the Gnostic texts of Mary that she is loved by Jesus more than the others has been seen as supporting the theory that the Beloved Disciple in the Canonical Gospel of John was originally Mary Magdalene, before being later redacted in the Gospel. The Gospel of Philip, dating from the second or third century, survives in part among the texts found in Nag Hammadi in 1945. In a manner very similar to John 19:25-26, the Gospel of Philip presents Mary Magdalene among Jesus’ female entourage, adding that she was his koinônos, a Greek word translated now as partner or companion. Others’ irritation stirred by this affection is reported by the apocryphal Gospel of Philip. The rest of the disciples were offended. They said to him, “Why do you love her more than all of us?” The Savior said to them, “Why do I not love you like her?” The Gospel of Thomas, dated to the late first or early second century, was also found in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. It has two short references to a “Mary,” regarded as Mary Magdalene. When the Gospel of Thomas was written, people assumed that men were superior to women. Simon Peter said, “Let Mary go forth from among us, for women are not worthy of the life.” And Jesus said, “Behold, I shall lead her, that I may make her male, in order that she also may become a living spirit like you. For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Who says God doesn’t a sense of humor?
According to Eastern traditions, she retired to Ephesus with the Theotokos (Mary, the Mother of God) and there she died. Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886AD and are preserved there, says the Eastern Tradition. Other historians say the Emperor Leo VI possibly had her relics transferred in 899AD to a monastery in Constantinople. Her feast day is July 22.