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Mary Magdalene
1st century; first witness of the empty tomb· Person· People
Mostly agreed by scholarsMost historians agree; some details uncertain.
Mary of Magdala, from a fishing town in Galilee, followed Jesus, watched his crucifixion and, the Gospels say, first found his tomb empty.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
Luke 8:2–3 says Jesus freed her from 'seven demons' and that she and other women funded his mission from their own means. She stands by at the crucifixion when most male disciples have fled (Mark 15:40) and goes to anoint the body on Sunday. In John 20 the risen Jesus appears first to her, and she carries the news to the disciples. The Gospels never call her a prostitute.
Why it matters
She is in every Gospel's Easter story. Orthodox churches honor her as 'equal to the apostles'; in 2016 the Catholic Church raised her day to a feast as 'apostle to the apostles'.
Life, legacy and sources
Named in all four Gospels, usually first among the women. Her town, Magdala (Migdal), on the Sea of Galilee, has been excavated, including a 1st-century synagogue found in 2009.
Questions and debates
The 'repentant prostitute' image comes from Pope Gregory the Great's sermon of 591, merging her with other Gospel women. Claims she married Jesus rest on late, unclear texts like the Gospel of Philip.
Connections (2)
▸Mary Magdalene was, the Gospels say, the first witness of Resurrection of Jesus (Easter)Faith & scripture
The connection
All four Gospels put Mary Magdalene first, or among the first, at the empty tomb on Sunday. In John 20:11–18 she meets the risen Jesus, mistakes him for the gardener, recognizes him when he says her name, and tells the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'.
When and where
A tomb in a garden outside Jerusalem, at dawn on Sunday, about AD 30 or 33; Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20.
How do we know?
Many scholars think women as first witnesses is likely historical: women's testimony counted for little then, so the church would hardly have invented it.
Questions and debates
Paul's list of appearances (1 Corinthians 15:5) names Peter first and leaves out the women; why is debated. Mark's earliest ending (16:8) has the women flee and say nothing.
▸Mary Magdalene followed and supported Jesus of NazarethMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Luke 8:1–3 names Mary Magdalene first among the women who traveled with Jesus and the Twelve through Galilee and 'provided for them out of their resources'. She followed him to Jerusalem, stayed near the cross when the men fled, and saw where he was buried (Mark 15:40–47).
When and where
Galilee and Jerusalem, about AD 28–30; her hometown, Magdala, lies on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, a few miles from Capernaum.
How do we know?
She is named in all four Gospels, which rarely name women. That women funded the mission is an unusual detail scholars think unlikely to be invented.
Questions and debates
Later texts such as the Gospel of Mary (100s) and Gospel of Philip make her a favored disciple; whether they preserve memories or reflect later debates is disputed.