The First Missionary

For many contemporary Christians the name Mary Magdalene brings to mind terms like harlot, saint, sinner, possessed, and prostitute. In popular culture, movies like The DaVinci Code have outrageously brought this mysterious character out of the New Testament. In the living rooms and the collective consciousness of filmgoers all over the world, she’s been portrayed in a sensational role as the wife of Jesus of Nazareth. In art, she has been depicted, usually nude and redheaded, as the “embodiment of Christian devotion” (Carrol 108). Mary Magdalene was canonized as the Catholic Saint of Penitence because of stories regarding her questionable morality before meeting Christ, and her subsequent complete and total devotion to Christ’s teachings ("Mary Magdalene"). Martin Luther, the patriarch of the modern protestant movement believed that Jesus and Mary were married (VanBiema). It has been said that Mary Magdalene was the world’s most famous prostitute (BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity - Mary Magdalene). Among Christians, the prevailing legend surrounding Mary Magdalene is that she was the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her own tears and dried them with her hair. Other important stories portray Mary at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion, and the first person in the empty tomb of Christ. Some of these events appear as scripture in the New Testament and some parallel stories are played out in “apocryphal” Coptic and Greek texts that have surfaced in Egypt and other locations in the Middle East in the centuries since the origin of the canonical Bible. On the other hand, some of the legends are not supported by scripture, yet persist to this day in doctrine preached and practiced by many Christians.

In order to understand more about Mary Magdalene we need to look at her biographical origins. Unfortunately there is not much in the way of archaeological evidence to support the fact that she existed at all. We have to rely largely on the manuscripts that have survived the ages to get a glimpse of her background. In those manuscripts she did exist, and by some accounts in a large way.

The name “Magdalene” is a reference to the town of Magdala, believed to have once been located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Scholars are not in total agreement about exactly where the town was but the name was derived from the Hebrew word for “tower.” The New Testament mentions Magdala in the book of Matthew, Chapter 15: “And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala” (Holy Bible, Matt. 15.39). More often than not, the principal industry for shoreline communities along the Sea of Galilee in first century Palestine was fishing, so it can be concluded that Mary Magdalene came from a fishing town. Other than this detail, we can only guess about Mary’s family, lifestyle and vocation up until she joined the Christian movement.

It was after her choice to drop everything and head out on her historic journey that the written record of what Mary did with her life begins. It is important to mention at this point that nowhere, in any of the gospels, canonical or otherwise, was Mary Magdalene described as a prostitute. This was an invented myth, possibly due to confusion about the identity of the numerous women named “Mary” in the scripture. It is also possible that there was a need to perpetuate beliefs about women in general and to discredit female sexuality. This need may have evolved because of male dominated culture early in the Christian movement, and subsequent male empowerment in the Catholic Church (Carroll 109).

The confusion about Mary’s identity starts in the New Testament itself. There was Mary the mother of Jesus; Mary of Bethany, who was sister to Martha and Lazarus; Mary the mother of James and Joseph; and Mary of Clopas. As far as we know, the “sinner woman” who washed the feet of Jesus was not named Mary Magdalene ("Mary Magdalene, Saint.").

First, let’s look at Luke’s account of the washing of Christ’s feet. It begins in the town of Capernaum (Holy Bible, Luke. 7.1), and is as follows from Luke Chapter 7:

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. (Holy Bible, Luke. 7. 37.38)

No mention of a Mary there. What there is in this passage from Luke is symbolism involving eroticism and repentance (Caroll 109). This “sinner woman” came in from the street because she had heard that Jesus was sitting at dinner. Jewish women of that time kept their hair covered in public (Safrai 366), so the display of uncovered hair in front of Jesus and the other members of the dinner party would have been considered brazen. The fact that she was crying and the tears flowed onto the feet of Jesus would indicate remorse for her immediate or past lewd behavior. This combination of sin and repentance is a key detail in the canonization of Mary Magdalene ("Mary Magdalene, Saint.") and may have given rise to the popular notion that Mary was a prostitute; though nowhere in this chapter of Luke do we learn this woman’s name. Luke Chapter 8 follows with the description of Mary Magdalene, but there is no literal connecting of Mary and the unnamed woman between the two chapters.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke relate the anointing story with similar details. All three gospels place the event in Capernaum. In the accounts of the anointing from Matthew and Mark, Jesus clearly uses the rite as a metaphor to predict his death. In Matthew, the Pharisee Simon is “Simon the Leper” (Holy Bible, Matt. 26. 6.13). In Mark, the anointing is in Simon the Leper’s house as well, but the woman pours the ointment over Christ’s head and hair (Holy Bible, Mark.14. 3.9). In first-century Jewish culture women prepared bodies for burial (Evans 247). In Matthew and Mark, Jesus clearly states that the woman anointing him with the ointment is a symbolic gesture of preparation for his death. This death sign is not part of the story in the Luke account. Again, it is important to note that in the three gospels that mention this anointing event, Mary Magdalene is not involved literally or circumstantially.

In an incredibly confusing twist, we have the book of John, written some sixty years after the crucifixion and thirty years after the previous gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, relating a frustratingly similar account of an anointing. Only this time the event takes place in Bethany, at the home of another Mary, who is the sister of Lazarus, the man that Jesus raised from the dead:

Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. (Holy Bible, John.12. 1.8)

In this passage we have the ointment, the hair, and the foreshadowing of the impending death of Christ. John came along well after the crucifixion and it is not known whether he actually met Matthew, Mark, or Luke. The gospels were all accounts in the Jewish oral tradition and were retold hundreds of times before they were written (Caroll 109). The disparity between the first three gospels and the Gospel of John would seem to exemplify the blurred details of the story between the books. It is no wonder that Christians through the ages have gotten the characters all mixed up.

The real Mary Magdalene was a complex woman. She was single, because according to first-century Jewish tradition, she would have had her husband’s name instead of the name of her home town in the biblical record (Safrai 561). We first see a passage about the real Mary just after the feet-washing event from Luke Chapter 7, in Luke Chapter 8, Verse 1 through 3:

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. (Holy Bible, Luke. 8.1.3.)

Note that the scripture states that Mary had evil spirits and infirmities. Just what exactly did that mean? We may never know, though a single woman possessed by demons was part of the fringes of Jewish society. It is not difficult to imagine that Jesus, a well-known exorcist of the day, got down to the business of casting those demons out and Mary emerged whole and healthy. It is possible that Mary, single and alone in the world, suffered from depression at the very least, and probably worse mental or physical debilitation before the healing touch of the Savior. Mary got a new lease on life. We see Mary as so relieved that she dropped everything and began to follow Jesus and the disciples.

A detail in the passage from Luke Chapter 8 is that Mary and the other women of the group were financial supporters of Jesus and the movement as a whole. Other scripture supports that fact in Mark 16:1-9; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke24:1-10; John 20:1, 11-18; and the Gospel of Peter (King). This would lead to the conclusion that Mary had access to cash. In first century Palestine, women were keepers of the house and dowry (Safrai 288). Since we do not know Mary’s familial background, it is difficult to tell if she had received an inheritance or dowry before joining the group. Nevertheless, Jesus and the disciples were on the move. Networking women were the providers of food and lodging for the traveling revival (Holy Bible, Romans 16.3. 7.15). The fact that Mary had financial resources and no husband to legitimize her monetary wealth may have led to speculation by various individuals through the ages about her vocation.

Another aspect of the story of Mary Magdalene that would seem to give rise to speculation about her moral character was her relationship with Jesus. Some accounts described Jesus kissing Mary on the lips (Caroll). Again, popular culture has provided fictional commentary on the possibilities in the form of the novel and film The Last Temptation of Christ. In that story, Mary was very obviously a prostitute who was in love romantically with Christ. Another fictional example of Mary’s amorous inclination toward Jesus was the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In that production, Mary sings the song “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” to Jesus. Here, Mary’s character as a prostitute is played down, but the love affair is a big part of the appeal.

Popular culture aside, the gospels are very specific about how Mary’s relationship with Christ was special, but not in the way that Hollywood would want us to think. In the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John as well as in two of the synoptic gospels we see when Mary discovers the empty tomb and becomes the first person to see Jesus after the crucifixion:

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (Holy Bible, John.20.11.17.)

In this passage Jesus has accomplished two things. He has symbolically fused his God and Mary’s God, relating this fusion to Mary from the state of limbo between crucifixion and resurrection, and he has tasked Mary with the single most important mortal act in all of Christianity, to spread the word that he is alive. This may be why many Christians have declared her “The Apostle to the Apostles” (King).

After the resurrection, Mary’s role in the early Christian church was prominent enough to foster debate by scholars and clerics for ages. In 1896, early Christian writings that were part of a Christian library buried in the fifth century were unearthed in Egypt, notably a Coptic translation of the Gospel of Mary. Although this book is not officially accepted in the canonical texts, many correlations exist within it and the Greek and Coptic translations of the four biblical gospels, and that provides compelling evidence of accuracy in the Gospel of Mary with regard to the chronology of the other texts (Thurman). In this gospel Mary is portrayed more powerfully because she is the person who brought the news of the resurrection to the others in the group. A confrontation occurs between Mary and the disciple Peter, who was the leader of the early, post-resurrection Christian movement. In this encounter with other disciples present, Andrew and Peter accuse Mary of falsifying a vision of a private teaching from Jesus:

After Mary had said these things, she was silent, since it was up to this point that the Savior had spoken to her. Andrew responded, addressing the brothers and sisters, "Say what you will about the things she has said, but I do not believe that the S[a]vior said these things, f[or] indeed these teachings are strange ideas." Peter responded, bringing up similar concerns. He questioned them about the Savior: "Did he, then, speak with a woman in private without our knowing about it? Are we to turn around and listen to her? Did he choose her over us?" Then [M]ary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what are you imagining? Do you think that I have thought up these things by myself in my heart or that I am telling lies about the Savior? (Gospel of Mary of Magdala)

Mary responds tearfully that she would never lie about the Savior. In defense of Mary, Levi rebukes Peter:

Levi answered, speaking to Peter, "Peter, you have always been a wrathful
person. Now I see you contending against the woman like the Adversaries. For if the Savior made her worthy, who are you then for your part to reject her? Assuredly the Savior's knowledge of her is completely reliable. That is why he loved her more than us. "Rather we should be ashamed. We should clothe ourselves with the perfect Human, acquire it for ourselves as he commanded us, and announce the good news, not laying down any other rule or law that differs from what the Savior said." After [he had said these] things, they started going out [to] teach and to preach. (Gospel of Mary of Magdala)

Levi encourages the disciples to not make rules contrary to the Savior’s original teachings. The concept of the “perfect human” mentioned in the passage is important because in this context, it is neither male nor female. It is depicted as a shield to protect the disciples as they went out and preached and spread the news of Christ. Levi encourages the group to “clothe” themselves with it as commanded by Christ. This reiterates the ground-breaking concept of feminist equality, introduced by Christ via various parables in the biblical gospels, and here in the Gospel of Mary during a time when women were not much more than property. Jesus preached concepts that were truly on the cutting edge of social reform. In spite of the power of his teachings, women continued to suffer in the ages to follow.

For the first couple of hundred years women were leaders in the Christian church (Perkins). In first-century Jewish and gentile culture, women were in charge of the houses (Safrai 288). Since Rome was the dominant empire around the Mediterranean and elsewhere, early Christian congregations gathered clandestinely in homes of prominent followers because their beloved faith was illegal in most locales. Meals were prepared and served for these services and women were key organizers and hosts for the worship (Holy Bible, Romans 16.3. 7.15). When he was alive, Jesus and the disciples dined with the family of Lazarus in Bethany. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, prepared and served the meal (Holy Bible, John.12. 1.8). So, after and before the resurrection, women were prominent in the story as facilitators, cooks, organizers, and spiritual devotees.

History, on the other hand, as dictated by male-dominated influence, has suppressed a part of the most vital aspects of the teachings of Jesus (Van Biema). The Gospel of Mary could have been excluded from the canon (or “list”) for a number of reasons, but it is obvious that Mary’s confrontation with Peter, the first Pope and the “rock” on which Jesus would build the church, did not help the book’s chances of inclusion. The concept of women as spiritual equals to men was controversial and played down throughout the Catholic record up until the last forty years. Preaching by an early Pope was instrumental in the historic suppression of the truth about Mary and the resulting Catholic misogynistic outcome.

“Gregory the Great” was born an aristocrat and led the city of Rome. His father died and he gave everything away and turned his palace into a monastery, where he became a monk. Bubonic plague was on the rise in sixth-century Italy so when Gregory was elected Pope, he emphasized repentance as a way of avoiding contraction of the disease. In about 591, Gregory delivered a series of sermons about Mary Magdalene (Caroll). Here he began to combine all women named Mary in the New Testament and defined the “seven demons” mentioned in Luke:

She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark. And what did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices?

It is clear, brothers, that the woman previously used the unguent toper-fume her flesh in forbidden acts. What she therefore displayed more scandalously, she was now offering to God in a more praiseworthy manner. She had coveted with earthly eyes, but now through penitence these are consumed with tears. She displayed her hair to set off her face, but now her hair dries her tears. She had spoken proud things with her mouth, but in kissing the Lord's feet, she now planted her mouth on the

Redeemer's feet. For every delight, therefore, she had had in herself, she now immolated herself. She turned the mass of her crimes to virtues, in order to serve God entirely in penance. (Caroll)

It is apparent that Pope Gregory I has outlined policy for all Christians, but has condemned women, by virtue of their association with sexuality and the symbolism of Mary Magdalene, to a role of subservience in the church (Caroll). As a monk, he addressed his audience as “brothers” and then proceeded to merge all of the “sinner women” in the New Testament into the identity of Mary Magdalene for the next 1400 years. Gregory had plenty of company when it came to excluding women out of leadership in the early church. Some justification for women in a spiritually subservient role comes from Paul’s first epistle to Timothy which clearly defines spiritual requirements for women that is consistent with Jewish traditions of the day (Holy Bible, 1 Timothy. 5.1.24). In other words, the new freedom for women that Jesus espoused was in decline by the second century.

In 1969, the Catholic Church officially separated Luke’s sinful woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene as a part of a general revamping of the missal (Van Biema). Yet the damage to Mary’s character has remained. The books omitted from the Bible as a result of the selections made by various Papal edicts vary in authenticity and completeness. The fact that heretical books were burned at will for centuries has not helped the process of biblical research and discovery. Certain aspects of texts like the Gospel of Mary violated Christian doctrine in ways that had nothing to do with Mary Magdalene but it certainly didn’t help the prospects of the book that she was a woman. Surely this does not warrant a complete dismissal from the historical record.

Mary Magdalene does have a future in Christendom. Popular culture and youthful optimism about the role of women in the Christian church will continue to flourish and provide a way for her example to prevail. Male dominance in Christian churches throughout the United States is on the wane and women continue to fill posts in ministry (Snapshot of PC(USA) Pastoral Leadership Trends). As long as truth is suppressed there will be people attempting to break it free. Women were an integral part of Christian leadership early on and it is time that they were recognized for it. The story of the life of Mary Magdalene during the time of Christ and after the resurrection is a fine example of leadership for people all over the world. Mary was the first missionary after the crucifixion and for this she deserves an honorable place in the ages.

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