Mary Magdalene is an enigma. Mentioned only three times by name in the New Testament, she continues to captivate the imagination and adoration of millions. There are churches, shrines, and healing grottos dedicated to her throughout the western world. More than one hundred books have been published about her, and a recent novel, The DiVinci Code, based upon legends about her relationship to Jesus, was on the New York Times best-seller list for more than two years. In this series of posts I will examine historical and biblical evidence, legends from various times and places, as well as modern theory concerning the woman called Magdalene.
In the fifth century, Pope Gregory the First decreed Mary Magdalene a common prostitute who sought salvation from Jesus. She has since been known as the “repentant whore,” who wept at the feet of Jesus, then dried them with her thick, flowing hair. It is this image that has gained supremacy over all others. During the intervening centuries, painters have consistently chosen to depict the “Repentant Magdalene” as a beautiful, weeping woman, who lived a life of shame and redemption. In her name houses for reformed prostitutes were founded, institutions for un-wed mothers were funded by the US government, and the infamous Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, where young women were held captive and used as slave labor, were sanctioned by the Catholic Church until the mid twentieth century.
Who is this woman who has endured censure and defamation for fifteen hundred years and yet is still revered and honored? To consider Mary Magdalene’s role in history we must first look at what is known from biblical text. Mary, the Magdalene, was Jewish. Her Hebrew name was Miriam. She was born in Judea and lived under Roman rule during the first century CE (current era). In the Gospels, she was listed first among the women who followed Jesus. She was present at the crucifixion, and was the person who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. She was said to be the first person to see the resurrected Jesus and to bring the “good news” to the other disciples.
This is all we learn about Miriam from the New Testament. And yet there is much that can be gleaned from the above accounts and from other historical sources. Everything is in a name, and the appendage ascribed to Miriam is telling in and of itself. In Aramaic, the local language used in first century Judea, Miriam is referenced as “the Magdalene.” Although Christian teachings insist she came from a town called Magdala, even in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, Miriam is not referred to as being of Magdala, but rather the Magdalene.
According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, and the Roman historian Pliny, the town which existed in the approximate location of the New Testament town of Magdala, was actually called Tarichaeae during the first century. Thus, the assertion that Miriam’s name was derived from a town that did not exist during her life, is not plausible. Then why is she called “the Magdalene?” In Hebrew, Magdala means “tower” or “elevated, great, magnificent.” This would imply that Miriam was of an exalted status, and held a position of authority in her own right.
We now find a woman who is regarded in an “exalted” manner appearing first in the list of women who were followers of Jesus, listed before his own mother, Mary of Nazareth. There have been many theories concerning the Magdalene’s placement before any other women: she was the eldest, she was the richest, she was among the first to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah, she was the wife of Jesus. Each has validity, and each has flaws.
Viewed purely from a Christian bias, primary placement can only be due to age and/or financial support. In the Gospels, it is clearly stated that Peter was the first to recognize Jesus as Messiah, not the Magdalene, and religious doctrine states unequivocally that Jesus was celibate and not married. From a historical perspective we find that primary placement of a name in a list of women would be afforded to an independent woman of an exalted status, or to an influential wife of the named man. As we have seen from her appendage, the Magdalene, either is a likely possibility.
Supporter, disciple, apostle, wife, or simply a repentant sinner, Mary Magdalene remains a mysterious personage who has a greater role in both history and religion than has been recognized.