† c.1850 PENITENT ST MARY MAGDALENE RELIQUARY FRENCH ENGRAVING WATER COLORED †

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† c.1850 PENITENT ST MARY MAGDALENE RELIQUARY FRENCH ENGRAVING WATER COLORED †:
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policy prohibits the sale of human remains and requires a disclosure of what the relics are: these relics are a piece of Clothes, which are allowed by SAINT MARY MAGDALENEAPOSTLE to the APOSTLES. /PENITENT SINNERS PATRON.OTHERS RELIQUARIESDIMENSIONS:
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This article is about the biblical figure. For other uses, seeMary Magdalene (disambiguation).Mary MagdaleneDomenico Tintoretto,
The Penitent Magdalene, c. 1598Apostle to the ApostlesBorn(date unknown)
Magdala,JudeaDied(date unknown)
Place: d\'Azur, France, orEphesus,Asia Minor[1]VeneratedinEastern Orthodox Church
Catholic Church
Anglican Communion
Lutheranism
other Protestant churches
Bahá\'í FaithCanonizedpre-CongregationFeastJuly 22Attributes

Western:alabasterbox ofointment

Eastern:container of ointment (as a myrrhbearer), or holding ared egg(symbol of the resurrection); embracing the feet of Christ after the Cavite;Atrani, Italy;Casamicciola Terme, Ischia; contemplative life;converts;glove makers; hairdressers;penitent sinners; people ridiculed for theirpiety; perfumeries;pharmacists;sexual temptation;tanners; women

Mary המגדלית‎‎, original BiblicalGreek:Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή),[2]literally translated asMary the MagdaleneorMary of Magdala, was aJewishwoman who, according to texts included in theNew Testament, traveled withJesusas one of his followers. She is said to have witnessedJesus\' crucifixionandresurrection.[3]Within the four Gospels she is named at least 12 times,[4]more than most of the apostles. Based on texts of the early Christian era in the third century, it seems that her status as an “apostle\" rivals evenPeter\'s.[5][unreliable source?]

TheGospel of Lukesays seven demons had gone out of her,[Lk. 8:2]and thelonger ending of Marksays Jesus had cast seven demons out of her.[Mk. 16:9]She is most prominent in the narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, at which she was present. She was also present two days later, immediately following the sabbath,[3]when, according to all four canonical Gospels,[Matthew 28:1–8][Mark 16:9–10][Luke 24:10][John 20:18]she was, either alone or as a member of a group of women, the first to testify to the resurrection of Jesus.[6]John 20andMark 16:9specifically name her as the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.

Ideas that go beyond the gospel presentation of Mary Magdalene as a prominent representative of the women who followed Jesus have been put forward over the centuries.[3][4][7]

Mary Magdalene is considered to be asaintby theCatholic,Eastern Orthodox,Anglican, andLutheranchurches—with afeast dayof July 22. OtherProtestantchurches honor her as a heroine of the faith. The Eastern Orthodox churches also commemorate her on the Sunday of theMyrrhbearers, the Orthodox equivalent of one of the WesternThree Marystraditions. During theMiddle Ages, Mary Magdalene was regarded in Western Christianity as a repentant prostitute or promiscuous woman,[8]claims not found in any of the four canonicalgospels.[3]

Identity: Marys in the New Testament[edit]Mary in fine clothes, from a German group of theEntombment of Christ

Marywas a very common name in New Testament times, held by a number of women in thecanonical Gospels. The reception history of Mary Magdalene has been greatly affected by different interpretations that biblical references actually refer to her, beyond those where she is identified by thetoponym\"Magdalene\". Historically, the Greek Orthodox church Fathers, as a whole, distinguished among what they believed were three Marys:[9]

Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and LazarusLuke 10:38–42andJohn 11John 12.
Mary Magdalene

In addition, there wereMary, the mother of JamesandMary Salome.

In the four Gospels, Mary Magdalene is nearly always distinguished from other women named Mary by adding \"the Magdalene\" (ἡ Μαγδαληνή) to her name.[2]This has been interpreted to mean \"the woman fromMagdala\", a town on the western shore of theSea of Galilee.Luke 8:2says that she was actually \"called Magdalene\". InHebrewמגדלMigdalmeans \"tower\", \"fortress\"; inAramaic, \"Magdala\" means \"tower\" or \"elevated, great, magnificent\".[10]Talmudicpassages speak of a Miriam \"hamegadela se’ar nasha\", \"Miriam, the plaiter of women\'s hair\" (Hagigah4b; cf.Shabbat104b), which could be a reference to Mary Magdalene serving as a hairdresser.[11]

In theGospel of John, Mary Magdalene is also referred to simply as \"Mary\" at least twice.[12]Gnosticwritings use Mary, Mary Magdalene, or Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene\'s name is mostly given as Μαρία (Maria), but inMatthew 28:1as Μαριάμ (Mariam),[13][14]both of which are regarded as Greek forms ofMiriam, the Hebrew name forMoses\' sister. The name had become very popular during Jesus\' time due to its connections to the Testament sources[edit]The Magdalene washing the feet of Jesus, surrounded bygrisaillesof other scenes from the life of the \"composite Magdalen\",Frans Francken II, 1637

Primary sourcesabout Mary Magdalene come from the fourcanonicalGospels andapocryphaltexts that were left out from the Bible. These apocryphal sources are dated from the end of the 1st to the early 4th century, all written well after St. Mary\'s death. The canonical gospels are dated from the second half of the 1st century.[16]In addition, the Gregorian figure of the composite Magdalen developed an elaborate literary and artistic tradition in the Middle Ages.

During Jesus\' ministry[edit]After that, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out—and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.— Luke 8:1–3

Luke 8:2andMark 16:9say Jesus cleansed her of \"seven demons\". Some interpret this as meaning that he healed her from mental or physical illnesses.[17]That she provided for the apostles suggests she was prosperous.[5][unreliable source?]The statement in Mark is part of the\"longer ending\"of that Gospel, not found in the earliest manuscripts, and which may have been a second-century addition to the original text, possibly based on the Gospel of Luke.[18][need quotation to verify]

Detail of Mary kissing the feet of the crucified Jesus, Italian, early 14th centuryDuring the crucifixion[edit]Main article:Women at the crucifixionMatthew 27:56,Mark 15:40,John 19:25

It is at the time of the crucifixion and resurrection that Mary Magdalene comes to the fore in the gospels. Uniquely among the followers of Jesus, she is specified by name (though not consistently by any one gospel) as a witness to three key events: Jesus\'crucifixion, his burial, and the discovery that his tomb was empty.Mark 15:40,Matthew 27:56andJohn 19:25mention Mary Magdalene as a witness to crucifixion, along with various other women. Luke does not name any witnesses, but mentions \"women who had followed him fromGalilee\" standing at a distance.[Lk. 23:49]

After the crucifixion[edit]Matthew 27:61,Matthew 28:1,Mark 16:1

In listing witnesses who saw where Jesus was buried byJoseph of Arimathea,Mark 15:47andMatthew 27:61both name only two people: Mary Magdalene and \"the other Mary,\" who in Mark is \"the mother of James.\"Luke 23:55describes the witnesses as \"the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee.\"John 19:39–42mentions no other witness to Joseph\'s burial of Jesus except forNicodemus.Mark 16:1says \"...Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.\" The connection with the earlierAnointing of Jesus, and his remarks then, was one of the arguments used in favour of the \"composite Magdalene.\"

After the resurrection[edit]Matthew 28:1,Mark 16:9,Luke 24,John 20:1Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene after hisresurrection from the dead, depicted by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov

In Mark, Matthew, and John, Mary Magdalene is first witness to theresurrection.John 20:1names Mary Magdalene in describing who discovered the tomb was empty.Mark 16:9says she was accompanied bySalomeand Mary the mother of James, whileMatthew 28:1omits Salome.Luke 24:10says the group who reported to the disciples the finding of the empty tomb consisted of \"Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them\". InLuke 24the resurrection is announced to the women at the tomb by \"two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning\" who suddenly appeared next to them.

The final chapter ofMark\'s Gospelcontains two narratives relating to Mary Magdalene: firstly[19]that along withMary the mother of JamesandSalome, she was advised by \"a young man dressed in a white robe\" that Jesus had risen, and given instructions to tell Jesus\' disciples — andPeter— that he was going before them into Galilee, but through fear they told no one; and secondly, in thelonger ending, that Jesus appeared \"first\" to Mary Magdalene (alone), who then related his appearance to \"those who had been with him\", but they did not believe her.[20]The occurrence of these two different accounts is one of the factors contributing to the theory that Mark 16:9–20 is a later addition to the Gospel.

John 20:16andMark 16:9both say that Jesus\' first post-resurrection appearance was to Mary Magdalene, with no mention of others. InMatthew 28:9, Mary Magdalene is with the other women returning from the empty tomb when they all see the first appearance of Jesus.

The first actual appearance by Jesus that Luke mentions is later that day, when Cleopas and an unnamed disciple walked with a fellow traveler who they later realized was Jesus. The longer ending of Mark describes the same appearance as happening after the private appearance to Mary Magdalene. According to Luke \"the apostles\", and according to the longer ending of Mark \"those who had been with him\", did not believe Mary\'s report of what she saw. Neither Mary Magdalene nor any of the other women are mentioned by name in Paul\'s catalog of appearances at1Cor15:5–8, which he begins with \"he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve\".

The Gospel of John[11:1–45][12:1–8]and the Gospel of Luke[10:38–42]also mention \"Mary of Bethany\", the sister ofLazarusandMartha. Mary and Martha are among the most familiar sets of sisters in the Bible. Both Luke and John describe them as friends of Jesus. Luke\'s story, though only four verses long, has been a complex source of inspiration, interpretation, and debate for centuries. John\'s account, which says the sisters had a brother named Lazarus, spans seventy verses.[21]

Among the women who are specifically named in the canonical gospels, Mary Magdalene\'s name is one of the most frequently found, appearing 12 times, always, except forLuke 8:2, in connection with the death and resurrection of Jesus. InMatthew 27:56, the author names three women in sequence: \"Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee\'s children\". In the Gospel of Mark, the author lists a group of women three times, and each time Mary Magdalene’s name appears first. In the Gospel of Luke, the author enumerates the women who reported the tomb visit: \"It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them.\" In the Gospel of John, on the other hand, Mary Magdalene is placed afterMary of Clopas.[22]

According to Carla Ricci,[23]\"The place she [Mary Magdalene] occupied in the list cannot be considered fortuitous\", because over and over Mary Magdalene\'s name is placed at the head of specifically named women, indicating her importance among the followers of Jesus. Ricci sees the significance of this as strengthened by a comparison with the lists of the twelve apostles, in which Peter occupies the first position, an indication of his importance.[23]

Mary Magdalene does not appear in any other book of the New Testament apart from the Gospels. While she may have been among the women mentioned inActs 1:14, she is not mentioned in theepistlesofPaul the Apostleor theother epistles.

Development of the composite Magdalene[edit]The \"composite Magdalene\" of the Middle Ages[edit]

Mary Magdalene has the reputation inWestern Christianityas being a repentant prostitute or loose woman; however, these claims are not supported by the canonical gospels. The identity of Mary Magdalene is believed to have been merged with the identity of the unnamed sinner[3][24][25]whoanoints Jesus\' feetinLuke 7:36–50.[25]Mary Magdalene, the anointing sinner of Luke, andMary of Bethany, who inJohn 11:1–2also anoints Jesus\' feet, were long regarded as the same person. Though Mary Magdalene is named in each of the four gospels in the New Testament, none of the clear references to her indicate that she was a prostitute or notable for a sinful way of life,[3][24]nor link her with Mary of Bethany.

Guido Reni,Penitent Magdalene, c. 1635 (Walters Art Museum). In art, Mary Magdalene is usually shown with long flowing hair, worn down over her shoulders. The length possibly to allow her to cover her nakedness in the desert and to dry the feet of Jesus after washing them.[26]

Although the notion of Mary Magdalene being a repentant sinner can be traced as far back asEphrem the Syrianin the fourth century,[27][28]the notion of her being a former prostitute or loose woman dates to a claim byPope Gregory I(\"Gregory the Great\") made in an influential homily in around 591,[27],[29][unreliable source?]in which he identified Magdalene not only with the anonymous sinner with the perfume in Luke\'s gospel, but also with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus; this interpretation is often called the \"composite Magdalene\" in modern scholarship. The seven devils removed from her by Jesus \"morphed into the seven capital sins, and Mary Magdalene began to be condemned not only for lust but for pride and covetousness as well.\"[25]

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. What did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices?

It is clear, that the woman previously used the unguent to perfume her flesh in forofferden 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.

— Pope Gregory the Great (homily XXXIII)[29][unreliable source?]

The aspect of the repentant sinner became almost equally significant as the disciple in herpersonaas depicted in Western art and religious literature, fitting well with the great importance ofpenitencein medieval theology. In subsequent religious legend, Mary\'s story became conflated with that of StMary of Egypt, another repentant prostitute who then lived as a hermit. With that, Mary’s image was, according to Susan Haskins, author ofMary Magdalene: Myth and Metaphor,“finally settled...for nearly fourteen hundred years,”[30]although in fact the most important late medieval popular accounts of her life describe her as a rich woman whose life of sexual freedom is purely for pleasure.[31]

The \"composite Magdalene\" was never accepted by theEastern Orthodoxchurches, who saw only Mary the disciple, and believed that after the Resurrection she lived as a companion to the Virgin Mary, and not even in the West was it universally accepted. TheBenedictineOrder always celebrated Mary of Bethany together with Martha and Lazarus of Bethany on 29 July, while Mary Magdalene was celebrated on 22 July.[32]Not only John Chrysostom in the East (Matthew, Homily 88), but also Ambrose (De virginitate3,14; 4,15) in the West, when speaking of Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, far from calling her a harlot, suggest she was a virgin. In 1518, on the brink of theProtestant Reformation, the leading FrenchRenaissance humanistJacques Lefèvre d\'Étapleswrote arguing against the conflation of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the unnamed sinner in Luke. There was a flurry of books and pamphlets, most opposing Lefèvre d\'Étaples, but others supporting him. In 1521 his views were formally condemned by the theology faculty of theSorbonne, and debate died down, overtaken by the larger issues raised byMartin Luther.[33]Although Protestant theologians and biblical commentators such asJohn Calvinrejected the composite Magdalene,[34]for Luther and Zwingli Mary Magdalene is the composite Magdalene of medieval tradition,[35]belief in it long survived the Reformation in much Protestant devotional literature, where the emphasis of depictions of Mary Magdalene continued to be on the penitent whose sins had been forgiven because of her love for Jesus.

From the 12th century Abbot Hugh of Semur (died 1109), Peter Abelard (died 1142), and Geoffrey of Vendome (died 1132) all referred to Mary Magdalene as the sinner who merited the titleapostolorum apostola(Apostle to the Apostles), with the title becoming commonplace during the 12th and 13th centuries.[36]

The common identification of Mary Magdalene with other New Testament figures was rejected in the1969 revisionof theGeneral Roman Calendar, with the comment regarding herliturgicalcelebration on 22 July: \"No change has been made in the title of today\'smemorial, but it concerns only Saint Mary Magdalene, to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection. It is not about the sister of Saint Martha, nor about the sinful woman whose sins the Lord forgave (Luke 7:36–50).\"[37]Elsewhere it said of the Roman liturgy of 22 July that \"it will make mention neither of Mary of Bethany nor of the sinful woman of Luke 7:36–50, but only of Mary Magdalene, the first person to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection\".[38]Mary of Bethany\'s feast day and that of her brother Lazarus is now on 29 July, the memorial of their sister Martha.[39][40]

Nevertheless, the reputation still lingers.[3]The identification of St. Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute was followed by many writers and artists into the 1990s. It is reflected inMartin Scorsese\'s film adaptation ofNikos Kazantzakis\'s novelThe Last Temptation of Christ, inJosé Saramago\'sThe Gospel According to Jesus Christ,Andrew Lloyd Webber\'s musicalJesus Christ Superstar,Mel Gibson\'sThe Passion of the Christ,Jean-Claude La Marre\'sColor of the CrossandHal Hartley\'sThe Book of Life.

It was because of this association of St. Mary Magdalene having been a prostitute that she became the patroness of \"wayward women\", andMagdalene asylumsbecame established to help save women from prostitution.[41]

In Western art[edit]Ascension of Mary MagdalenebyTilman Riemenschneider(1490–92)
A depiction of Mary Magdalene withthick body hair

The early notion of Mary Magdalene as a sinner and adulteress was reflected in Western medieval Christian art, where she was the most commonly depicted female figure after theVirgin Mary. She may be shown either as very extravagantly and fashionably dressed, unlike other female figures wearing contemporary styles of clothes, or alternatively as completely naked but covered by very long blond or reddish-blonde hair. The latter depictions represent thePenitent Magdalen, who according to medieval legend (details in next section) had spent a period of repentance as a desert hermit after leaving her life as a follower of Jesus. Her story became conflated in the West with that ofSaint Mary of Egypt, a 4th-century prostitute turned hermit, whose clothes wore out and fell off in the desert.[42]In medieval depictions Mary\'s long hair entirely covers her body and preserves her modesty (supplemented in some German versions such as one byTilman Riemenschneiderbythick body hair), but from the 16th century some depictions, like those byTitian, show part of her naked body, the amount of nudity tending to increase in successive periods. Even if covered, she often wears only a drape pulled around her, or an undergarment. In particular, Mary is often shown naked in the legendary scene of her \"Elevation\", where she is sustained in the desert by angels who raise her up and feed her heavenly manna, as recounted in theGolden Legend(quoted below).[43]

Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross during the Crucifixion appears in an 11th-century English manuscript \"as an expressional device rather than a historical motif\", intended as \"the expression of an emotional assimilation of the event, that leads the spectator to identify himself with the mourners\".[44]Other isolated depictions occur, but from the 13th century additions to the Virgin Mary andJohnas the spectators at the Crucifixion become more common, with Mary Magdalene as the most frequently found, either kneeling at the foot of the cross clutching the shaft, sometimes kissing Christ\'s feet, or standing, usually at the left and behind Mary and John, with her arms stretched upwards towards Christ in a gesture of grief, as in a damaged painting byCimabuein theupper church at Assisiof c.1290. A kneeling Magdalene byGiottoin theScrovegni Chapel(c. 1305) was especially influential.[45]As Gothic painted crucifixions became crowded compositions the Magdalene became a prominent figure, with a halo and identifiable by her long unbound blonde hair, and usually a bright red dress. As theswooning Virgin Marybecame more common, generally occupying the attention of John, the unrestrained gestures of Magdalene increasingly represented the main display of the grief of the spectators.[46]

\"Mary Magdalene\" (1480), altarpiece inInternational Gothicstyle byCarlo Crivelli

Mary Magdalene is usually shown with long flowing hair, which she wears down over her shoulders, and may use either to cover her nakedness in the desert, or to dry Jesus\'s feet after washing them. The other women of the New Testament in these same depictions ordinarily have dark hair beneath a scarf, following contemporary standards of propriety by hiding their hair beneath headdresses or kerchiefs. Long hair was only worn loose in public by either prostitutes or (by the end of the Middle Ages) noblewomen; working and middle-class women were normally expected to keep their hair covered or at least bound up, with exceptions for festive occasions, in particular brides on their wedding day.

According to Robert Kiely, \"No figure in the Christian Pantheon except Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist has inspired, provoked, or confounded the imagination of painters more than the Magdalene\".[47]Apart from the Crucifixion, Mary was often shown in scenes of thePassion of Jesus, when mentioned in the Gospels, such as the Crucifixion,Christ Carrying the CrossandNoli me Tangere, but usually omitted in other scenes showing theTwelve Apostles, such as theLast Supper. As Mary of Bethany, she is shown as present at theResurrection of Lazarus, her brother, and in thescene with Jesusand her sisterMartha, which began to be depicted often in the 17th century, as inChrist in the House of Martha and MarybyVelázquez.[48]

Medieval legends[edit]International GothicElevation of Mary Magdalenewith angels raising her inSS. Johns\' CathedralinToruń

Between the time ofPope Gregory I(590–604 AD), untilJacobus de Voragine\'s Golden Legend andJacques Lefèvre d\'Étaples(Concerning Mary Magdalene) in 1519 AD, various versions of the Legend of Mary Magdalene circulated in the south of France and Germany.Odo of Clunywrote a version in the 900s AD that described Mary\'s family asnobility,[49]and in theGolden Legendthey are magnates of royal descent, lords ofBethanyand owning much property in Jerusalem. Her sinning is entirely non-commercial:

...Magdalene abounded in riches, and because delight is fellow to riches and abundance of things; and for so much as she shone in beauty greatly, and in riches, so much the more she submitted her body to delight, and therefore she lost her right name, and was called customably a sinner.[50]

Most of the later legends speak of a Mary who after theAscension of Jesuslived as a hermit in a cave for thirty years, communicating withangels.[51]Single \"portrait\" figures of the Magdalene typically depicted her as the \"Penitent Magdalene\" in this period of her life (see above). In the words ofWilliam Caxton\'s English translation of theGolden Legend:

...the blessed Mary Magdalene, desirous of sovereign contemplation, sought a right sharp desert, and took a place which was ordained by the angel of God, and abode there by the space of thirty years without knowledge of anybody. In which place she had no comfort of running water, ne solace of trees, ne of herbs. And that was because our Redeemer did do show it openly, that he had ordained for her refection celestial, and no bodily meats. And every day at every hour canonical she was lifted up in the air of angels, and heard the glorious song of the heavenly companies with her bodily ears. Of which she was fed and filled with right sweet meats, and then was brought again by the angels unto her proper place, in such wise as she had no need of corporal nourishing.[52]

The elaborately detailed (and conflicting) legends that brought Mary to Western Europe after Jesus\'s life on earth were very widely accepted in the Western church,[42]though not at all by Eastern Orthodoxy, which had her retiring with the Virgin Mary, and dying inEphesus. In theGolden Legendthe \"right sharp desert\" where Mary retires to repent is located nearAix-en-Provencein the South of France.[52]These legends are covered in the section below on the Roman Catholic tradition.

New Testament apocrypha and Gnostic texts[edit]Main article:New Testament apocrypha

In apocryphal texts, she is portrayed as a visionary and leader of the early movement whom Jesus loved more than he loved the other disciples.[53]SeveralGnosticgospels, such as theGospel of Mary, written in the early 2nd century, see Mary as the special disciple of Jesus who has a deeper understanding of his teachings and is asked to impart this to the other disciples.

SeveralGnosticwritings, usually dated to 2nd and 3rd centuries, paint a drastically different picture of Mary Magdalene from that of thecanonicalGospels. In Gnostic writings Mary Magdalene is seen as one of the most important of Jesus\' disciples, whom he loved more than the others. The Gnostic Gospel of Philip names Mary Magdalene as Jesus\' companion. Gnostic writings describe tensions and jealousy between Mary Magdalene and other disciples, especiallyPeter.

Gospel of Mary[edit]Main article:Gospel of Mary

In her introduction inThe Complete Gospels,Karen King names the manuscripts available for the Gospel of Mary. She writes that only three fragmentary manuscripts are known to have survived into the modern period, two 3rd-century fragments (P. Rylands 463 and P. Oxyrhynchus 3525) published in 1938 and 1983, and a longer 5th-century Coptic translation (Berolinensis Gnosticus 8052,1) published in 1955.[54]

First discovered in 1896, theGospel of Maryexalts Mary Magdalene over the male disciples of Jesus. The Gospel of Mary provides important information about the role of women in the early church,[54]although it is missing six pages from the beginning, and four from the middle.[55]It is usually dated to about the same period as that of the Gospel of Philip.

The identity of \"Mary\" appearing as the main character in this Gospel is sometimes disputed, but she is generally believed to be Mary Magdalene.The Gospel of Marypresents her as one of the disciples, says she has seen a private vision from the resurrected Jesus[56]and describes it to other disciples:

Peter said to Mary, \"Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, 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 to speak to them these words: \"I\", she said, \"I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision\".[55]

Almost all of Mary\'s vision is within the lost pages.

When Mary had said these things, she fell silent, since it was up to this point that the Savior had spoken to her.[57]

Mary is then confronted byAndrewand Peter, who do not take for granted what she says, because she is a woman:

\"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 grieved and said to Peter, \"My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart or that I am lying concerning the Savior?\"[55]

Mary is defended byLevi:

\"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\".[55]

Gospel of Philip[edit]Penitent Mary MagdalenebyNicolas Régnier,Palace on the Water,WarsawMain article:Gospel of Philip

Gospel of Philip, dating from the 2nd or 3rd century, survives in part among the texts found inNag Hammadiin 1945.[58]In a manner very similar toJohn 19:25–26, the Gospel of Philip presents Mary Magdalene among Jesus\' female entourage, adding that she was hiskoinônos,a Greek word variously translated in contemporary versions as partner, associate, comrade, companion.[59]

There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, andher sister, and Magdalene, who was called his companion. His sister,[60]his mother and his companion were each a Mary.[58]

Others\' irritation from the love and affection presented by Jesus to Mary Magdalene is claimed in the apocryphal Gospel of Philip. The text is badly fragmented, and speculated but unreliable additions are shown in brackets:

And the companion of the saviour was Mary Magdalene. Christ loved Mary more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, \"Why do you love her more than all of us?\" The Saviour answered and said to them, \"Why do I not love you like her?\"[58]

Gospel of Thomas[edit]Main article:Gospel of Thomas

Gospel of Thomas, usually dated to the late 1st or early 2nd century, was also among the finds in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945.[61]It has two short references to a \"Mary\", generally regarded as Mary Magdalene. The latter of the two describes the sentiment towards female members of the early Gnostics:

Simon Peter said to them: Let Mary go forth from among us, for women are not worthy of the life. 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 males. For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.[61]

When the Gospel of Thomas was written, people commonly assumed that men were superior to women.[62]

The manuscript gives 114 \"secret teachings\" of Jesus. Mary is mentioned briefly in saying 21. Here, Mary asks Jesus, \"Whom are your disciples like?\" Jesus responds, \"They are like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, \'Let us have back our field.\' They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back their field and to give it back to them\". Following this, Jesus continues his explanation with a parable about the owner of a house and a thief, ending with the common rhetoric, \"Whoever has ears to hear let him hear\".

Pistis Sophia[edit]Main article:Pistis Sophia

Pistis Sophia, possibly dating as early as the 2nd century, is the best surviving of the Gnostic writings.[63]Pistis Sophiapresents a long dialog with Jesus in the form of his answers to questions from his disciples. Of the 64 questions, 39 are presented by a woman who is referred to as Mary or Mary Magdalene. Jesus says of Mary:

\"Mary, thou blessed one, whom I will perfect in all mysteries of those of the height, discourse in openness, thou, whose heart is raised to the kingdom of heaven more than all thy brethren\".[63]

There is also a short reference to a person named \"Martha\" among the disciples, possibly the same person who is named as the sister ofMary of Bethany.

Religious views[edit]Eastern Orthodox tradition[edit]Eastern Orthodoxiconof Mary Magdalene as aMyrrhbearer

TheEastern Orthodox Churchmaintains that Mary Magdalene, distinguished fromMary of Bethanyand the \"sinful woman\" who anoints Jesus in Luke,[Lk 7:36–50]had been a virtuous woman all her life, even before her conversion. They have never celebrated her as a penitent. This view finds expression both in her writtenlife(βίος or vita) and in the liturgical service in her honor that is included in theMenaionand performed on her annual feast-day. There is a tradition that Mary Magdalene led so chaste a life that the devil thought she might be the one who was to bear Christ into the world, and for that reason he sent the seven demons to trouble her.

Mary Magdalene is honored as one of the first witnesses of theResurrection of Jesus, and received a special commission from him to tell the Apostles of his resurrection.[Jn 20:11–18]She is often depicted oniconsbearing a vessel of ointment, not because of the anointing by the \"sinful woman\", but because she was among those women who brought ointments to thetomb of Jesus. For this reason, she is called aMyrrhbearer.

According to Eastern traditions, she retired toEphesuswith theTheotokos(Mary, theMother of God) and there she died. Herrelicswere transferred toConstantinoplein 886 and are preserved there.

Roman Catholic traditions[edit]Connection with Gaul[edit]

Gregory of Tours, writing inToursin the 6th century,[64]supported the tradition of theEastern Churchthat she retired toEphesus, with no mention of any connection toGaul. But for most of the Middle Ages, the Western church believed that, after her period as a disciple of Jesus, Mary Magdalene had travelled to the south of France and died there.

How a cult of St. Mary Magdalene first arose inProvencehas been summed up by Victor Saxer[65]in the collection of essays inLa Magdaleine, VIIIe – XIIIe siècle[66]and by Katherine Ludwig Jansen, drawing on popular devotions, sermon literature and iconology.[67]In Provence, Mary is said to have spent her last years alone in the wilderness, fasting and engaging in acts of penitential self-discipline, behavior that was rewarded with experiences of ecstatic union with the divine. Depictions of thePenitent Magdalenbecame enormously popular in preaching and art (see above).[68]

The French tradition of SaintLazarus of Bethanyis that Mary, her brother Lazarus, andMaximinus, one of theSeventy Disciplesand some companions, expelled by persecutions from theHoly Land, traversed theMediterraneanin a frail boat with neither rudder nor mast and landed at the place Mary Magdalene came to Marseille and converted the whole of Provence. Magdalene is said to have retired to a cave on a hill by Marseille, LaSainte-Baume(\"holy cave\"baumoin Provençal), where she gave herself up to a life of penance for thirty years. When the time of her death arrived she was carried by angels to Aix and into the oratory of Maximinus, where she received theviaticum; her body was then laid in an oratory constructed by St. Maximinus at Villa Lata, afterwards called St. Maximin.[citation needed]

St. Mary Magdalene\'s relics were first venerated at theAbbey of la Madaleine, Vézelayin Burgundy from about 1050.[69]Jacobus de Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of the relics of Mary Magdalene from her sepulchre in theoratoryof Saint Maximin atAix-en-Provenceto the newly foundedVézelay;[70]the transportation of the relics is entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard,Duke of Burgundy.[52]The earliest mention of this episode is the notice of the chroniclerSigebert of Gembloux(died 1112), who asserts that the relics were removed to Vézelay through fear of theSaracens.

On December 9, 1279, an excavation ordered byCharles II, King of NaplesatSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Provence, led to the discovery of another purported burial of Mary Magdalene.[71]The shrine was found intact, with an explanatory inscription stating why the relics had been hidden.[72]Charles II commissioned the building of a newGothicbasilicaon the site and, in return for providing accommodation forpilgrims, the town\'s residents were exempt from taxes.[73]Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume gradually displacedVézelayin popularity and acceptance.[72]

The competition between theCluniacBenedictinesof Vézelay and theDominicansof Saint-Maxime occasioned a rash of miraculous literature supporting the one or the other site. Jacobus de Voragine, compiling hisGolden Legendbefore the competition arose, characterized Mary Magdalene as theemblemof penitence, washing the feet of Jesus with her copious tears following the \"composite\" figure, protectress of pilgrims to Jerusalem, daily lifting by angels at the meal hour in her fasting retreat and many other miraculous happenings in thegenre of Romance, ending with her death in the oratory of Saint Maximin, all disingenuously claimed to have been drawn from the histories ofHegesippusand ofJosephus.

According to another legend, on the way they were shipwrecked on the island of Malta, whereDingli, Rabat,Madliena(Maltese for Magdalene), andVallettaall have chapels or other dedications. Madliena inGozoalso had a chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, but this was demolished.

Mary Magdalene attributed toGregor Erhart(d. 1525)Penitent[edit]

During the Counter Reformation and Baroque periods (late 16th and 17th centuries), the cult of Mary Magdalene saw a great, new popularity as the Catholic Church publicized her as an attractive, persuasive model of repentance and reform, in keeping with the goals of the reform Council of Trent (1545–63). Numerous works of art and theater featuring the tearful penitent Magdalene appeared in the 17th century.[74]As part of this new attention to the cult of the Magdalene, in 1600, her relics were placed in a sarcophagus commissioned byPope Clement VIII, the head being placed in a separatereliquary. The relics and free-standing images were scattered and destroyed at theRevolution. In 1814, the church of La Sainte-Baume, also wrecked during the Revolution, was restored. In 1822, the grotto was consecrated afresh. The head of the saint now lies there and has been the centre of many pilgrimages.[citation needed]

In that period, the description \"penitent\" was added to the indication of her name on her feast day, 22 July. It had not yet been added at the time of theTridentine Calendarof 1569 and is no longer found in the presentGeneral Roman Calendarbut, once added, it remained until theGeneral Roman Calendar of 1960. Mary Magdalene thus became a symbol of repentance from the vanities of the world.[75]TheGospel readingin theTridentine MasswasLuke 7:36–50(the sinful woman anointing the feet of Jesus), while in the present version of theRoman RiteofMassit isJohn 20:1–2, 11–8(meeting of Mary Magdalene with Jesus after his resurrection).[76][77][78]St. Mary Magdalene was the patron ofMagdalen College, Oxford, andMagdalene College, Cambridge(both colleges pronounce her name as \"maudlin\"). In contrast, her name was also used for theMagdalen Asylums, institutions for \"fallen women\".

Apostle to the apostles[edit]TheThree Marysat the TombbyPeter Paul Rubens, with Mary Magdalene in red

Mary Magdalene, who according toJohn 20:17–18andMark 16:9–1was commissioned by the risen Jesus to inform thedisciplesof his resurrection, is called \"the apostle to the apostles\".

Matthew 28:1–8andLuke 24:10speak of women (in the plural), including Mary Magdalene, carrying out this function. An early Christian commentary on theSong of Songs, perhaps byHippolytus of Rome(170–235), has Christ speak of two women, whom it calls Mary and Martha, as apostles to the apostles: \"Christ showed himself to the (male) apostles and said to them: ... \'It is I who appeared to these women and I who wanted to send them to you as apostles.\'\"[79][80]

Use of the actual term \"apostle to the apostles\" or \"apostle of the apostles\" is first attested much later than the time of Hippolytus. According toDarrell Bock, it first appears in the 10th century,[80]but Katherine Ludwig Jansen says she found no reference to it earlier than the 12th, by which time it was already commonplace.[81]She mentions in particularHugh of Cluny(1024–1109),Peter Abelard(1079–1142), andBernard of Clairvaux(1090–1153) among those who gave Mary Magdalene the title ofapostolorum apostola(apostle of the apostles). Jane Schaberg addsGeoffrey of Vendôme(c. 1065/70–1132).[82]

It is claimed that the equivalent of the phraseapostolorum apostolaappeared already in the 9th century. Chapter XXVII of the Life of Mary Magdalene claiming to be written byRabanus Maurus(c. 780 – 4 February 856) is headed:Ubi Magdalenam Christus ad apostolos mittit apostolam(Wherein Christ sends Magdalene as an apostle to the apostles).[83]The same chapter says she did not delay in exercising the office of apostolate with which he had been honoured (apostolatus officio quo honorata fuerat fungi non distulit).[84]Raymond E. Brown, commenting on this fact, remarks that Rabanus Maurus frequently applies the word \"apostle\"[85]to Mary Magdalene in this work.[86]However the work is actually no earlier than the 12th Century[87]

Because of Mary Magdalene\'s position as an apostle, though not one of those who became official witnesses to the resurrection, theCatholic Churchhonoured her by reciting theCreedon her feast day, the only woman to be so honoured apart from Mary, the mother of Jesus.[88]

In hisapostolic letterMulieris Dignitatem(\"On the dignity and vocation of women\", parts 67–69) dated 15 August 1988,Pope John Paul IIdealt with the Easter events in relation to the women being present at the tomb after the Resurrection, in a section entitled \'First Witnesses of the Resurrection\':

The womenare the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear \'He is not here.He has risen, as he said.\'[Mt 28:6]They are the first to embrace his feet.[cf. Mt 28:9]The women are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles.[Mt 28:1–10][Lk 24:–11]The Gospel of John (cf. alsoMk 16:9emphasizesthe special role of Mary Magdalene. She is the first to meet the Risen Christ. [...] Hence she came to be called \"the apostle of the Apostles\". Mary Magdalene was the first eyewitness of the Risen Christ, and for this reason she was alsothe first to bear witness to him before the Apostles.This event, in a sense, crowns all that has been said previously about Christ entrusting divine truths to women as well as men.

— John Paul II[89]

On 10 June 2016, theCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacramentsissued a decree which elevated Mary\'s liturgical commemoration from an obligatory memorial to afeast day, like that of most of the Apostles (Peter and Paul are commemorated with asolemnity). TheMassandLiturgy of the Hours(Divine Office) remained the same as they were, except that a specificprefacewas added to the Mass to refer to her explicitly as the \"Apostle to the Apostles\".[90]

Protestant tradition[edit]Iconof St. Mary Magdalene depicted as one of theMyrrhbearerswith the wordsChrist is Risenin Greek at the top, depicting her discovery of the empty tomb

The 1549Book of Common Prayerhad on July 22 a feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, with the same Scripture readings as in theTridentine Massand with a newly composedcollect: \"Merciful father geue us grace, that we neuer presume to synne through the example of anye creature, but if it shall chaunce vs at any tyme to offende thy dyuine maiestie: that then we maye truly repent, and lament the same, after the example of Mary Magdalene, and by lyuelye faythe obtayne remission of all oure sinnes: throughe the onely merites of thy sonne oure sauiour Christ.\" The 1552 edition omitted the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, which was restored to the Book of Common Prayer only after some 400 years.[91]

Among the leaders of theProtestant Reformation, for Luther and Zwingli, Mary Magdalene is the composite Magdalene of medieval tradition, but Calvin distinguishes between her, Mary of Bethany, and the sinful woman.[35]

Modern Protestants honor her as a disciple and friend of Jesus.[92]Anglican Christians refer to her as a saint and may follow her example of repentance;[93]While some interpret theThirty-Nine Articlesas forofferding them to call upon her for intercession,[94]other Anglicans, citing the Episcopal burial service, say they can ask the saint to pray for them.[95]TheEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americahonors Mary Magdalene on July 22 as an Apostle, albeit as a Lesser Festival.[96]The rationale for this change versus the previous worship book of the ELCA is not explained, nor is it clear that an authoritative council of the ELCA approved this change in any organized fashion, other than by adopting the new worshipbook.

Easter egg tradition[edit]

For centuries, it has been the custom of many Christians to sharedyed and painted eggs, particularly onEaster Sunday. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb. AmongEastern Orthodox Christiansthis sharing is accompanied by the proclamation\"Christ is risen!\"

One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by theRoman EmperorTiberius. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed, \"Christ is risen!\" The Emperor laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house.[97]

Another version of this story can be found in popular belief, mostly in Greece. It is believed that after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary put a basket full of eggs at the foot of the cross. There, the eggs were painted red by the blood of the Christ. Then, Mary Magdalene brought them to Tiberius Caesar.[citation needed]

Bahá\'í tradition[edit]

There are many references to Mary Magdalene in the sacred writings of theBahá\'í Faith, where she enjoys an exalted status as a heroine of faith and the \"archetypal woman of all cycles\".[98]`Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, said that she was \"the channel of confirmation\" to Jesus\' disciples, a \"heroine\" who \"re-established the faith of the apostles\" and was \"a light of nearness in his kingdom\".[99]`Abdu\'l-Bahá also wrote that \"her reality is ever shining from the horizon of Christ\", \"her face is shining and beaming forth on the horizon of the universe forevermore\" and that \"her candle is, in the assemblage of the world, lighted till eternity\".[100]`Abdu\'l-Bahá considered her to be the supreme example of how women are completely equal with men in the sight of God and can at times even exceed men in holiness and greatness.[101]Indeed he claimed that she surpassed all the men of her time,[102]and that \"crowns studded with the brilliant jewels of guidance\" were upon her head.[103]

The Bahá\'í writings also expand upon the scarce references to her life in thecanonical Gospels, with a wide array of extra-canonical stories about her and sayings which are not recorded in any other extant historical sources. `Abdu\'l-Bahá claimed that Mary traveled to Rome and spoke before the Emperor Tiberius, which is presumably why Pilate was later recalled to Rome for his cruel treatment of the Jews (a tradition also attested to in the Eastern Orthodox Church).[104]According to the memoirs ofJuliet Thompson, `Abdu\'l-Bahá also compared Mary to Juliet, one of his most devoted followers, claiming that she even physically resembled her and that Mary Magdalene was Juliet Thompson\'s \"correspondence in heaven\".

Bahá\'ís have noted parallels between Mary Magdalene and the Babí heroine-poetTahirih. The two are similar in many respects, with Mary Magdalene often being viewed as a Christian antecedent of the latter, while Tahirih in her own right could be described as the spiritual return of the Magdalene; especially given their common, shared attributes of \"knowledge, steadfastness, courage, virtue and will power\", in addition to their importance within the religious movements of Christianity and the Bahá\'í Faith as female style=\"margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;\">The name Mary occurs numerous times in the New Testament. There are several people named Mary in the Gospels. There also are several unnamed women who seem to share characteristics with Mary Magdalene. At different times in history, Mary Magdalene has been confused or misidentified with almost every woman in the four Gospels, except the mother of Jesus.

\"Beloved Disciple\" in the Gospel of John[edit]Main article:Beloved Disciple

In 1998, Ramon K. Jusino proposed an unprecedented argument that the \"Beloved Disciple\" of theGospel of Johnis Mary Magdalene. Jusino based his argument largely on theNag HammadiGnosticbooks, rejecting the view ofRaymond E. Brownthat these books were later developments, and maintaining instead that the extant Gospel of John is the result of modification of an earlier text that presented Mary Magdalene as the Beloved Disciple.[106]Richard J. Hooper does not make the Jusino thesis his own, but says: \"Perhaps we should not altogether reject the possibility that some Johannine Christians considered Mary Magdalene to be \'the disciple whom Jesus loved\'.\"[107]Esther A. de Boer likewise presents the idea as \"one possibility among others\", not as a definitive solution to the problem of the identity of the anonymous disciple.[108]A theological interpretation of Mary as the Magdala,The Elegant Towerand certain churches honor her as a heroine of the faith in their teachings.[109]

Conflation with Mary of Bethany[edit]Main article:Mary of Bethany

In the Western \"composite\" tradition,Mary of Bethanywas identified with Mary Magdalene.[110]In the Eastern Orthodox traditions, they always were considered separate persons.[111]

Mary of Bethany is referred to simply as \"Mary\" both inLuke 10:38–42and theGospel of John. Jesus seems to know her family well,[Jn 11:3]and is described as visiting them several times.[Jn 11:17][12:1]InJohn 12:3–8Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume and wipes his feet with her hair, at which Jesus says that it was intended that \"she should save this perfume for the day of my burial\".[112]Following this, Mary of Bethany disappears from the narrative, while Mary Magdalene, already described not as receiving Jesus on his visits to Bethany in Judea, but as travelling about in Galilee with Jesus and the Twelve and with many other women, two of whom are named,[Luke 8:2–4]emerges at Jesus\' crucifixion, finding later his tomb empty and being the first to see him after the Resurrection. In the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is referred to simply as \"Mary\" only inJohn 20:11and20:16.

TheGnostictexts commonly refer to Mary Magdalene as Mary.[113]

Betrothed to John the Evangelist[edit]

The monk and historianDomenico Cavalca(c. 1270–1342), citingJerome, suggested that Mary Magdalene wasbetrothedtoSt John the Evangelist: \"I like to think that the Magdalene was the spouse of John, not affirming it... I am glad and blythe that St Jerome should say so\".[114]They were sometimes thought to be the couple at theWedding at Cana, though the Gospel accounts say nothing of the ceremony being abandoned. TheDominican friarJacobus de Voragine(c. 1230–1298) in hisGolden Legenddismisses talk of John and Mary being betrothed and that John had left his bride at the altar to follow Jesus.[52]

In 1449King René d\'Anjougave toAngers CathedraltheamphorafromCanain which Jesus changed water to wine, acquiring it from the nuns of Marseilles, who told him that Mary Magdalene had brought it with her from Judea, relating to the legend where she was the jilted bride at the wedding after which John the Evangelist received his calling from Jesus.[115]

Relationship with Jesus[edit]See also:Jesus bloodlineGnostic texts[edit]

TheGospel of Philipdescribes Mary\'s relation to Jesus byCopticvariants of the Greek κοινωνός (koinōnos). That work uses cognates ofkoinōnosand Coptic equivalents to refer to the literal pairing of men and women in marriage and sexual intercourse, but also metaphorically, referring to a spiritual partnership, and the reunification of the Gnostic Christian with the divine realm.[116]Mary Magdalene is mentioned as one of three Marys \"who always walked with the Lord\" and as his companion (Philip 59.6–11). The work also says that the Lord loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often (63.34–36).[53]AuthorJohn Dicksonargues that it was common in early Christianity to kiss a fellow believer by way of greeting,[1 Pet. 5:14]thus such kissing would have no romantic connotations.[117]Kripal writes that \"the historical sources are simply too contradictory and simultaneously too silent\" to make absolute declarations regarding Jesus\' sexuality.[118]Bart Ehrman concludes that historical evidence tells us nothing at all about Jesus\' sexuality—\"certainly nothing to indicate that Jesus and Mary had a sexual relationship of any kind\". Ehrman (a scholar of the Greek New Testament and Early Christianity) says that the question people ask him most often is whether Mary Magdalene and Jesus of Nazareth married each other.

The \"Gospel of Jesus\' Wife\", aCopticpapyrus fragment unveiled in 2012, presents Jesus as speaking of his wife: \"My wife ... she will be able to be my disciple.\" If genuine, it appears to date to around the 6th to 9th centuries AD, and would suggest that some Egyptian Christians of that period believed that Jesus was married. Although it does not contain the name of Mary Magdalene, there has been speculation that she is the woman referred to.[119]However, there is substantial scholarly concern about the fragment\'s authenticity, with a number of scholars regarding it as a modern forgery.[120][121][122]

Medieval dualism[edit]13th centuryRomanesquecapitalshowing Jesus and Mary Magdalene (Noli me tangere)

The 13th-centuryCistercianmonk and chroniclerPeter of Vaux de Cernayclaimed it was part ofCatharistbelief that the earthly Jesus Christ had a relationship with Mary Magdalene, described as hisconcubine:

Further, in their secret meetings they said that the Christ who was born in the earthly and visible Bethlehem and crucified at Jerusalem was \"evil\", and that Mary Magdalene was his concubine – and that she was the woman taken in adultery who is referred to in the Scriptures; the \"good\" Christ, they said, neither ate nor drank nor assumed the true flesh and was never in this world, except spiritually in the body of Paul. I have used the term \"the earthly and visible Bethlehem\" because the heretics believed there is a different and invisible earth in which – according to some of them – the \"good\" Christ was born and crucified.[123]

A document, possibly written by Ermengaud ofBéziers, undated and anonymous and attached to hisTreatise against Heretics,[124]makes a similar statement.[125]

Also they [the Cathars] teach in their secret meetings that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Christ. She was the Samaritan woman to whom He said, \"Call thy husband\". She was the woman taken into adultery, whom Christ set free lest the Jews stone her, and she was with Him in three places, in the temple, at the well, and in the garden. After the Resurrection, He appeared first to her.[126]

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