Mary Magdalene, also known as Mary of Magdala or the Magdalene, was a woman who, according to the four main Christian stories called the canonical gospels, followed Jesus and was present during his crucifixion and resurrection. Some ancient writings, called Gnostic texts, describe her as Jesus’s closest disciple who deeply understood his teachings. These writings suggest she had a special relationship with Jesus, which caused some disagreement with Peter, another important follower of Jesus. These texts also refer to her as the "apostle to the apostles."
Believers consider Mary Magdalene to be a real historical person, possibly from a place called Magdala. She is seen as an important follower of Jesus who was believed to have been healed by him, financially supported his work, and was there during his crucifixion and burial. She was one of the key women who followed Jesus. However, there is not much detailed information about her life.
Other early Christian writings, not included in the main Bible, often show Mary Magdalene as a respected and spiritually wise figure who was close to Jesus. These stories challenged traditional ideas about women’s roles. During a time called the Patristic era, early Christian leaders wrote briefly about her, and her image changed over time. She was sometimes mixed up with other women in the Bible. Later, in Western Christianity, she was often described as a repentant sinner, but this idea is not supported by the Bible. This view became common after a speech by Pope Gregory I in 591.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has always seen Mary Magdalene as a holy woman who carried spices to Jesus’s tomb, called a Myrrhbearer, and as "Equal to the Apostles," meaning she was highly respected. The Catholic Church once mixed her with the woman in the Bible who was a sinner, but later focused on her role as the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection and honored her as the "Apostle to the Apostles." Some religious sites in France and Mount Athos display items believed to be parts of her body, such as her skull, a piece of her forehead, a bone from her leg, and her left hand. These items are shown in special ceremonies each year.
Life
Some secular historians believe Mary Magdalene was a real person, just like Jesus. This belief comes only from the early parts of the Bible, and no other writings from that time mention her. Very little is known about her life. Unlike Paul the Apostle, Mary Magdalene did not write any of her own letters or books. She is not mentioned in any of the letters written by Paul or other early Christian writers. The most reliable information about her comes from the three Synoptic Gospels—Mark, Matthew, and Luke—all written in the first century AD.
The name "Magdalene" probably means she came from a village called Magdala, located on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. This village was known for fishing. The name "Mary" was very common for women in that time, so the Gospel writers added "Magdalene" to help people know which Mary they were talking about. In the Gospel of Luke, it says that during Jesus’ ministry, Mary Magdalene had seven demons driven out of her. This story is also mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, though some scholars believe this part may have been added later, possibly in the second century.
In the first century, people believed demons could cause illness. Some scholars think the number "seven" might mean Mary needed seven exorcisms over time, or it could be a symbol meaning she was completely affected by demons. Either way, this suggests she had serious emotional or mental suffering. Her strong devotion to Jesus after being healed shows how important this experience was for her. Unlike other exorcisms described in the Gospels, Mary’s story is not detailed, which might mean it happened privately or was not seen as dramatic.
Mary Magdalene is listed as one of the women who helped support Jesus’ ministry financially, which means she had some money. She is always named first in lists of women who followed Jesus, showing she was considered the most important among them. This is similar to how Simon Peter was treated among the men who followed Jesus.
Women played an important role in Jesus’ ministry, which was not unusual for that time. Some ancient writings show women were major donors to religious places. Jesus’ ministry gave women more freedom than they usually had in Jewish society.
All four main Gospels say that several women, including Mary Magdalene, watched Jesus’ crucifixion. Mark, Matthew, and John name Mary Magdalene as one of the women present. Luke mentions a group of women but does not name them. Most historians agree Jesus was crucified by the Romans under Pontius Pilate’s orders. Scholars like James Dunn say this is a fact widely accepted by experts. However, the Gospels describe the crucifixion differently. Some historians believe the presence of women at the cross is likely true because it would be unlikely for early Christians to invent a story where women were the main witnesses. Others think the women stayed because they were less likely to be arrested or were braver than the men.
All four Gospels, as well as an older story called the Gospel of Peter, say that a man named Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body from the cross and buried it. Mark and Matthew mention Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, as witnesses to the burial. Luke says women who followed Jesus were present but does not name them. John does not mention women at the burial but says a man named Nicodemus was there. Some scholars now believe the story of Jesus’ burial might not be true because Roman officials usually did not allow executed criminals to be buried. Others think Joseph of Arimathea might have buried Jesus in a simple tomb, not the costly one described in the Gospels.
The earliest written record of Jesus appearing after his death is a statement from Paul the Apostle in a letter called 1 Corinthians. This statement, written about 20 years before the Gospels, does not mention Mary Magdalene or the story of the empty tomb. Instead, it says Simon Peter saw Jesus after his death.
Portrayal in Gnostic writings
Mary is an important figure in Gnostic Christian texts, such as the Dialogue of the Savior, the Pistis Sophia, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Mary. These writings describe her as an apostle, Jesus's closest and most loved disciple, and the only person who fully understood his teachings. In Gnostic texts, or Gnostic gospels, Mary's close relationship with Jesus causes conflict with another disciple, Peter, because of her gender and Peter's jealousy over the special teachings given to her. In the Gospel of Philip, Marvin Meyer's translation includes the following passage (with missing words in brackets): "The companion of the […] is Mary of Magdala. The […] her more than […] the disciples, […] kissed her often on her […]."
Apocryphal early Christian writings
Writings from the New Testament apocrypha mention Mary Magdalene. Some of these writings were used as scripture by early Christians. However, they were never added to the official collection of New Testament books. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches generally do not consider these writings part of the Bible. In these non-canonical texts, Mary Magdalene is shown as a visionary and leader of the early movement whom Jesus loved more than the other disciples. These texts were written long after the death of the historical Mary Magdalene. Bible scholars do not regard them as reliable sources of information about her life. Sanders summarizes the scholarly consensus that:
Very little in the apocryphal gospels could have been written during the time of Jesus. These writings are legendary and mythological. Of all the apocryphal material, only some of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas are worth considering.
Nonetheless, these texts have often been promoted in modern works as if they were reliable. Such works frequently support exaggerated claims about Jesus and Mary Magdalene's relationship.
The earliest recorded dialogue between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is probably the Dialogue of the Saviour, a damaged Gnostic text found in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. The dialogue includes a conversation between Jesus, Mary, and two apostles—Thomas and Matthew. In saying 53, the Dialogue attributes three sayings to Mary that are also attributed to Jesus in the New Testament: "The wickedness of each day [is sufficient]. Workers deserve their food. Disciples resemble their teachers." The narrator praises Mary, stating, "she spoke this utterance as a woman who understood everything."
The Pistis Sophia, possibly dating to the second century, is the best-preserved Gnostic writing. It was discovered in the 18th century in a large volume containing many early Gnostic texts. The document includes a long conversation in which Jesus answers his followers' questions. Of the 64 questions, 39 are asked by a woman referred to as Mary or Mary Magdalene. At one point, Jesus says, "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." Later, he tells her, "Well done, Mary. You are more blessed than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullness and the completion of completion." Simon Peter, upset by Mary's dominance in the conversation, tells Jesus, "My master, we cannot endure this woman who gets in our way and does not let any of us speak, though she talks all the time." Mary defends herself, saying, "My master, I understand in my mind that I can come forward at any time to interpret what Pistis Sophia [a female deity] has said, but I am afraid of Peter, because he threatens me and hates our gender." Jesus reassures her, "Any of those filled with the spirit of light will come forward to interpret what I say: no one will be able to oppose them."
The Gospel of Thomas, usually dated to the late first or early second century, was found among ancient texts in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. The Gospel of Thomas includes 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. Many of these sayings are similar to those in the canonical gospels, but others are completely different. Some scholars believe that at least a few of these sayings may have originated from the historical Jesus. Two of the sayings mention a woman named "Mary," who is generally identified as Mary Magdalene. In saying 21, Mary asks Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?" Jesus replies, "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." Jesus then explains with a parable about a house owner and a thief, ending with the phrase, "Whoever has ears to hear let him hear."
Mary's mention in saying 114 has caused controversy:
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.
In the ancient world, many patriarchal cultures believed women were inferior to men and considered them "imperfect men" who had not fully developed. When Peter challenges Mary's authority in this saying, he does so based on the widely accepted belief that women are inferior. When Jesus rebukes him, he also uses the same premise, stating that Mary and all faithful women will become men, and salvation is available to all, even those who are currently women.
The Gospel of Philip, dating from
Legacy
Most early Church Fathers did not write about Mary Magdalene, and those who did often mentioned her only briefly. In his book The True Word, written between 170 and 180, the pagan philosopher Celsus claimed that Mary Magdalene was "a woman who either imagined things while in a strange mental state or made up a story to impress others." The Church Father Origen (c. 184–c. 253) responded to this in his work Against Celsus. He cited Matthew 28:1, which names Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" as witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. Origen also noted that Celsus mentioned some Christians following a woman named "Mariamme," likely Mary Magdalene, but dismissed this as unimportant.
A sermon by Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235) described Mary of Bethany and her sister Martha searching for Jesus in the garden, like Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of John. This suggests that some early writers mixed up the identities of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the unnamed woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. The sermon called Mary Magdalene a "second Eve" who corrected the first Eve’s disobedience through her faith. It also called Mary Magdalene and other women "apostles."
The first clear mention of Mary Magdalene as a sinner came from Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373). This may have been influenced by the reputation of Magdala, her birthplace, which was known for immoral behavior in the late first century.
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330–395) said Mary Magdalene was the "first witness to the resurrection" and that her faith helped correct her past mistakes. Ambrose (c. 340–397) disagreed with mixing up Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the anointing sinner. He believed they were different people. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) thought Mary of Bethany and the unnamed sinner in Luke’s Gospel might be the same person but did not connect Mary Magdalene to them. He praised Mary Magdalene for her deep love for Jesus.
The idea that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute began in 591 when Pope Gregory I linked her to the unnamed woman in Luke 7:36–50 and Mary of Bethany. His Easter sermon spread the belief that she was a repentant sinner. However, the New Testament does not say she was a prostitute. The confusion likely came from mixing up Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the unnamed woman in Luke’s Gospel.
Early Church writers like Tertullian (c. 160–225) referenced the "sinful woman" in Luke’s Gospel to prove Jesus was real, which may have started linking her to Mary Magdalene.
Medieval stories later exaggerated Mary Magdalene’s wealth, beauty, and journey to southern Gaul (modern-day France). The mix-up of her identity with Mary of Bethany and the unnamed woman became a major debate before the Reformation. Some Protestant leaders rejected this mix-up. During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church focused on Mary Magdalene as a symbol of repentance. In 1969, Pope Paul VI removed the mix-up from the General Roman Calendar, but the image of her as a former prostitute remained in popular culture.
The unnamed woman in Luke 7:36–50 was never called a prostitute. In Jewish society at the time, "sinful" might mean she did not follow the law of Moses strictly. Pope Gregory I’s homily in 591 first linked Mary Magdalene to the woman with the perfume in Luke’s Gospel and to Mary of Bethany. He said the seven demons Jesus cast out of her represented seven sins, including lust, pride, and greed. This idea shaped medieval views of her as a repentant sinner.
In Eastern Orthodox traditions, Mary Magdalene was seen as a disciple who lived with Mary, the mother of Jesus, after the resurrection. The Benedictine Order celebrated Mary of Bethany with Martha and Lazarus on July 29, while Mary Magdalene was honored on July 22. John Chrysostom and Ambrose also wrote about her in their works.
Religious views and veneration
The Eastern Orthodox Church has always believed that Mary Magdalene was never the same person as Mary of Bethany or the woman who anointed Jesus in the Bible (Luke 7:36–50). They taught that Mary Magdalene lived a life of virtue before and after she became a follower of Jesus. The church never saw her as someone who needed to repent for sins. People began to mix up Mary Magdalene with other women in the Bible only after a sermon by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, but this only happened in Western traditions. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, she is known as a "Myrrhbearer" (someone who carried myrrh, a type of perfume used in religious rituals) and "Equal to the Apostles" (seen as equal to the apostles). For many years, it has been a tradition among Eastern Orthodox Christians to share colored and painted eggs, especially on Easter Sunday. These eggs symbolize new life and the idea of Jesus rising from the tomb. During this tradition, people say, "Christ is risen!" One story about Mary Magdalene says that after Jesus died and rose again, she went to a banquet at the Roman emperor Tiberius' palace in Rome. She held an ordinary egg in her hand and said, "Christ is risen!" The emperor laughed and said it was as likely as the egg turning red in her hand. Before he finished speaking, the egg turned bright red, and she continued to share the message of Jesus with the emperor's family.
During the Counter-Reformation and Baroque periods (late 1500s and 1600s), the word "penitent" (someone who repents for sins) was added to the name of Mary Magdalene on her feast day, July 22. This change did not appear in the calendar from 1569 and is no longer in the current Roman Catholic calendar. However, the word "penitent" was used until the calendar from 1960. In the older version of the Mass, the Bible reading was from Luke 7:36–50 (the story of the woman anointing Jesus), while in the current version, it is from John 20:1–2, 11–18 (Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus after his resurrection).
Some scholars say the title "apostola apostolorum" (apostle of the apostles) first appeared in the 10th century, while others say it became common in the 12th century. People like Hugh of Cluny, Peter Abelard, and Bernard of Clairvaux gave Mary Magdalene this title. Another scholar, Jane Schaberg, mentions Geoffrey of Vendôme as someone who also used it. Some writings from the 9th century may have used similar ideas, such as a story where Jesus sent Mary Magdalene to the apostles as an apostle. This idea was later written in the 12th century. Because Mary Magdalene was seen as an apostle, the Catholic Church honored her by saying the "Gloria" (a prayer) on her feast day. This was the only female saint (other than Mary, the mother of Jesus) to be honored this way. In a letter from Pope John Paul II in 1988, he wrote about how women like Mary Magdalene were the first to see Jesus after his resurrection and the first to tell others about it. He called her "the apostle of the Apostles" because she was the first to see Jesus and share the news with the apostles.
On June 10, 2016, the Catholic Church changed the way Mary Magdalene was celebrated, making her feast day more important, like the feast days of most apostles. The Mass and prayers used on her day remained the same, but a new prayer was added to the Mass to call her "the Apostle to the Apostles."
In the 1549 version of the Book of Common Prayer, there was a feast day for Mary Magdalene on July 22, with the same Bible readings as in the older Mass. A new prayer was added. However, this feast was removed in the 1552 version and not added back until about 400 years later.
Modern Protestant Christians see Mary Magdalene as a disciple and friend of Jesus. Anglican Christians call her a saint and may follow her example of repentance. Some believe the rules of the church do not allow them to ask her for help, while others say they can.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America honors Mary Magdalene on July 22 as an apostle. This day is called a "lesser festival," which is a time to celebrate important people in the church.
Presbyterians call her "the apostle to the apostles." In a book about Methodist beliefs, someone wrote that she was "in effect" one of the first missionaries.
In the Church of England, Mary Magdalene is remembered with a festival, and in the Episcopal Church, she is honored with a major feast on July 22.
The Baháʼí Faith has many writings about Mary Magdalene, where she is seen as a great hero of faith and the "archetypal woman" (a perfect example of a woman) in all religious traditions. `Abdu'l-Bahá, who was the son of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, said she was a "channel of confirmation" (someone who helped others believe) to Jesus's disciples. He called her a "heroine" who helped the apostles believe again and a "light of nearness" in God's kingdom. He also said her true nature is always shining like a light in the world. He believed she showed that women are equal to men in God's eyes and could even be more holy and great than men. He said she was better than all the men of her time and had "crowns" (symbols of honor) on her head.
The Baháʼí writings also include many stories and sayings about Mary Magdalene that are not in the Bible, adding more details about her life.
Relics
Many of the supposed relics of the saint are kept in Catholic churches in France, especially at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, where her skull and a piece of forehead skin called the noli me tangere are displayed. The noli me tangere is believed to be from the area where Jesus touched Mary Magdalene after his resurrection in the garden. A tibia (a bone from the leg) also kept at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is the focus of an annual religious procession.
Her left hand is stored in the Simonopetra Monastery on Mount Athos.
Her left foot, placed in a special container made by Benvenuto Cellini, is kept in the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Rome. This relic is thought to be the first foot to enter the Holy Sepulcher after Christ's resurrection. Because of this, it was once kept in a chapel near the entrance to Ponte Sant'Angelo, as the final major relic before reaching Saint Peter's tomb.
Speculations
In 1998, Ramon K. Jusino suggested a new idea that the "Beloved Disciple" in the Gospel of John might be Mary Magdalene. He used writings from the Nag Hammadi Gnostic books to support his view, disagreeing with Raymond E. Brown, who believed these books were written later. Jusino argued that the Gospel of John we have today may have been changed from an earlier version that showed Mary Magdalene as the Beloved Disciple. However, the current Gospel of John always refers to the disciple as male, using only words that describe males. No differences in the oldest copies of the New Testament contradict this, so there is no physical proof of an earlier text. Richard J. Hooper does not agree with Jusino’s idea but says it is possible some early Christians thought Mary Magdalene was the disciple Jesus loved. Esther A. de Boer also considers this an idea worth considering, but not the only answer to the question of the disciple’s identity. Some religious groups view Mary Magdalene as a symbol of beauty and strength, and they honor her as a key figure in their teachings.
In 2003, Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code introduced many incorrect ideas about Mary Magdalene, such as that she was from the tribe of Benjamin, that she was Jesus’s wife, that she was pregnant during the crucifixion, and that she had a child who started a family line that continues today. No historical records, including the Bible or other early Christian writings, support these claims. The book also claimed that Mary Magdalene is the figure at Jesus’s right side in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, but art experts say the figure is actually the apostle John. Leonardo may have made John look more feminine in his painting, a style he used in other works. Scholars also note that Mary Magdalene was respected in the early church, so it would not have been unusual for her to be included in a painting like The Last Supper. Many books were written to correct the errors in The Da Vinci Code, but the novel still changed how many people think about Mary Magdalene.
In 2012, Karen L. King published a fragment of a Coptic text called The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife, which claims Jesus said, “My wife… she will be able to be my disciple.” Most scholars believe this fragment is a fake, and in 2016, King admitted it was likely a forgery.
Bart Ehrman says there is no historical evidence about Jesus’s personal life, including whether he was married or had a romantic relationship with Mary Magdalene. The Bible does not mention such a relationship, and even in later writings where Mary is shown as Jesus’s closest follower, their connection is not described as romantic. Ehrman explains that Jesus lived in a way that avoided marriage, as he taught that marriage would not exist in the future kingdom of God. Since the Bible mentions Jesus’s family members, such as his mother, father, brothers, and sisters, but never his wife, it is unlikely he was married. Scholars like Maurice Casey and Jeffrey J. Kripal also say there is not enough clear evidence to prove or disprove whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.