The relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. Very little is known about what went on between these two, but people spend their lives trying to figure it out. What we do know is that Mary Magdalene left her home to follow Jesus and traveled with the other disciples – many of which were women. She was a courageous woman who chose not to flee from Jesus during the time of his crucifixion. She was the first person recorded to have met Jesus after he rose again.
In 1324, the Catholic Church
established its first “Magdalene House” in Naples, Italy. This house was created to help rescue “fallen women.” This further continued the unflattering views of Mary Magdalene into secular culture. Why do people still attach negative connotations to Mary Magdalene if there is no proof for it in the Bible? Well, it seems positive views of her have only come about relatively recently. In 1969, the Catholic Church announced that Pope Gregory the Great’s view of Mary Magdalene was faulty and would no longer be a belief held by them. It only took over 1,300 years for them to correct this mistake. The public can’t seem to shake their view of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute.Was Mary Magdalene only one of Jesus’ followers? Could she have been his wife? Did they possibly have children? How did Mary Magdalene get her lousy reputation in the gospels? This article looks at all of these questions and more.
10Who Was Mary Magdalene?
9Mary Was One of Jesus’ Disciples
It’s easy to confuse the word apostle with the disciple, and many do. In the Bible, Jesus chose twelve men to be His apostles. These men were to spread the word of Jesus after he rose from the dead. Besides these men, Jesus also had many other disciples, which can mean “followers” as well. Jesus’ disciples are known for having learned many lessons from him during his time on Earth. Mary Magdalene was one of these disciples, and she too ended up spreading his word after his death.
The other disciples are known for not having liked Mary Magdalene, but why is this? Although there are numerous different interpretations for why this could have been so, some believe that the other disciples were jealous of Mary and Jesus’ relationship. Conspiracists go as far as to say that the two may have even had a romantic relationship. During the early ages of Christianity, missionaries were typically in missionary couples, so this conspiracy theory about them having a love relationship may not be too far from the truth. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Garroway tells CNN that as a first-century Jewish man, it is very likely that Jesus would have been married during his lifetime. This idea leaves people wondering that if Jesus were married, did he have children? If so, that could mean that there are people today who may potentially be the descendants of Jesus.
Whether or not they were in a loving relationship, or only a relationship between teacher and student, as Jesus was in with his other disciples, it is clear that Mary Magdalene was dedicated to Jesus and all that he believed in.
8Pope Gregory the Great Referred to Mary Magdalene as a Sinner
7Mary Magdalene Was One of Jesus’ Most Faithful Followers
6Mary Magdalene Was Set Free From Seven Demons by Jesus
5Jesus and Mary Magdalene were Jewish
4Mary Magdalene Referred to Jesus as “Teacher” in Hebrew
3Mary Magdalene Appears in All Four Gospels
2Mary Magdalene is A Major Figure in Western Art
The mystery that has surrounded Mary Magdalene for so long has led her to become one of the most iconic figures in western art. Since it is impossible to know exactly what she looked like during the first century, every artist’s interpretation of Mary Magdalene varies a bit. During the Renaissance, many artists used the negative connotations attached to Mary Magdalene to inspire their artworks. This then continued the poor portrayal of Mary Magdalene in Western culture.
One of the most famous paintings of Mary Magdalene is by Georges de la Tour, which was done during the Baroque period. In this painting, we see Mary Magdalene staring at a smoking flame with a skull on her lap. The picture has all red undertones, a color that is typically related to sexuality.
Another iconic interpretation of Mary Magdalene is the painting “Mary Magdalene” by Frederick Sandys. Sandys painted her holding an ointment cup to demonstrate her as the unnamed “sinner” in Luke 7 who anoints Jesus’ feet. This painting is from 1860, which is during the time that the Catholic Church still associated her with this nameless character, so we can see how much the church influenced art during this era.
An excellent interpretation of John 20 is Antonio Allegri’s painting “Noli Me Tangere” from 1525. Here, we see Mary Magdalene kneeling before Jesus as he tells her not to touch him because he is about to ascend to Heaven. This painting is taken directly out of a biblical passage, so Allegri did not need to implement much of his own interpretation of Mary Magdalene – besides what she may have looked like.
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