According to Gospel tradition, Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 6–4 BCE—c. 30 CE) from the town of Magdala in Galilee. She was neither Jesus’ wife nor a prostitute but, alongside other women, supported Jesus materially and accompanied him for part of his ministry. She also became one of the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.

The name “Mary Magdalene” offers little information about her.

“Mary,” from the Hebrew Miriam, was a common name in first-century Palestine. In just the gospels there are four other women named Mary: Mary the mother of Jesus (Mark 6:3; Matt. 1:16–18; Luke 1:27; Acts 1:14), Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:39–42; John 11:1–2; 12:3), Mary the mother of James and Joses (Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1; Matt. 27:56, 61; 28:1), and Mary wife of Cleopas (John 19:25). The mother of John Mark is also named Mary (Acts 12:12), and Paul mentions an unspecified Mary at the end of Romans (16:6).

Magdala, also known as Taricheae (Josephus Ant. 20.159 and J.W. 2.252; Riesner 2008, 734), was a reputable town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, well-known for its pickled fish (Strabo, Geog. 16.2.45) and large tower (Migdal Nûnnaya means “tower of fish” in b. Pesaḥ. 46a). It boasted a thriving agricultural and textile industry, as well as a hippodrome (Josephus J.W. 2.599), which indicates the influence of Hellenism.

The Gospel of Luke describes Mary Magdalene as possessed by demonic spirits and “from whom seven demons had gone out” (8:2–3), which appears to suggest she was once exorcised by Jesus (cf. Mark 16:9).

She financially supported Jesus’ ministry, alongside Joanna and Susanna, two other female disciples. One might speculate from this whether Mary Magdalene was wealthy or married at some point. Mark’s gospel names her beside other women as those who “used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee” (15:40–41). This clearly indicates that Mary Magdalene was part of the larger group of Jesus’ disciples.

All four gospels describe Mary Magdalene as a witness to Jesus’ crucifixion (Mark 15:40; Matt. 27:55–56; Luke 23:49; John 19:25). She also witnessed his burial in the tomb (Mark 15:47; Matt. 27:61; Luke 23:55), was one of the first witnesses of the empty tomb and angels (Mark 16:1–8; Matt. 28:1–8; Luke 24:1–8; John 20:1), and Jesus’ resurrection (Mark 16:9; Matt. 28:9–10; John 20:11–18). She was the first follower to proclaim the resurrection (John 20:18). She was also among the first to worship him (Matt. 28:9).

In Western Church tradition, Mary Magdalene has been wrongly identified with the sinful woman of Luke 7:36–50, the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1–11, and even Mary of Bethany in John 11–12. Contrary to sensational claims made by some authors in popular culture, she was not Jesus’ wife and did not bear him children. Mary Magdalene is best remembered as a faithful disciple of Jesus and a witness to his resurrection.

Mary Magdalene also has an important place in some non-canonical texts. In the Gospel of Thomas (d. early second century), Mary asks Jesus a question about his disciples, which produces an extended response about preparedness (saying 21). In saying 114, the last of Thomas’ gospel, Jesus is asked by Peter to send Mary away, and Jesus retorts with an enigmatic remark about salvation through androgyny. The Gospel of Peter (d. second century) refers to her as a “woman disciple of the Lord” who did not weep at Jesus’ tomb for fear of the Jews (12.50). The Ethiopic version of the Epistula Apostolorum (d. second century) describes her encounter with the resurrected Jesus and the disciples’ disbelief of her testimony. She features in several other works, including The Dialogue of the Saviour (d. mid- to late second century), Pistis Sophia (d. third/fourth century), the Gospel of Philip (mid- to late third century), and the Gospel of Mary (d. second century).

References and Resources

Bauckham, Richard. 2002. Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels. Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States: Eerdmans.

Lucaszewski, Albert. 2008. “Jubilee, Sin, and Forgiveness.” In The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus, edited by Craig A. Evans, 1127-1141 (Apple Books). Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England: Routledge.

Riesner, Rainer. 2008. “Geography of Galilee and Judea.” In The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus, edited by Craig A. Evans, 724–746. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England: Routledge.