Life of Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene. Versions of the Orthodox and Catholic traditions. How Orthodox represent Mary of Magdala

Some consider her to be the true messiah, who performed all the miracles and sacraments, and Jesus only accompanied her.

What happened to her? Whether she died in the Promised Land, or, as some say, she moved to France and continued her ministry there.

Most Christians consider her to be a harlot who met Jesus and was transformed, but the apocryphal gospels say that they were not only close, but she had power over him. Jesus was fascinated by her.

The real Mary Magdalene is much more interesting than the one written about in the Bible.

Mary Magdalene had special abilities: she knew how to heal, which is why she is so revered as a priestess, as a goddess.

She was special. The real Jesus Christ was a woman - Mary, whose role was retouched. Mary was the true spiritual leader in Judea in the first century AD.

Is the real Mary Magdalene a harlot or the thirteenth apostle?

St Baume, South of France (Saint Baume, south of France). Narrator: Jamie Theakston This is a version of events that you won't read about in the Bible, but many believe that a deal was struck with the then Roman governor of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate. Jesus was smuggled out of the city on the day of the crucifixion, maybe dead, maybe alive or asleep. This explains the absence of the body in the cave. But is it true?

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope”

There are enough hints in the Bible that Jesus didn't die on the cross: they didn't break his legs, he didn't stay on the cross long enough to die. Crucifixion is a long and painful death. It was quickly removed and after a while Jesus reappears. And if he really is the King of the Jews, then this is a serious threat to Rome, because he can raise the people to rebellion. He needed to disappear. And Mary, according to the lives of the saints, leaves the Holy Land and goes to France. The question is, was Jesus with her, or perhaps his body? What happened?

When the Romans crucified Jesus, Mary Magdalene was there and supported him until the very last minutes, then mourned his death. She was the first to discover an empty cave and witnessed the Resurrection.

In art, she is often depicted half-naked or a recluse repenting of her sins in the desert as an outcast. We know her as a harlot. This image, firmly established in the minds of scientists and historians, has nothing to do with the real Mary Magdalene.

She is mentioned in all four Gospels of the New Testament, but nowhere is it said that she is a harlot or a sinner.

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos

Author & Psychologist

The Biblical Mary Magdalene is a rather passive figure. This is the woman who got saved. And if we consider this story a fairy tale, then she is in it like a beautiful princess who needs to be saved. She is a penitent sinner who at some point met on the path of Jesus. But some historians believe that the real Mary Magdalene shared Jesus' beliefs and supported him. She may even have been the thirteenth apostle! Many believe in it.

Confusion with Marias: united and slandered

Ross Andrews

Author & Historian

She probably lived by the Sea of ​​Galilee in a small fishing village. Some believe that its roots are in Ethiopia, in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, others - in Egypt. It is rather difficult to choose one version and say that this one is the real Mary Magdalene.

It seems that Mary is sometimes confused with two other female characters in the Bible - with Mary, the sister of Martha, and with the nameless sinner from the Gospel of Luke. They both washed Jesus' feet with their hair.

In the 6th century, Pope Gregory made this false assumption, officially suggesting that the three characters were the same person: Mary Magdalene.

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope”

After the advent of Christianity, when the new faith began to spread, one of the features was that the role of Mary Magdalene began to be downplayed, and by the 6th century she became associated with a woman, according to the Bible, who committed adultery. It was then that she became what we know her - a fallen woman, a sinful harlot, a negative hero.

Richard Felix

Author & Historian

The image of the real Mary Magdalene has been changed by the church, just as the Bible, which has been rewritten, has been edited many times. A consecrated, wise, noble woman was exposed as a harlot, a sinner, which women were then considered to be. In Christianity, male images predominate, women are lower beings.

Lynn Picknett

When the early Christian church decided that the leaders in this religion were men, Mary became an example for women to follow. The woman had to obey the man, and, yes, they succeeded in this, largely due to the image of Mary Magdalene. Her name is so strongly associated with female shame that for centuries fallen women have been called Magdalene. This is terrible, this is the last straw!

Lynn Picknett wrote three books about Mary Magdalene and spent 30 years of her life searching for the truth about her.

Jamie Theakston: So who was Mary Magdalene?

Lynn Picknett: The church version of the story about her is based on the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and she is mentioned in passing in them. One can make many assumptions about her, but for the first time she comes to the fore in the scene of the crucifixion.

She sits at the foot of the cross, then enters the cave and sees that the body of Jesus has disappeared!

Further, she supposedly meets him in the garden - with the resurrected Jesus. This is her finest hour: the death of Jesus! She was there, played an important role in these events. But in the canonical Gospels, its significance is emphasized only when the story comes to an end.

Something great is waiting for us, I know - I had a vision so beautiful that it cannot be described in words ...

Who portrayed her like this in the Bible?

The responsibility lies entirely with the Catholic Church. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that she was a harlot. Only in the 8th century did the Pope describe her as a sinner, nothing more. But since she is a woman, it means that she is a harlot - since then it has been the custom. But this woman was called along with Jesus. They started their mission together, she was his equal. There were women who preached, baptized, healed, even communed with the sacraments. And when the church in its early years asked people about this, they answered: “Didn't you know? Jesus acted at the instigation of Mary Magdalene." And the early Christians knew this. They knew that Jesus empowered women and that Mary Magdalene was, as the apocrypha says, "the foremost of the apostles." Not Saint Peter, but she was called.

He who seeks him will find ...

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos

Author & Psychologist

Often women's names were erased from history. This story is 2000 years old, and if there was such a woman with power and significance, her name was removed, and her deeds were attributed to Jesus. Here's what is curious: for me, the words of Jesus sound like a speech of a hippie - after all, he wanted universal equality and justice! Well, then he should have considered a woman equal in rights, and her opinion significant. That is, a woman could preach and bring biblical wisdom to people.

Open your hearts and your minds and your souls...

Andrew Gough

We must remember that everything we know about Jesus and Mary Magdalene was written after they were gone. And imagine how a group of theologians at the First Council of Nicaea says: "Well, what are we going to write about, guys?" I believe they wrote the story of Jesus to cover up the fact that the leader of the first century AD spiritual community was a woman and not a man.

Life of Mary Magdalene in France: questions, riddles

The most incredible version is that Mary Magdalene fled from the Holy Land to France, being pregnant by Jesus.

Richard Felix

Author & Historian

Mary arrived in France and suddenly found herself at the center of the local Christian community. These people lived for 30 years in caves, like hermits, doing healing, performing miracles, the greatest of which, according to legend, was the arrival of Mary with a child under her heart.

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos

Author & Psychologist

Some believe that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus and they wanted to live as a family. There is hardly any confirmation of this, but we know for sure that in those days women were excluded from history and the role of Mary in the life of Jesus was belittled. In fact, her role both in the development of Christianity and in her relationship with Jesus was more significant - she was simply hushed up. I guess it's because she was a woman, that's the whole point.

St Marys of the Sea, South of France. This small town in the south of France is located near Marseilles and is called Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or "Saint Mary from the Sea". It is believed that here, in the 45th year, Mary Magdalene and the people accompanying her came ashore.

According to legend, they arrived here from Alexandria, from Egypt. Jesus' uncle Joseph of Arimathea accompanied her, and they may have carried the body of Jesus with them. The local church celebrates this event, but slightly confusing events, marking the arrival on this day of not one, but three Marys at once.

Eat! This is a festive meal for all of us in the name of the path we have traveled and the path that remains to be traveled. I am proud of you. Eat, drink!

The first church of St. Mary was built here in the 9th century, and my guide will be a local guide who knows a lot about Mary, Martine Guyot.

Jamie Theakston: Martina, what did Mary Magdalene do when she arrived here?

Not only Mary Magdalene, but all those who came with her. Their mission is to tell that Jesus is alive and resurrected. The Virgin Mary also arrived here, she was about 60, others were younger - like Mary Magdalene, who was 30-35 years old. They arrived with the message of Jesus and the gospel.

So Mary Magdalene preached here?

Yes, I think that's what they came here for...

Andrew Gough

In the Bible, in the scene of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection, Mary is hardly mentioned, then disappears altogether. But then she appears in the traditions of Southern France, where she probably went, and there is a connection - she was expelled from the largest Jewish community. Where should she go? The second largest Jewish community was then in Gaul, France.

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos

Author & Psychologist

She didn't just move and lay low, she had a mission. If she was a close associate of Jesus, then she shared his ideology and way of thinking. She believed in what he believed, and was not going to remain in the shadows. She became a missionary carrying his word.

Lynn Picknett

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

She was a rich woman with a purpose in life. She arrived in the south of France, preached, healed, perhaps even baptized people. In Languedoc there are rivers with the names Surz Madeleine, the Magdalene River, according to legend, she performed baptism in them. She is an epic figure, perhaps the first apostle.

Holy relics: Mary Magdalene existed!

St Marys of the Sea, South of France. At the very top of the church of St. Mary there is a small chapel where the relics of the three Marys are kept. Martina got permission for us to visit her.

Jamie Theakston: What is this? Private oratory?

Martin Guillot. Local guide: This is the upper chapel. That's what it's called. It is located in the bell tower. At first it was dedicated to Michael the Archangel, like all the upper chapels of France, then the relics of St. Mary were transferred here.

So we're in church?

There is a reliquary. Some of the relics of Maria Salomeeva and Maria Iakovleva are also kept there. There are 11 fragments of bones, charred because the relics were burned during the French Revolution.

So, there are particles of the relics of Mary?

Guy Walters

Author, "Hunting Evil"

This story tells us that Mary Magdalene ended her days in France, the figure we have always thought Jesus was. This means that she, being essentially a vagabond, preached the word of God and spread the Christian doctrine. Well, that's an interesting idea!

Jamie Theakston: Why are there no relics of Mary Magdalene here?

Martin Guillot. Local guide: Mary Magdalene did not stay here. When the ship arrived, Maria Iakovleva and Maria Salomeeva went ashore. Mary Magdalene went on.

Do you know where?

St. Baume. The relics of Mary Magdalene are located in Sainte-Baume, in the church of Saint-Maximin (fr. Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume).

Pilgrimage of the Gypsies, South of France. Every year in May, the small town celebrates the arrival of the three Marys with a big festival. The casket with the relics is carefully lowered down from the bell tower. The procession will follow him and the sacred boat to the seashore. And the bishop on the way of the procession will bless the thousands of those gathered - they all honor the arrival of the three Marys.

Jamie Theakston: Will this boat be taken to the sea?

Martin Guillot. Local guide: Yes, to the sea. She, of course, will be kept above the water, and at that moment the bishop will bless the sea and the holy relics. Relics from the reliquary, because the sea brought us the word of God.

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope”

Even the Catholic Church believes that Mary arrived in France. Her relics are kept in St. Peter's Basilica. Those. Catholics accept the old version that Mary arrived in France. There is a local interpretation of this story that she continued the work of Jesus, and in the apocryphal gospels she is a participant in the sacraments of Jesus.

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos

Author & Psychologist

It was she who was asked by the other apostles what Jesus said to her, because she knew more than they did. In the south of France, candles are still lit in honor of Mary Magdalene, because she is part of Christianity and the mission of Jesus. She healed, enjoyed authority and was a strong woman. That is, even in Catholic countries there are people who do not accept the biblical image of this woman, and we believe that she was a more powerful figure than is reflected in Scripture.

St Maximin, South of France. In 1279, during excavations in the crypt of the French church of Saint-Maximin, a first-century tomb was discovered. And in it is an amazing find - a marble sarcophagus.

Charles II, Count of Provence, said that he led these excavations because he had a vision in which Mary Magdalene appeared.

When the sarcophagus was opened, a pleasant sweet smell came from there, which was considered a symbol of the fact that Mary.

Pilgrims and tourists from everywhere seek the relics of the Magdalene. I am accompanied by a local priest, Father Florien Racine.

Father Florien Racine: Jamie, we're going to the 4th-century crypt of Mary Magdalene. Her remains and relics are kept here. Here is the old grille. It's cold in here, which means the church was built over this crypt.

Jamie, we're in the crypt now, and you can see the sarcophagi here. And this one is Mary Magdalene. It is made of marble, a beautiful translucent marble. If it is illuminated, it will shine through. The sarcophagus depicts scenes from the life of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. They are badly damaged, because many pilgrims tried to take pieces of this marble with them. Therefore, he is in a bad state.

Andrew Gough

The church of Saint-Maximin in Provence houses what they believe to be the skull of Mary Magdalene. He looks believable. It is used in rituals and ceremonies to this day.

And that makes sense, because it's important to know where you're going to be placed if you're going to be a significant person. Where is the skull of Jesus? And don't tell me he ascended! Such things tell us that these people existed and it is quite possible that this is the skull of a woman who lived and preached at that time.

He who has ears, let him hear, and he who has understanding, let him understand.

Father Florien Racine: It is important for Christians to return to the tradition and belief that Mary Magdalene existed. This is not a legend. Many pilgrims found grace here, praying to Mary Magdalene.

Jamie Theakston: How do you know that this is the skull of the real Mary Magdalene?

She was buried here and in the 4th century her remains were transferred to a sarcophagus. In the 7th-8th centuries, the Saracens got here, and all the sarcophagi had to be removed underground, and the veneration of Mary Magdalene became a local tradition. We know that there was nothing here, everything was destroyed, and only in 1279 Charles II of Anjou excavated here, found these sarcophagi deep underground. Then he took the skull of Mary Magdalene, found here, and went to the Vatican to the then Pope Boniface VIII. By that time, the pope already had Mary's jaw. And when they brought the skull, the jaw fit perfectly. And then Boniface VIII recognized that the relics from Saint-Maximin belong to Mary Magdalene.

Curiously, the skull of Mary Magdalene was found with the remains of the skin in those places where Jesus himself allegedly touched it.

When Mary Magdalene saw the Resurrection of the Lord, she tried to hold Jesus by crouching at his feet, and he said: “Do not touch me!” and pushed her away by touching her skin (on her forehead). We speak Latin Noli me tangere. Pieces of skin were torn off during the French Revolution and later placed in this ark, see?

Is this the skin of Mary Magdalene that Jesus touched?

Exactly! This is the symbol of the Resurrection of the Lord.

My task, so to speak, was to find the real Mary Magdalene, and here she is!

Yes it is, you found it.

Lynn Picknett

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

For the local Catholic Church, she is very important, and I think that Mary Magdalene is honored here because she lived with them all these years. They know what she really was, and this image does not correspond to the canonical one. They honor only one of the versions of her life, they do not consider her an equal partner of Jesus on a spiritual level. They honor a harlot who has repented and regained her faith.

Jesus' wife?

St Marys of the Sea, South of France. Over 100 years ago, this story took on an interesting development. In 1896, a German scientist found a curious papyrus book in the Cairo bazaar. It had a leather cover and was written in Coptic. It was the gospel of Mary.

Lynn Picknett

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

If we look at the non-canonical gospels rejected by the Church in the 4th-5th centuries, at the apocryphal Gospel of Philip, of Thomas, of Mary Magdalene, she is the main one there. No, the main one, of course, is Jesus, but Mary is equal to him, and we get a very clear picture. First of all, she is energetic, she cannot be silenced, she does not behave like a Jewish woman of that time, you cannot tell her “know your place!”. Her hair is loose. Then only women of a certain reputation did such a hairstyle. But she doesn't care, her relationship with Jesus is more important to her. From the apocrypha it is clear that their relationship is not just closeness, but physical closeness. And she had power over Jesus - he was fascinated by her.

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope”

In non-canonical gospels, such as the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, she is referred to as the first apostle. The fact that she had intimate intimacy with Jesus - he often kissed her, loved her - one of the apostles clearly speaks about this: “Why do you not love us as you love her?”. Jesus answered, "Because I love her differently than I love you." That is, the apocrypha says for sure that she meant a lot to him, and was his companion. She is described as a companion of Jesus, that is, she is his equal.

Ross Andrews

Author & Historian

The relationship between Mary and Jesus is very controversial. Most biblical historians and theologians look at them from a biblical perspective. But if you want to cleanse them of myths and legends in order to find the facts, you will be faced with a question of faith. And here you have to look at this story from a different angle. It is highly probable that Jesus was married, perhaps he had children; strange if he didn't have them. And if we assume that he is married, then to whom? Isn't it the woman who always accompanies him, speaks for him? In some lyrics, they even kiss and walk together, and even he "shares his life with her." I would say they were married.

Andrew Gough

If you look at the life of Mary Magdalene, she used expensive ointments, ointments, kissed Jesus on the lips, appeared at the cross, perhaps already pregnant. She alone saw his resurrection! Such behavior is not permissible for any satellite. Wife - yes, the leader of the spiritual community - too.

When Mary Magdalene had an intimacy with Jesus, it is possible that a child was born from this connection. But one thing we know for sure - in the south of France, Mary is revered as the most important biblical figure. She, with a small group of followers, began to preach and spread the teachings of the Gospels. In this area, many churches have relics dedicated to Mary.

St Maximin, South of France. Father Florien Racine will show me the relics discovered at the same time as Mary's skull.

Father Florien Racine: We go to the vestry of the basilica. I want to show you, Jamie, something interesting... Here is Mary Magdalene's hair.

Jamie Theakston: Wow! Can you hold?

Yes please. You are holding Mary Magdalene's hair that was on her skull when it was found in 1279. A small piece of hair.

We recently examined it and found traces of red pigment. Now we know that Mary Magdalene had red hair.

Red hair! How many pictures depict her like this? Redhead, right?

Yes, it is important. Especially because in the Gospel Mary mourns at the feet of Jesus and wipes her tears with her hair.

Then he pours incense on the feet of Jesus and rubs them again with his hair. Therefore, Mary's hair is so significant and important.

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope”

The image of Mary is important because she stood at the origins of Christianity. If you are a Christian, then the path of Mary should be close to you, because the rest of the apostles accepted her closeness to Jesus and her participation in sermons. The spiritual development of a person is not shown in the Bible, but it could well have brought Christianity to France.

Lynn Picknett

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

Many believe that Jesus played a dominant role in this union, since he was a man and the world at that time was masculine. But why did he then let her sit at the foot of the cross in Judea? I think that there was a spiritual connection between them, and here we clearly see a change in his doctrine under her influence. And yet - she did not write down his speeches, did not try to save them. Apparently, she was the author of many of them, and when Jesus left the stage, she raised his banner.

Father Racine showed me another object. Shroud of the XIV century, which was worn during processions dedicated to Mary.

Father Florien Racine: Let's unfold it, it's old and fragile.

When his son became a bishop, he could use the shroud during the procession in honor of Mary Magdalene.

Jamie Theakston: That is, the church believes that Mary Magdalene really existed? This is true? Do you believe in it?

Martin Guillot. Local guide: Yes.

That she was a harlot who was transformed?

Yes, repentant.

Did repentance make an apostle of Christ from a harlot? And is that the point of this story?

Yes Yes exactly. This is her real life.

Apostolic ministry: woman equal to man

Lynn Picknett

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

This is a special place. If you look at the cave, then this is a church. It is like a church, and not like the poorest church.

Imagine she lived in this grotto for the last 30 years of her life. Everything here is imbued with her unusual energy. Perhaps she was hiding here, so the official story says. She fled the Holy Land where she was persecuted by the early Christians. She may have been hiding, but she also needed spiritual nourishment. It is said that she came here and spent the rest of her days praying for the remission of her sins. And, of course, she prayed to Jesus, dedicating her life to apostolic service.

Author, “Christianity’s Hidden Goddess”

This chapel was built by the monks of the Dominican Order, to whom it still belongs. They made her very beautiful and dedicated her to Mary with all their heart and soul. Pilgrims visit it for the sake of Mary Magdalene. Legends and chronicles say that she converted all of Provence to the true faith and only then retired to the cave. People visited her there to talk and believe, but most likely, this is a juggling of facts, local stories, nothing else.

Being here, you will be amazed at how many pilgrims and tourists come here, impressed by the history of Mary Magdalene. I'm sure they are attracted by her image, so debased in the Bible. Amazingly, until 1969, the church considered her a harlot, and now she is revered as a healer, priest and defender of Christianity, no matter how strange it may sound.

In any case, Mary Magdalene is one of the most controversial characters in the Bible. Historians are sure that if she really existed, then in the 3rd-4th centuries in the New Testament she was branded a harlot. Why this was done is an open question.

Many modern scholars and historians believe that this was done in order to discredit her lover, who is undoubtedly considered the messiah.

Jamie Theakston: Do you think another chapter will be written in the history of Mary Magdalene?

Lynn Picknett. Co-Author, “The Templar Revelation”: As for me, I will not stop exploring this story, because it has everything you need to tell a story. And for people like me who are interested in religion and its influence on culture, this search will continue. If you want to read Mary Magdalene, start now.

Robert Howells

Author, “The Last Pope” Author & Historian

I believe that for the last 2000 years we have looked at women, in particular at Mary Magdalene, from a different angle. And all of a sudden, a woman is equal in rights with a man. Finally it happened. And in the current context, Mary Magdalene can be considered the new messiah.

Andrew Gough

The irony is that in recent years the church has officially declared that she was not a harlot. And it is this statement that makes it even more popular. Maria is a modern rock star, an icon of the feminist movement and the most revered woman in history. Yes, the Catholic Church!

So was Mary Magdalene the mistress and wife of Jesus? Had she conceived a child by him, or perhaps several? Was she the true messiah and head of the new Christian church, who was simply erased from history a couple of centuries after her death, branded as a harlot? Will the church continue to support this deception? Make up your mind, see you soon!

The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was born in the town of Magdala on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, in Galilee, in the northern part of the Holy Land, not far from the place where John the Baptist baptized. When the Lord cleansed her soul and body from all sins, having cast out seven demons from her, she, leaving everything, followed Him.

Saint Mary Magdalene followed Christ along with other myrrh-bearing women, showing touching concern for Him. Becoming a faithful disciple of the Lord, she never left Him. She alone did not leave Him when He was taken into custody. The fear that prompted the Apostle Peter to renounce and forced all of His other disciples to flee was overcome by love in the soul of Mary Magdalene. She stood at the Cross with the Most Holy Theotokos, experiencing the sufferings of the Savior and sharing the great sorrow of the Mother of God. When the soldier put the end of a sharp spear to the silent heart of Jesus, excruciating pain simultaneously pierced the heart of Mary.

Joseph and Nicodemus took down from the tree the Most Pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ. With burning tears of immeasurable sorrow, the inconsolable Mother poured over the bloody wounds of the Immaculate Son. The precious body of Jesus was, according to Jewish custom, wrapped in a thin shroud with spices.

It was about midnight, and the stars were already lit up in the dark vault of calm skies, when Joseph and Nicodemus, having lifted the Priceless Burden on their shoulders, began to descend from the top of the mortal hill.

In deep silence they passed through the garden and reached the eastern side of it, adjacent to the rocky foot of Mount Moria.

Here, in the stone wall formed by nature itself by the rocky ledges of the mountain, a new coffin was carved into the rock, in which no one had ever been laid. The servants rolled away the heavy stone that blocked the entrance to the cave, and the light from the kindled fires instantly penetrated its gloomy vaults. In the middle lay a smoothly hewn stone. The body of the Unforgettable Teacher was assigned to him by the disciples. The Most Holy Theotokos and Mary Magdalene watched where He was placed.

A heavy stone was rolled against the door of the coffin.

After Saturday, on the very first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb very early, when it was still dark, to pay the last honors to the body of the Savior, anointing it, as usual, with peace and aromas, and sees that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb. With tears, she runs to Peter and John and tells them: “They took the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they put Him.” They immediately followed her and, having come to the tomb, they saw only linen sheets and a linen kerchief with which the head of Jesus was tied, carefully folded, not with linen, but lying in another place. "They did not yet know from the Scriptures that He was to rise from the dead" (John 20:1-10).

Keeping a deep silence, Peter and John returned to their place, and Mary Magdalene, exhausted by ignorance and sadness, stood at the tomb and wept. Weeping, she bent down, looked into the tomb and sees: in the place where the body of Jesus lay, two Angels in white robes are sitting. “Woman, why are you crying?” they ask.

"They have carried away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Having said this, she turned back and saw Jesus standing; but did not know it was Jesus.

“Woman, why are you crying? Jesus tells her. Who are you looking for?

She, thinking that this is a gardener, says to Him: “Sir! If you have carried it, tell me where you have put it, and I will take it.”

"Maria!" She suddenly heard a familiar, dear voice.

"Teacher!" she exclaimed in her natural Aramaic, and threw herself at His feet.

But Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say to them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.”

Radiant with happiness, reborn to a new life, Mary Magdalene rushed to the students.

“I saw the Lord! He spoke to me!” - with blissful delight, shining with bright rays in beautiful blue eyes moistened with tears, Mary informed the disciples of Jesus about the miraculous phenomenon that she was honored with. And her joy reached such proportions as her recent grief had reached.

"Christ is risen! He is truly the Son of God! I saw the Lord!…” – this was the first good news that Mary Magdalene brought to the apostles, the first sermon in the world about the Resurrection. The apostles were supposed to preach the gospel to the world, but she preached the gospel to the apostles themselves:

“Rejoice, from the mouth of Christ the announcement of the Resurrection was the first to receive;

Rejoice, thou who first proclaimed to the apostles the words of joy.”

According to legend, Mary Magdalene preached the gospel not only in Jerusalem. When the apostles departed from Jerusalem to all the ends of the world, she went with them. Mary, having preserved in her heart burning with divine love every word of the Savior, left her native land and went to pagan Rome with a sermon. And everywhere she proclaimed to people about Christ and His teachings. And when many did not believe that Christ had risen, she repeated to them the same thing that she had said to the apostles on the bright morning of the Resurrection: “I saw the Lord! He spoke to me." With this sermon, she traveled all over Italy.

Tradition says that in Italy, Mary Magdalene appeared to the emperor Tiberius (14-37) and told him about the life, miracles and teachings of Christ, about His unrighteous condemnation by the Jews, about the cowardice of Pilate. The emperor doubted the miracle of the Resurrection and asked for proof. Then she took the egg and, giving it to the emperor, said: “Christ is Risen!” At these words, the white egg in the emperor's hands turned bright red.

The egg symbolizes the birth of a new life and expresses our faith in the coming common Resurrection. Thanks to Mary Magdalene, the custom of giving each other Easter eggs on the day of Christ's bright Resurrection has spread among Christians all over the world. In one ancient handwritten Greek Rule, written on parchment, stored in the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia near Thessalonica (Thessalonica), there is a prayer read on the day of Holy Easter for the consecration of eggs and cheese, which indicates that the abbot, distributing the consecrated eggs, says to the brethren : “So we received from the holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very times of the apostles, for the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was the first to show the believers an example of this joyful sacrifice.”

Mary Magdalene continued her evangelism in Italy and in the city of Rome itself until the arrival of the Apostle Paul there and two more years after his departure from Rome, after the first trial of him. Obviously, this is what the holy apostle has in mind in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16:16), when he mentions Mary (Mariam), who "worked hard for us."

Mary Magdalene selflessly served the Church, being exposed to dangers, sharing with the apostles the labors of preaching. From Rome, the saint, already at an advanced age, moved to Ephesus (Asia Minor), where she preached and helped the Apostle John the Theologian in writing the Gospel. Here she, according to the tradition of the Church, reposed and was buried.

Where to venerate the relics of Mary Magdalene

In the 10th century, under the emperor Leo the Philosopher (886-912), the incorruptible relics of St. Mary Magdalene were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople. It is believed that during the Crusades they were transported to Rome, where they rested in the temple in the name of St. John Lateran. Later, this temple was consecrated in the name of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. Part of her relics is in France, in Provage, near Marseille. Parts of the relics of Mary Magdalene are kept in various monasteries of Mount Athos and in Jerusalem. Numerous pilgrims of the Russian Church visiting these holy places reverently venerate her holy relics.

“Rejoice, glorious evangelist of Christ's teachings;

Rejoice, having loosed the sinful bonds of many people;

Rejoice, thou who taught the wisdom of Christ to all.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the sweetest Lord Jesus more than all blessings.”

Magnification of Mary Magdalene

We magnify you, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, and we honor your holy memory, enlightening the whole world with your teachings and leading to Christ.

Professor at Harvard Divinity School Karen King found a mention in the text about wife Jesus Christ on a Coptic papyrus dated to the 4th century AD. She spoke about this in a presentation at the 10th International Congress of Coptic Studies in Rome, The Harvard Gazette reported on September 18.
"Jesus said to them: my wife", says the snippet. The papyrus, measuring approximately 3.5 by 7.5 centimeters, belongs to a private collector. On one side, it contains eight incomplete lines written by hand, while on the other side, only three words and individual signs have been preserved. The origin of the fragment is unknown, but based on the fact that the inscriptions on it are made in Coptic (the language of the early Christians in Egypt), scientists assume that the papyrus was found in Egypt.


On one side of the papyrus, the researcher found eight incomplete lines of text. The reverse side of the fragment is badly damaged, and due to faded ink, even after scanning with an infrared beam, only three words and a few individual letters could be distinguished on it. Despite the modest size of the find, the Harvard expert believes that the papyrus sheds a long-awaited light on family and marriage among ancient Christians. Karen King plans to publish her findings in the January issue of Harvard Theological Review. A draft of her work, along with images and a translation of the new fragment, is available on the website Harvard Divinity School.

Scientists Find Shows Jesus Was Married

MAria Magdalene is one of the most mysterious personalities of the Gospel. People formed an idea about it mainly from pictures on biblical themes. They usually depict a half-naked repentant sinner with beautiful long hair, with which, according to the New Testament, she wiped the feet of Jesus.

materials of antiquity. Mystery of Mary Magdalene

“The Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary” can provide very brief information about her: “- the myrrh-bearing woman comes from the city of Magdala. She led a dissolute life, and J. Christ with his sermon returned her to a new life and made her his most devoted follower. After the resurrection, J. Christ appeared to her before the others.

It turns out that he preferred the former harlot, who, in accordance with the strict Jewish laws he observed, had to be stoned to death. This strange addiction of the Savior to Mary Magdalene made many scholars who studied the Bible and looked for evidence of the events in history that occurred in it, take a closer look at this woman.

A detailed presentation of one of the hypotheses explaining the role of this mysterious figure in the New Testament is contained in the book by M. Baigent, R. Lay, G. Lincoln "Sacred Mystery". According to these researchers, the special relationship of Jesus Christ to Mary of Magdala is explained very simply: she was ... his wife. This version is confirmed by individual episodes described in the Bible, as well as existing Hebrew traditions and some Gnostic Gospels.

Early Christian scholar Professor Geza Vermes of the University of Oxford writes: “The gospels are completely silent on the marital status of Jesus... This is an unusual situation in the ancient Jewish world that deserves special study. After all, it is known from the Gospel that many of Jesus' disciples, for example, Peter, were married, and Jesus himself does not praise celibacy (celibacy). “Have you not read that the Creator created man and woman from the very beginning? ... So let a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will be one flesh,” he declares in chapter XIX of Luke. According to ancient Jewish tradition, the marriage union was obligatory for every man. Moreover, celibacy was condemned by society. One Jewish writer of the late 1st century even equates it with murder.

People were especially strict with the “rabbi” - a person who chose the path of religious education, namely, Christ went to them. Jewish law pointed this out in the most categorical way: "An unmarried person cannot claim to teach others."

One of the proofs of the version that Jesus was married is the description in the Gospel of John of the wedding in Cana of Galilee, which was attended by Jesus and his mother. At this time, Christ did not yet preach the new faith and did not work miracles.

As you know, at some point it turned out that the wine at the wedding was over. And here, unexpectedly, the mother of Jesus takes on the functions of a hostess: “And as there was not enough wine, the Mother of Jesus says to Him: “They have no wine,” and gives an order to the servants: “Whatever He tells you, do.” Jesus fulfills the mother's wish and turns water into wine. Although, if they were only guests at the wedding, then it was not their concern to monitor how wine and food were served.

The intervention of Jesus becomes easily explained (and even necessary) only in one case: when it comes to his own wedding. This interpretation of the episode is confirmed by the words of the “master of the table” addressed to the groom: “... every person first serves good wine, and when they get drunk, then the worst; and you have saved good wine until now. And these words clearly refer to Jesus, who performed his first miracle in front of everyone.

According to the Gospel, researchers also establish the identity of the wife of Jesus. She was, whose role in the life of Christ looks deliberately obscured. As already mentioned, after the Resurrection, Jesus first appeared to her, which emphasizes her special significance in the life of Christ. And according to the evangelists Mark and Matthew, Mary appears under her own name among the disciples of Jesus only at the moment of his crucifixion. The Evangelist Luke mentions it much earlier. Meeting Jesus in Galilee, Mary accompanies him to Judea. But in those days it was simply unthinkable for an unmarried woman to travel alone along the roads of Palestine. Even less likely was her presence in the rabbi's entourage. Therefore, Mary Magdalene must have been married to one of the disciples or to Jesus himself.

Researchers find confirmation of the last assumption in the Gnostic Gospels written by the first Christians and not included in the New Testament. For example, the Gospel of Philip testifies that the disciples of Jesus were very jealous of the fact that he only kissed Mary Magdalene on the lips. Peter was especially indignant and even became because of this her implacable enemy. It is the special relationship of Christ to Mary Magdalene, as mentioned in the Gnostic Gospels, that was the reason for not including these books in the Christian canon. The privileged position of Mary is also emphasized in the works of the first Christian writers, who called her "the wife of Christ."

According to the authors of the book "The Sacred Riddle", first the bride of Christ, and then his wife was Mary Magdalene. Another confirmation of their version, they consider the veneration of Mary in the south of France. Churches and cathedrals were built in her honor. “All tourists know,” the researchers write in their book, “that Chartres Cathedral was dedicated to “Notre Dame-” (in French - “our lady, our mistress, mistress”). It is usually translated as an appeal to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary. The great Paris Cathedral is also dedicated to "Notre Dame". But in this case, Mary Magdalene is revered in the south of France, and not Our Lady at all.

It turns out that most of the temples of Paris and its district are sanctuaries of none other than Mary Magdalene. This fact interested historians when it became known that in many of these churches there is a statue of a woman with a baby, who is usually represented as Mary with the child Jesus. However, it is possible that during the construction of these buildings, another heretical one is hidden behind an obvious Christian cult. There is reason to believe that Chartres Cathedral was secretly dedicated to Mary Magdalene, the supposed wife of Christ.”

In the south of France, legends arose about the Grail, the sacred cup in which the blood of Christ crucified on the cross was collected. The cup was held in her hands by Mary Magdalene. Not only in the south of France, but also in Russia, there were legends about the special role of this woman in the life and death of Christ, sometimes reflected on icons.

The precious Byzantine enamel of the Crucifixion is kept in the Tbilisi National Museum. Experts attribute it to the 10th-11th centuries. There is a version that this image is an analogue of the enamel that adorned the Throne of Constantinople. The main thing in its plot is a female figure with a cup into which the blood of Christ is poured. To the left of the crucifix is ​​a woman dressed like a woman with a bowl. Thus, the author of the creation persistently suggests that this woman is depicted at different points in time. Who is the one who collected the blood of the Savior into the Grail and took it away from Golgotha? N. Kandakov, a specialist in Russian icon painting, believes that Mary Magdalene is depicted on the Tbilisi enamel of the Crucifixion of Christ.

There is another very important question that the authors of the book “The Sacred Mystery” are trying to answer: “If the marriage of Jesus to Mary Magdalene was concluded, then what was the purpose of it? Or more precisely, did it hide dynastic matrimony and political interests? »

The gospel of Matthew establishes the origin of Jesus from the kings David and Solomon. In this case, he is the only legal claimant to the throne of Palestine. Therefore, the inscription "King of the Jews", placed on the cross, is not a mockery of him, but a statement of a real fact. And the proof of this is the famous "Massacre of the Innocents" arranged by Herod. He was mortally afraid of the appearance of a legitimate contender for the throne and was ready to go to any extreme to get rid of him.

But what is the connection between the fact that Jesus is the rightful king of Judah and the need for him to marry Mary Magdalene? At the very beginning of the appearance of the Jews in Palestine, the holy city of Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. But his enmity with other tribes of Israel led to the fact that the tribe was forced to go into exile and power passed to the representatives of the tribe of Judah. True, as evidenced by the “documents of the Community”, many representatives of the tribe did not dare to leave their homeland.

Jesus, who belonged to the offspring of David, in the eyes of the tribe of Judah was a legitimate claimant, but in the eyes of the remnants of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in this area, he was a usurper. The situation might have changed after his marriage to a woman from the tribe of Benjamin. There is no information in the Gospel about which tribe Mary Magdalene belonged to, but, according to some legends, she came from the royal dynasty of the tribe of Benjamin. Therefore, in this case, an alliance of two formerly hostile dynasties could arise, which would have serious political consequences. Israel would have received a priest-king, Jerusalem would have returned to its rightful owners, national unity would have been strengthened, and Jesus' right to the throne would have been reasserted.

About the opinion of the authors of the book "Sacred Mystery", the existence of the family of Jesus was inconvenient and even dangerous for the development of Christianity. This can explain the consistent and purposeful selection of information contained in the Gospels, placed in the New Testament. In addition to the four canonical gospels, there were others. A special place is occupied by the Gospels of Thomas and Philip, which allow us to assume that there was also a direct descendant of Jesus.

Jesus' wife Mary Magdalene and his children left the Holy Land and took refuge in Gaul, in the south of modern France, in the Jewish community. An indirect confirmation of this is the veneration of Mary Magdalene that has survived to this day, including the construction of churches dedicated to her, which has already been mentioned. Thus, the direct descendants of Jesus took root in Gaul - the royal blood of David, transferred by Christ to his descendants, ended up in southern France.

Traditions about this were kept in the strictest secrecy for almost four hundred years. In the 5th century, the offspring of Jesus, merging with the Franks, gave birth to the Merovingian dynasty. These kings had, according to legend, the ability to cure people from the most terrible diseases by a simple laying on of hands, as Christ did. Duke Godefroy of Bouillon, one of the inspirers of the Crusade, who conquered the Holy Land from the Saracens, was descended from Jesus, and his capture of Jerusalem in 1099 was something more than just a victory over the infidels. It was a war to win back the sacred inheritance that should have belonged by right to the Duke's ancestor Jesus.

There is another very important fact that indirectly confirms the arrival of Mary Magdalene in southern France. Together with her, one of the main Christian shrines arrived in Europe -. There are a lot of legends about where this bowl is located.

One of the most popular legends is associated with the Albigensians, followers of heretical teachings that engulfed the south of France at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. It was here, according to the authors of the book "The Sacred Riddle", that the Jewish community was located at the beginning of the first millennium, in which it found refuge. In the impregnable Albigensian fortress of Montsegur, the Grail was kept, which was their great relic. In 1209 the Pope declared a crusade against the Albigensians. For 35 years of continuous wars, the richest provinces of France were completely devastated, thousands of people were executed, but did not abandon their religion. In 1244, the last Albigensian stronghold, Montsegur, fell. But the crusaders did not get the sacred relic. On the night before the surrender of the fortress, four "initiates" fled through a complex system of underground passages and took the Holy Grail with them.

About the Holy grail remembered in the 30s in Nazi Germany. Otto Rahn, one of the developers of the theory of the existence of the Nordic race, visited the ruins of Montsegur, examined the area surrounding the fortress and visited some of the many natural caves where, in his opinion, the Holy Grail was hidden. In 1937, he organized an expedition, and, according to rumors, he managed to get information confirming that the Grail was located here.

Otto Rahn failed to send the next expedition: the scientist disappeared without a trace. In 1943, when Germany was already suffering an obvious defeat, a huge expedition arrived in Montsegur, organized by the Ahnenerbe society, which is part of the SS structure. Until the spring of 1944, the participants of the campaign conducted intensive searches in the caves under the fortress and around it. In some newspapers, after the end of the war, reports flickered that holy grail

Mentioned both in Catholicism and in Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Shelters for fallen women are named after her, the image of a penitent sinner is identified with her, and prayers addressed to the icon of Magdalene grant humility, courage, help in persecuting and admonishing the Gentiles. Mary is traditionally considered the patroness of social workers, preachers and teachers. Mary Magdalene was also a favorite subject for Renaissance artists.

Childhood and youth

The biography of Magdalene is full of mysteries and secrets, because the only source indicating the reality of the life of the legendary follower of Jesus Christ is the gospel text. Therefore, biographers and scientists cannot confirm or refute whether Mary Magdalene is a historical person to this day.

There is practically no information about the childhood and youth of this heroine. The name of the supporter of the messiah is mentioned only in some sources - in the Gospel of Luke, where miraculous healing from demons is mentioned in the story of the existence of the Son of God, as well as in other three manuscripts - John, Matthew and Mark - the name of a woman can be found only in a few episodes.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was born in the Israeli city of Magdala, located on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, in the northern part of the Holy Land.

One can only guess about the family in which Mary grew up and was brought up, and who her parents were, because the scriptures are silent about this. Although Western European legends say that her parents were named Sir and Eucharia, other sources indicate that Magdalene was an orphan and worked in the market.

It is worth paying attention to the name of the disciple of Jesus Christ. Mary comes from the Hebrew language, and the Christian tradition translates this name as "lady." According to traditional biblical ideas, this was the name of the mother of Jesus Christ, after whom other revered Christian figures were named. And the nickname Magdalene has geographical roots and means "a native of the city of Migdal-El."

The toponym literally stands for "tower", and there are reasons for this. The fact is that in the Middle Ages these buildings were a feudal knightly symbol, and, therefore, this noble connotation was transferred to the personal qualities of Magdalene, who was endowed with an aristocratic character.

But there is another assumption regarding the nickname of the Equal-to-the-Apostles virgin: in the multi-volume religious code of the Talmud there is an expression "magadella", which in Hebrew means "curling her hair."

Encounter with Jesus Christ

Based on the Holy Scriptures, it can be assumed that the first meeting of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene took place in the house of the Pharisee Simon, where the Savior was anointed with the world. Confirmation is a sacrament in which the believer, along with specially prepared consecrated oil, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

According to legend, the woman who appeared to Christ poured water on the head of Jesus from an alabaster vessel, and also washed His feet with her tears and wiped her hair with her head. Judging by the four Gospels, the disciples of Jesus were dissatisfied with the fact that the guest who came irrationally spent expensive oil that could be sold and the proceeds given to the poor. The Pharisee also noted that the one who touched Christ was a sinner, but Jesus, comparing the inhospitality of Simon and the efforts of Mary, said:

“Therefore I say to you: her many sins are forgiven because she loved much, but whoever is forgiven little, loves little. He said to her: Your sins are forgiven.

But some suggest that the meeting of the Magdalene and Jesus took place earlier than in the house of Simon. Christ said that she “loved much,” that is, Himself, so it can be assumed that perhaps Mary was among those who followed the messiah to Jerusalem. After forgiveness, Magdalene began to be listed with Christ as the best disciple, but Mary was not among the 12 apostles in the painting “The Last Supper”.

Magdalene began to follow Christ, serving him and sharing her property, and the messiah trusted this woman even with the most secret secrets, because of which Magdalene won the dislike of the disciples of Christ, who demanded to remove the virgin from His environment.

According to legend, this woman was the only one who did not leave the Savior when he was arrested, while Peter, the most devoted of the apostles, denied his leader three times after his imprisonment.

It is known that Mary Magdalene was present at the execution of Jesus Christ along with His mother, mother's sister and Mary Cleopova. The follower of the Son of God stood near Christ, sharing the great maternal suffering of the Mother of God. When the heart of the Savior stopped beating, Mary mourned the Savior, and then accompanied the body of Jesus to the coffin carved by Joseph in the rock.

Byzantine literature indicates that after the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, together with the Mother of God, went to the ancient city of Ephesus, to John the Theologian, and helped him in his labors. By the way, it is the Gospel of John that contains the most information about the life of Magdalene.

According to legend, Mary Magdalene returned a day after the death of Christ to that cave to show her devotion to the Savior by smearing His body with aromatic oils and myrrh. But when the companion of Jesus approached the rocky mountain, she found that the stone that closed the entrance to the cave had been moved, and the cave itself was empty.

Desperate Mary in grief went to John and Peter in order to tell that the body of the messiah had disappeared from the burial place. Then the apostles, together with Magdalene, again went to the rocky mountain and saw that the cave was empty. The disciples of Christ left the grotto in sorrow, while Mary remained near the tomb, crying and trying to understand the reason for the disappearance of Jesus Christ.

Mary Magdalene raised her tear-stained eyes and saw that two angels were sitting in front of her. When they asked about the reason for the suffering of the unfortunate maiden, she replied that she was tormented by the unknown. Then the woman raised her eyes and saw Jesus Christ, whom she initially mistook for a gardener and asked him to point out where the teacher's grave was. But when the visitor uttered her name, she recognized the Son of God and threw herself at His feet. Based on the Gospel vaults, Jesus answered Mary:

“Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brothers and say to them: "I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."

Christianity

According to biblical legends, the holy virgin became a follower of Jesus Christ after being healed from evil spirits and repenting of sins, so many admirers of Christian traditions have the idea that Mary Magdalene was a great harlot and sinner.

Such identification of Mary with the nameless evangelical woman who washed the feet of the Savior can be found in the Catholic tradition, but the fornication of a follower of Christ is not mentioned either in the Menaion or in her akathist. Thus, in Catholicism, Magdalene takes the form of a former harlot, and the Italian painter managed to convey the emotions of a woman in his painting “Penitent Mary Magdalene”.

According to Catholicism, Mary Magdalene was a representative of the oldest profession, and having met the Son of God, she abandoned her craft and became his follower.

It is worth noting that Orthodox scriptures only speak of Magdalene's possession by demons, denying her rampant past. But Mary's life was not sweet, because the maiden was not married and had no children. In those days, such women were viewed with suspicion, and in order to protect herself from the harassment of men, Mary had to pretend to be possessed.

In the Orthodox tradition, Mary Magdalene appears as the Equal-to-the-Apostles holy myrrh-bearer (in Protestantism, exclusively as the holy myrrh-bearer). She made an indisputable contribution to the preaching work. Mary spread the word about Jesus in Italy and once visited the pagan leader Tiberius.

The woman handed him a chicken egg as a gift, for lack of another thing, and said "Christ is Risen!". Tiberius stated that resurrection is just as impossible as the fact that a donated egg will turn scarlet. However, the egg turned blood red. Thus the Easter tradition was born.

It is believed that the comrade-in-arms of Christ worked hard in Rome, as evidenced by the book of the New Testament, which contains the collections of the epistles of the holy Apostle Paul.

As for Catholicism, it is said that Mary Magdalene spent the second part of her life in the desert, where she led an ascetic life and repented of her sins every day. The clothes of the holy virgin had decayed, so the woman's nakedness was covered by long hair, and Mary herself was taken up to heaven by angels in order to heal her exhausted old body. But it is worth saying that this plot is borrowed from the description of the life of the Christian Saint Mary of Egypt, who is considered the patroness of confessing women.

love theories

The personal life of Mary Magdalene is shrouded in a halo of mystery, so it is not surprising that various love theories about the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint appear among historians. For example, some believe that Mary Magdalene was the wife of John the Theologian, while others are sure that the myrrh-bearing woman was the wife of Jesus Christ, because this woman plays a significant role in almost the most important episode of the New Testament.

Since the representatives of the church tried to get rid of unofficial books, there is practically no news about who the beloved of Jesus was, and there is an assumption that the lines about the family life of the messiah in the New Testament were cut out on purpose.

But most scholars are inclined in favor of the Magdalene. In the Gospel, an episode is indicative when the disciples of the Son of God were jealous of Jesus for Magdalene because of a kiss on the lips.

Also in those days, an unmarried woman did not have the right to accompany wanderers on the road, unlike the wife of one of them. Among other things, scientists refer to the fact that after the resurrection, Christ appeared to Mary, and not to his disciples. And besides, men who did not have a spouse were considered a strange phenomenon, so an unmarried Jesus could hardly have become a prophet and teacher.

Death

In Orthodoxy, Mary Magdalene died quietly and calmly, a woman died in Ephesus, and her relics were transferred to the monastery of St. Lazarus in Constantinople.

According to another branch of the Christian movement, while Mary was a hermit in the desert, she was communed by a priest who accidentally wandered into those parts, who at first was embarrassed by the naked appearance of a woman. According to Catholicism, the remains of the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint are kept in the church of Saint-Maximin-la-Saint-Baume, in Provence.

In memory of Mary Magdalene, many colorful paintings were written and documentaries shot. It is noteworthy that on the canvases the disciple of Christ is depicted in individual scenes extremely rarely, while often she can be seen in the form of a myrrh-bearing woman, with a vessel of incense.

Memory

• 1565 - painting "Penitent Mary Magdalene" ()
• 1861 - poem "Mary Magdalene" (Nikolai Ogarev)
• 1923 - cycle of poems "Magdalene" ()
• 1970 - rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Andrew Lloyd Weber)
• 1985 - song "Maria Magdalena" ()
• 2017 - the film "Mary Magdalene" (Garth Davis)

My friend had a question about the fate of Mary Magdalene. Was she a sinner before Jesus Christ cast seven demons out of her? In the West, her image is interpreted as a repentant sinner, but we have not found confirmation of this anywhere in the gospel texts. Only that Mary Magdalene became one of the myrrh-bearing women, faithfully following Christ until His death on the cross.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:

The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was a native of the Galilean city of Magdala (tribe of Issachar), located on the western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, near Capernaum. It is mentioned by all four evangelists. After the Lord healed her of evil spirits (see Luke 8:2), she joined those pious women who accompanied the Lord everywhere during His earthly life and served Him by their name. She was a witness to the Savior's suffering on the Cross and was present at His burial. At dawn on the first day after the Sabbath, she went with other pious women to the tomb of Jesus Christ to anoint His body with spices. Therefore, the Church calls them myrrh-bearing women. To them the first angel announced the Resurrection of the Lord (see: Mk. 16: 1-8). For her great devotion and sacrificial love for her Teacher, she was honored to be the first to see the resurrected Savior. He instructed her to announce His resurrection to the apostles. Saint Mary Magdalene appeared to the apostles as an evangelist. This is sung in the stichera of Pascha (creation of St. John of Damascus):

“Come from the vision of the wife of the evangelist, and cry to Zion: receive from us the joys of the annunciation of the Resurrection of Christ; show off, rejoice and rejoice, Jerusalem, seeing the King of Christ from the tomb, as if the bridegroom is happening.

There is not a single word in the New Testament that Saint Mary Magdalene was a sinner. This opinion is rooted only in Western culture. A certain stage in the formation of this opinion was the identification of Mary Magdalene with the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with myrrh in the house of Simon the Pharisee (see Luke 7:36-50). The Gospel text does not provide any basis for such an assertion. The Lord forgave that woman her sins, saying, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Luke 7:50). It says nothing about casting out demons. If the Savior did this earlier, then why were sins not forgiven at the same time? Following this, the Evangelist Luke immediately (chapter 8) speaks of pious women who served the Lord. The mention of Mary Magdalene is accompanied by a remark (“from which seven demons came out”), which clearly shows that she is mentioned for the first time.

The final approval in the West of an arbitrary and erroneous opinion about St. Mary Magdalene as a former sinner was facilitated by the book of the Italian Dominican monk, Archbishop of Genoa James of Voragina (now Varazze), the creation of which dates back to 1260. This collection of legends and biographies of saints has become a source of subjects for painting and literature. The author of the collection identifies Mary Magdalene with Mary, the sister of the righteous Lazarus and Martha. He writes that the names of their parents are Sirus and Eucharia, and they came from a royal family. Their children shared a rich inheritance: Mary got Magdala, Lazarus - part of Jerusalem, and Martha - Bethany. It is easy to see in this story a naive projection of the feudal relations of medieval Europe onto ancient Palestine. Arriving by ship in Massilia (modern Marseille), Mary preached to the pagans. Then it is told about her removal to the desert, where there is no water and food, but where she received heavenly food. She spent 30 years there. “A certain priest who settled nearby becomes a witness to this. He meets Mary Magdalene, who tells him of her imminent death and instructs him to inform Blessed Maximinus about this. Having met on a certain day with blessed Maximinus and having received the last communion from him, she dies. Maximinus buries her and orders her to be buried next to the saint after his death. As a source for this part, Jacob presents us with “some kind of treatise” by Josephus Flavius ​​and “the books of Maximinus himself”. It is not known what works are being referred to. Narusevich I.V. Life of Mary Magdalene in the "Golden Legend" by Yakov Voraginsky).

It is easy to notice the confusion of plots: the legendary biography of Mary Magdalene and the adapted life of St. Mary of Egypt († c. 522). This combination of two personalities - the holy evangelist and the repentant harlot, who later became the great hermit - from the "Golden Legend" passes into European art and becomes a stable phenomenon. So, around 1310, Giotto di Bondone and his students painted the chapel of Mary Magdalene in the Lower Church of San Francesco in Assisi. On the wall above the entrance to the chapel is a scene that is a direct borrowing from the Life of St. Mary of Egypt - "Mary Magdalene receives the robe of the hermit Zosima." A bronze-tinted wooden sculpture by Donatello (1445) expressively depicts a desert woman exhausted by her feat. Her body is covered with tattered rags. This masterpiece has little to do with the real-historical image of St. Mary Magdalene. Again we see a mixture of images of two saints. Gradually, an extensive gallery of paintings on the theme of "Penitent Mary Magdalene" is being created. Suffice it to recall such artists as Vecellio Titian (1477-1576), El Greco (1541-1614), Michelangelo da Caravaggio (1573-1610), Guido Reni (1575-1642), Orazio Gentileschi (1563-1639), Simon Vue ( 1590-1649), José de Ribera (1591-1652), Georges Dumesnil de Latour (1593-1652), Francesco Hayes (1791-1882); sculptors Pedro de Mena (1628-1688), Antonio Canova (1757-1822) and others.

The Orthodox Church in the story of the life of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene strictly adheres to the gospel testimonies and reliable church tradition. The saint preached the gospel in Rome. Some researchers believe that the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans has in mind precisely St. Mary Magdalene: “Greet Miriam, who worked hard for us” (Rom. 16: 6).