Mary
Magdalene has finally begun to regain her rightful place in history,
after being portrayed in church history for centuries as a penitent
prostitute. In 591 AD Pope Gregory
pronounced that Mary Magdalene, Mary the sinner, and Mary of Bethany
from the gospels were one in the same. But there has never been
evidence of that, and in 1969 the Catholic Church restored them to
three separate identities, ending 14 centuries of mischaracterization.
There
is much written of Mary Magdalene in the gospels of the New Testament.
To understand something of her significance, consider the following :
*Mary was from Magdala, a small community on the banks of the Sea of
Galilee. Ruins of Magdala still remain on the shores of what is now
called Lake Genesareth near the small village of Migdal. Matthew 15:39
*Mary was a constant companion of Jesus and followed him and the
apostles throughout his ministry in the cities around Judea. She, and
other devoted women in his following supported his ministry, giving of
their own possessions. Luke 8:1
*Mary witnessed the procession of Christ as he was carrying the cross and collapsed under its weight.
*Mary Magalene was present at the foot of the cross with Jesus' mother
Mary and the apostle John. Mary was mentioned first among among women
at the crucifixion in the gospels. Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, John
19:25
*Mary was present at Jesus burial at the tomb, and witnessed the stone being rolled to seal its entrance. Matthew 27:61
Mary
was first to appear at the tomb the next morning to witness the stone
had rolled away. Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:10, John 20:1
*Mary
Magdalene was the first to witness the risen Christ, in fact, the first
to preach the resurrection, to the apostles themselves. Mark 16:9, Luke
24:10, John 20:18
As a matter of evidence, it is easy to see how much of the stories of
the gospels are attributed to her personal eyewitness account, and how
heavily her testimony was relied upon in their writing. Much of the
faith itself depends upon her witness, and as such her historical
significance can not be overstated.
