name	Angela
director	Rebecca Miller
starring	Miranda Stuart RhyneCharlotte Eve Blythe
released
runtime	99 minutes
country	United States
language	English }}

Angela is a 1995 film, Rebecca Miller's directorial debut. It won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film and the Gotham Awards.

Plot

This film is the story of a young girl and her quest to "purify" herself. Angela (Miranda Stuart Rhyne) is a 10-year-old girl trying to cope with a dysfunctional family. Her parents are former performers who have resigned themselves to the loss of their dreams. They are now having problems in their relationship. Her mother Mae (Anna Thomson) has drastic mood shifts that bring her from manic happiness to utter misery. Her father Andrew (John Ventimiglia) tries to hold everyone together, but Mae's vacillations are becoming more than he can manage.

Angela tries to cope by inventing an imaginary universe of 'order' for herself and her little sister. Left to figure out everything for themselves, she grabs at scraps of religion, superstition, and fantasy to try and make some sense out of the world and understand the difference between good and evil.

Adrift, she and her six-year-old sister Ellie (Charlotte Eve Blythe) concoct magical rituals and have visions of fallen angels and the Virgin Mary; reading signs in the way a towel falls off a chair or a tool falls off a truck, they set off to find their way to heaven. They wander through the neighborhood, meet a lot of strange people, and try to find a way to absolve themselves of whatever 'sins' they may have committed, and 'go to heaven'.

At first, the stories that Angela tells her little sister are mainly meant to scare her into submission. But as time goes on, and her mother succumbs to mental illness, Angela becomes obsessed with the idea that the only way her mother is going to get better is if she and her sister can wash away all of their sins.

References

External links

Category:English-language films Category:Independent films Category:American drama films Category:1990s drama films Category:1995 films Category:Directorial debut films Category:Films about dysfunctional families

name	Vincent Gallo
birth name	Vincent Gallo
birth date	April 11, 1962
birth place	Buffalo, New York
occupation	Actor, Producer, Composer, Director, Screenwriter, Songwriter, Singer
years active	1981–present }}

Vincent Gallo (born April 11, 1962) is an Italian-American film director and actor. Though he has had minor roles in mainstream films such as ''Goodfellas'', he is most associated with independent movies, including ''Buffalo '66'', which he wrote, directed, did the music for and starred in; ''The Brown Bunny'', which he also wrote, directed, produced, starred in and photographed; ''Arizona Dream''; ''The Funeral''; and ''Palookaville''. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gallo was a painter in the New York City art scene showing with famed art dealer Annina Nosei, performed in a rap duo and was part of the first hip hop television broadcast ''Graffiti Rock'', and played in an industrial band called Bohack which released an album title ''It Took Several Wives''. In the early 2000s, he released several solo recordings on WARP records. Gallo is known for his outspoken views and generally sarcastic nature, once stating: "I stopped painting in 1990 at the peak of my success just to deny people my beautiful paintings; and I did it out of spite."

Gallo was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor at the 67th Venice International Film Festival for his performance as a wordless escaping Muslim prisoner in Jerzy Skolimowski's ''Essential Killing''. His own feature film ''Promises Written In Water'', which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in, also screened In Competition at the festival.

Early life

Gallo was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Janet, a hair-dresser, and Vincenzo Vito Gallo, also a hairdresser and professional gambler. Both of his parents emigrated from Sicily, Italy. Gallo lived in New York City 1978–2002 and traveled around most of Europe living in Paris and Rome. Gallo's first creative project was as a member of the New York City-based post-punk industrial band GRAY whose members included famed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Films

Gallo has modeled, most notably for Calvin Klein, and been photographed by Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Steven Klein, Terry Richardson and Anton Corbijn. He first began painting, then racing motorcycles, performed music, acted in films and finally became a filmmaker.

During Gallo's artistic period in the 1980s, when he worked as a musician and painter in New York City, he also began experimenting with film. He made the short film "If You Feel Froggy, Jump" and appeared in a film called the "New York Beat Movie" (1981) with painter Jean Michel Basquiat. In 1984, Gallo acted in ''The Way It Is'' (1984), which included actors Steve Buscemi and Rockets Redglare. After starring in the obscure 1989 film ''Doc's Kingdom'', he began acting in small parts in more well-known films such as ''Goodfellas'', ''The House of the Spirits'', and ''The Perez Family''. French director Claire Denis hired Gallo to act in several films such as the "short film ''Keep It for Yourself'', the made-for-TV ''U.S. Go Home'', and its follow-up feature ''Nénette et Boni'' (1996)."

Gallo acted in the film ''Arizona Dream'', with Johnny Depp, in the cult comedy ''Palookaville'', and in ''The Funeral'', and had a lead role in the film ''Truth or Consequences, N.M.''.

In 1998, his debut film ''Buffalo '66'' was nominated for, but did not win, an award for "Best First Feature" at the Independent Spirit Awards. Gallo made this drama for $1.5 M, serving as writer, director, lead actor, and composer/performer of the soundtrack. The release of Buffalo '66 "...gained him a solid fan base". Gallo proceeded to act in the crime drama ''Freeway 2: Confessions of a Trickbaby'', the science-fiction drama ''Stranded: Náufragos'', the thriller ''Hide and Seek'', and the romantic comedy ''Get Well Soon''. Gallo appeared in another Claire Denis film, an erotic/horror movie called ''Trouble Every Day''.

In 2003, Gallo starred in and directed the film ''The Brown Bunny''. The film, which chronicles a motorcycle racer's cross-country road trip, co-starred Chloë Sevigny. The film, which contained a scene of Sevigny performing unsimulated oral sex upon Gallo, received an overwhelmingly negative critical response to its Cannes premier and became a media scandal, in part due to Gallo's use of a still image from a sex scene on a promotional billboard. According to Andrea LeVasseur of ''Allmovie'', ''The Brown Bunny'' "premiered to much derision at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.". Booing at the Cannes screening began during the films opening credits which suggests prejudice. A judge during the 2003 Cannes suggested that if Gallo had not credited himself as director the film may have won the Palm d'Or. The critic explained that it was too difficult to accept a writer director to also star in his film and receive oral sex during shooting.

A war of words erupted between Gallo and popular film critic Roger Ebert in 2003 regarding Ebert's statement that ''The Brown Bunny'' was the worst film in the history of Cannes. Gallo retorted by calling Ebert a "fat pig with the physique of a slave trader" and put a hex on Ebert, wishing him colon cancer. Ebert then responded – paraphrasing a statement made by Winston Churchill – that, "although I am fat, one day I will be thin, but Mr. Gallo will still have been the director of ''The Brown Bunny''."

Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired multi-territory distribution rights for the film in February 2004, and released the film on DVD in North America in August 2004.

Gallo appeared as the title character in Francis Ford Coppola's 2009 film ''Tetro''.

In 2010, Gallo won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 67th Venice International Film Festival for his role in ''Essential Killing'', although he doesn't have a single line in the film. He did not attend the ceremony to accept his award in person, leaving the duty to the film's director Jerzy Skolimowski, who tried to get the actor to reveal himself, leading the audience in a chant of his name.

Music

Gallo played electric bass and sang in the mid-1970s in several adolescent garage bands such as Blue Mood, a progressive rock cover band named Zephyr (not the late 1960s band) which did one performance in New York State, The Good (with Bernie Kugel and Larry Galanowitz), The Detours and the Plastics. At the age of 16, Gallo moved to New York City and was a later member of the band, Gray, with visual artist Jean Michel Basquiat (who was not yet famous). Gray played at clubs such as Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Hurrahs, and the Mudd Club. A few of Gray's recordings appear on the soundtrack for the film Downtown 81. In the early 1980s, Gallo performed solo as the Nonsexuals, rapped in a duo called Trouble Deuce under the name Prince Vince (along with Nick Nice, who went under the name DJ High Priest).

Gallo played in a band called Bohack which recorded an album entitled ''It Took Several Wives''. When Bohack disbanded, Gallo turned his attention to acting, directing, and composing in films. He wrote songs for the soundtrack of the 1998 film ''Buffalo 66''. He played in a rock band with Lukas Haas called Bunny, and Gallo put out his own CD which he wrote. performed and produced under Warp Records, titled "When". Bunny did a Japanese tour and recorded an album for Sony with producer Eddie Offord. In Japan, for his 2001 When tour, Josh Klinghoffer and Carla Azar of Autolux supported him as his tour band. They sent him flowers.

In 2002, he released "Recordings of Music for a Film", which is a remastered version of his older music. He also did shows with Jim O'Rourke playing on bass. Gallo has also performed shows with Sean Lennon, whom he collaborated with on an album they completed in 2004, that has yet to be released. Gallo also curated one weekend of the UK music festival All Tomorrow's Parties in April 2005. His friends John Frusciante and PJ Harvey appeared on the bill. Gallo selected Yoko Ono as a headline act, and also performed with her and her son Sean Lennon at this event.

Gallo's most recent musical project is the band RRIICCEE, with Hole co-founder Eric Erlandson, which plays only improvised music.

Music videos

Gallo also appears in the following music videos by other artists: "Grounded" by My Vitriol (2001), "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" by Glassjaw (2003), "99 Problems" by Jay-Z (2004), and "Bitter" by Lit.

Gallo directed music videos for the songs "Going Inside" by John Frusciante, and "Anemone" by L'Arc-en-Ciel.

Gallo also appeared as a model in H&M; Spring 2009 Collection alongside Eva Herzigova.

Personal life

Gallo is a supporter of the Republican Party, and has been seen at a New York fashion show with George W. Bush's daughters Barbara and Jenna. He has stated that his fantasy is "becoming more like the stereotype of the Republican Party." He also wishes to look "more like [American conservative journalist] George Will." In his own words, Gallo "considered himself a radical, always, but an extremely conservative radical."

Gallo is godfather to Chris Squire's son Cameron.

Gallo is known to have dated singer/songwriter Cat Power, who subsequently wrote a song about their relationship, entitled "Mr. Gallo", on her debut album ''Dear Sir''.

Filmography

Actor

''Essential Killing'' (2010)

''Promises Written in Water'' (2010)

''Tetro'' (2009)

''Metropia'' (2009)

''Oliviero Rising'' (2007)

''Dirt'' (2007-TV)

''Moscow Zero'' (2006)

''The Brown Bunny'' (2003)

''Stranded: Náufragos'' (2001)

''Get Well Soon'' (2001)

''Trouble Every Day'' (2001)

''Hide and Seek'' (2000)

''Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby'' (1999)

''Buffalo 66'' (1998)

''Johnny 316'' (1998)

''L.A. Without a Map'' (1998)

''Truth or Consequences, NM'' (1997)

''Nénette et Boni'' (1996)

''The Funeral'' (1996)

''Basquiat'' (1996)

''Palookaville'' (1996)

''The Perez Family'' (1995)

''Angela'' (1995)

''Arizona Dream'' (1993)

''The House of the Spirits'' (1993)

''A Idade Maior'' (1991)

''Goodfellas'' (1990)

''Doc's Kingdom'' (1987)

''The Gunlover'' (1986)

''The Way It Is'' (1985)

Writer/director

''Promises Written in Water'' (2010)

''The Brown Bunny'' (2003)

''Buffalo ’66'' (1998)

Discography

Albums

''It Took Several Wives'' – (1982), released on Family Friend Records (as Bohack)

''The Way It Is Soundtrack'' – (1984), released on Rojo Records

''Buffalo 66 Soundtrack'' – (1998), released on Will Records

''When'' – (2001), released on Warp Records (as Vincent Gallo)

''Recordings Of Music For Film'' – (2002), released on Warp Records

Singles

''So Sad'' – EP (2001), released on Warp Records

''Honey Bunny'' – 7" (2001), released on Warp Records

References

External links

Drowning In Brown – information about Gallo's music.

Gallo Appreciation – comprehensive resource page

Official website

The Guardian: ''Contrite Gallo apologises for pretension''

Warp Records website

Selling Sperm but not Selling Out An article and interview with Vincent Gallo

Category:1962 births Category:American alternative rock musicians Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American male models Category:Living people Category:People from Buffalo, New York Category:New York Republicans Category:American people of Sicilian descent

bg:Винсънт Гало de:Vincent Gallo es:Vincent Gallo fr:Vincent Gallo gl:Vincent Gallo it:Vincent Gallo he:וינסנט גאלו nl:Vincent Gallo ja:ヴィンセント・ギャロ pl:Vincent Gallo pt:Vincent Gallo ru:Галло, Винсент fi:Vincent Gallo sv:Vincent Gallo

name	Rebecca Miller
birth name	Rebecca Augusta Miller
birth date	September 15, 1962
birth place	Roxbury, Connecticut, U.S.
occupation	Actress, director, screenwriter
yearsactive	1988–present
spouse	Daniel Day-Lewis (1996-present) }}

Rebecca Augusta Miller (born September 15, 1962) is an American film director, screenwriter and actress, most known for her films ''Personal Velocity: Three Portraits'' (winner of the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award), ''The Ballad of Jack and Rose'', and ''Angela'',and ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' all of which she wrote and directed.

Life and career

Born in Roxbury, Connecticut, she is the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and Austrian photographer Inge Morath. She has a brother, Daniel, who was born in 1966 with Down Syndrome and was placed in an institution shortly after his birth. She was educated at Choate Rosemary Hall and Yale University, where she studied art. She initially pursued an acting career, landing parts in the television movie ''The Murder of Mary Phagan'' and the feature films ''Regarding Henry'' (1991) and ''Consenting Adults'' (1992).

In 1995, she went behind the camera, writing and directing her first film, ''Angela''. The film was critically well-received, but did not garner significant attention or audiences.

Miller had markedly more success with her 2002 film ''Personal Velocity: Three Portraits'', an adaptation of ''Personal Velocity'', a collection of short stories she had published the previous year. The independent film won her a number of awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and established her name as a director. She is the author of the 2003 book ''Woman Who...'' and director of the 2005 film ''The Ballad of Jack and Rose'', starring her husband, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, whom she first met when he and her father were preparing the film version of the elder Miller's play ''The Crucible''. Miller and Day-Lewis were married on November 13, 1996 and have two sons, Ronan (born 1998) and Cashel (born 2002).

Miller's latest film is 2009's ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'', which she adapted from her novel of the same name.

Filmography

Director

''Angela'' (1995)

''Personal Velocity: Three Portraits'' (2002)

''The Ballad of Jack and Rose'' (2005)

''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' (2009)

Screenwriter

''Angela'' (1995)

''Personal Velocity: Three Portraits'' (2002)

''Proof'' (2005)

''The Ballad of Jack and Rose'' (2005)

''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' (2009)

Actress

''The Murder of Mary Phagan'' (1988, TV)... Lucille Frank

''George Elser - Einer aus Deutschland'' (1989)... Anneliese

''Regarding Henry'' (1991)... Linda

''Wind'' (1992)... Abigail Weld

''Consenting Adults'' (1992)... Kay Otis

''The Pickle'' (1993)... Carrie

''The American Clock'' (1993, TV)... Edie

''Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'' (1994)... Neysa McMein

''Love Affair'' (1994)... Receptionist

External links

Official site of Rebecca Miller, writer and filmmaker

Biography

Category:1962 births Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American screenwriters Category:Female film directors Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:Living people Category:Women screenwriters Category:Choate Rosemary Hall alumni Category:Yale University alumni Category:People from Litchfield County, Connecticut

de:Rebecca Miller fr:Rebecca Miller it:Rebecca Miller nl:Rebecca Miller ja:レベッカ・ミラー ru:Миллер, Ребекка

name	Peter Facinelli
birth date	November 26, 1973
birth place	Queens, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1995–present
spouse	3 children }}

Peter Facinelli (born November 26, 1973) is an American actor. He became known as the star of Fox's 2002 television series ''Fastlane''. He plays Carlisle Cullen in the film adaptations of the ''Twilight'' series. He is also well known for his role as Mike Dexter in the film ''Can't Hardly Wait''. He is currently a regular on the television series ''Nurse Jackie'' portraying the role of Dr. Fitch "Coop" Cooper.

Early life

Facinelli grew up in Ozone Park, Queens, the son of Italian immigrants, Bruna, a homemaker, and Pierino Facinelli, a waiter. Both of his parents are from Val di Non which is located in Trentino, Northern Italy. His father is from Revò, meanwhile his mother is from Spormaggiore. He was raised Roman Catholic and attended St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, New York. He studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York City; his teachers there included William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Camryn Manheim.

Career

Facinelli made his feature film debut in Rebecca Miller's ''Angela'' in 1995 and came to the attention of critics in the TV-movie ''The Price of Love'' later that year. In 1996, Facinelli played opposite future wife Jennie Garth in ''An Unfinished Affair''. Other TV roles followed, including a part in ''After Jimmy'' (1996) and a college dropout in ''Calm at Sunset''. Facinelli co-starred with Amanda Peet and Michael Vartan in the 1997 AIDS-themed drama ''Touch Me'' (1997) and co-starred as a high school student in two 1998 features with Ethan Embry and Breckin Meyer, ''Dancer, Texas Pop. 81'', and ''Can't Hardly Wait'', which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and co-starred Melissa Joan Hart and Jerry O'Connell.

Facinelli appeared in the sci-fi film ''Supernova'' starring James Spader in 2000. He made appearances in ''Riding in Cars with Boys'' in 2001 and ''The Scorpion King'' in 2002, followed by a leading role in the Fox drama ''Fastlane''. Facinelli had a recurring role in the HBO series ''Six Feet Under'' in 2004 and a role in the FX original series ''Damages'' beginning in 2007. Facinelli starred in ''Hollow Man 2'' with Christian Slater. It was released direct-to-video in May 2006.

After wrapping up ''Finding Amanda'' with Matthew Broderick, Facinelli played Carlisle Cullen in the film adaptation of ''Twilight'', based on the book by Stephenie Meyer. Facinelli reprised his role in the sequels of the film, ''The Twilight Saga: New Moon'', and ''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''. He will also continue to portray the role in ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn'', the last installment of the saga, which is set to be released in 2011. They have started filming in Louisiana.

He costars as Dr. Fitch Cooper in the Showtime dark comedy series ''Nurse Jackie''. He will soon star in "Loosies," a story of a New York pickpocket that he wrote himself and being produced by Verdi Corrente Productions.

Personal life

Facinelli met his wife, Jennie Garth, on the set of ''An Unfinished Affair'', a 1996 television film. They married in 2001. They are parents to Luca Bella, Lola Ray and Fiona Eve.

Filmography

+Film and Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1995	''''	Brett	TV
1995		Lucifer
1995	''Law & Order''	Shane Sutter	1 episode
1996		James Pfeiffer	TV
1996	''After Jimmy''	Jimmy Stapp	TV
1996		Ethan Bixby
1996	''''	Rick Connor	TV
1997	''Touch Me''	Bail
1998	''Telling You''	Phil Fazzulo
1998	''Welcome to Hollywood''	Actor
1998	''Can't Hardly Wait''	Mike Dexter
1998	''Dancer, Texas Pop. 81''	Terrell Lee Lusk
1999	''Blue Ridge Fall''	Danny Shepherd
1999	''''	Bob Walker
2000		Daniel Wheaton
2000	''Ropewalk''	Charlie
2000		Karl Larson
2001	''Riding in Cars with Boys''	Tommy Butcher
2001	''Tempted''	Jimmy Mulate
2001	''Rennie's Landing''	Alec Nichols
2002–2003		Donovan 'Van' Ray	TV Series with Tiffani Thiessen
2002	''''	Takmet
2003–2005			Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2005)
2005	''''	Danny
2005	''Chloe''
2005		Curtis
2006	''Hollow Man 2''	Det. Frank Turner	Video
2006	''Touch the Top of the World''	Erik Weihenmayer	TV
2006	''Arc''	Paris Pritchert	Indie Gathering Award for Best Actor
2007		Gregory Malina	TV
2007	''Lily''	The Man
2007	''That Guy''	Jack
2007	''Battle Olympia''	Possessed Office High Jumper
2008	''Finding Amanda''	Greg
2008	''Reaper''	Jesus
2008
2009	''''	Dr. Carlisle Cullen
2009	''Nurse Jackie''	Dr. Fitch "Coop" Cooper	2009–present
2010	''''	Dr. Carlisle Cullen
2011		Dr. Carlisle Cullen	''''Post-Production''
2012		Dr. Carlisle Cullen	''Post-Production''

References

10. http://www.celebritiesheight.com/peter-facinelli-height-and-weight/" Peter Facinelli Height and Weight

External links

Peter Facinelli's Official Website

Category:1973 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Living people Category:People from Queens Category:St. Francis Preparatory School alumni

ar:بيتر فانسيلي cs:Peter Facinelli da:Peter Facinelli de:Peter Facinelli es:Peter Facinelli fr:Peter Facinelli hr:Peter Facinelli it:Peter Facinelli he:פיטר פצ'ינלי hu:Peter Facinelli nl:Peter Facinelli ja:ピーター・ファシネリ no:Peter Facinelli pl:Peter Facinelli pt:Peter Facinelli ru:Фачинелли, Питер sl:Peter Facinelli fi:Peter Facinelli sv:Peter Facinelli tr:Peter Facinelli vi:Peter Facinelli

name	Mary Magdalene
birth date	early 1st century AD
death date	mid to late 1st century AD
feast day	July 22
venerated in	Eastern OrthodoxyRoman Catholic ChurchAnglican CommunionLutheranismother Protestant churches Bahá'í Faith
birth place	Magdala, Judea
death place	Ephesus, Asia Minor or Marseilles
titles	''West:'' Penitent''East:'' Myrrhbearer and Equal of the Apostles ''Both:'' Apostle to the Apostles
attributes	''Western:'' alabaster box of ointment ''Eastern:'' container of ointment (as a myrrhbearer), or holding a red egg (symbol of the resurrection); embracing the feet of Christ after the Resurrection
patronage	apothecaries; Atrani, Italy; Casamicciola Terme, Ischia; contemplative life; converts; glove makers; hairdressers; penitent sinners; people ridiculed for their piety; perfumeries; pharmacists; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; tanners; women
influences	}}

Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala (original Greek Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή) was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of seven demons . She became most prominent during his last days, being present at the cross after the male disciples (excepting John the Beloved) had fled, and at his burial. She was the first person to see Jesus after his Resurrection, according to both John 20 and .

Mary Magdalene is considered by the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches to be a saint, with a feast day of July 22. The Eastern Orthodox churches also commemorate her on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers.

Name

Consistently in the four Gospels, Mary Magdalene seems to be distinguished from other women named Mary by adding "Magdalene" (η Μαγδαληνή) to her name. Traditionally, this has been interpreted to mean that she was from Magdala, a town thought to have been on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. says that she was actually "called Magdalene." In Hebrew מגדל ''Migdal'' means "tower", "fortress"; in Aramaic, "Magdala" means "tower" or "elevated, great, magnificent".

In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is also referred to simply as "Mary" at least twice. Gnostic writings use Mary, Mary Magdalene, or Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene's given name Μαρία (Maria) is usually regarded as a Latin form of Μαριὰμ (Mariam), which is the Greek variant used in Septuagint for Miriam, the Hebrew name for Moses' sister. The name had become very popular during Jesus' time due to its connections to the ruling Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties.''

Sources

Primary sources about Mary Magdalene can be divided into canonical texts that are collected into the Christian New Testament and apocryphal texts that were left out from the Bible, being judged as heretical during the development of the New Testament canon. These apocryphal sources are usually dated earliest to the end of the 1st and latest to the early 4th century, all possibly written well after Mary's death.

New Testament

The four Gospels included in the New Testament have little to say about Mary Magdalene. With a single exception in the Gospel of Luke, there is no mention of her in the Gospels before the crucifixion.

}}

According to and , Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons". Some contemporary scholars contend this concept means healing from illness. Some scholars regard the reference in Mark as a late addition, and the reference is possibly based on the Gospel of Luke.

It is at the time of the crucifixion and resurrection that Mary Magdalene comes to the fore in the gospels. Uniquely among the followers of Jesus, she is specified by name (though not consistently by any one gospel) as a witness to three key events: Jesus' crucifixion, his burial, and the discovery of his tomb to be empty. , Matthew 27:56 and mention Mary Magdalene as a witness to crucifixion, along with various other women. Luke does not name any witnesses, but mentions "women who had followed him from Galilee" standing at a distance. In listing witnesses who saw where Jesus was buried by Joseph of Aramathea, and Matthew 27:61 both name only two people: Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary", who in Mark is "the mother of James". describes the witnesses merely as "the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee". mentions no other witness to Joseph's burial of Jesus except for Joseph's assistant Nicodemus. However, John 20:1 then names Mary Magdalene in describing who discovered the tomb to be empty. says she was accompanied by Salome and Mary the mother of James, while Matthew 28:1 omits Salome. says the group who found the empty tomb consisted of "Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them".

In Mark, Matthew, and John, Mary Magdalene is first witness to the Resurrection. John 20:16 and both straightforwardly say that Jesus' first post-resurrection appearance was to Mary Magdalene alone. New Testament scholar Frank Stagg points out that Mary's role as a witness is unusual because women at that time were not considered credible witnesses in legal proceedings. Because of this, and because of extra-biblical traditions about her subsequent missionary activity in spreading the Gospel, she is known by the title, "Equal of the Apostles". In Matthew 28:9, Mary Magdalene is with the other women returning from the empty tomb when they all see the first appearance of Jesus. In the resurrection is announced to the women at the tomb by "two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning" who suddenly appeared next to them.

The first actual appearance by Jesus that Luke mentions is later that day, when Cleopas and an unnamed disciple walked with a fellow traveler they later realized was Jesus. describes the same appearance as happening after the private appearance to Mary Magdalene. The gospels of Mark and Luke record that the rest of the disciples did not believe Mary's report of what she saw, and neither Mary Magdalene nor any of the other women are mentioned by name in Paul's catalog of appearances at . Instead, Paul writes that Jesus "appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve". Indeed, after her disbelieved first report of a resurrection vision, Mary Magdalene disappears from the New Testament. She is not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and her fate remains undocumented.

The Gospel of John and the Gospel of Luke also mention a "Mary of Bethany", who in some Christian traditions is regarded the same person as Mary Magdalene. Mary of Bethany was the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Mary and Martha are the most familiar set of sisters in the Bible. Both Luke and John describe them as friends of Jesus. Luke's story, though only four verses long, has been a complex source of inspiration, interpretation, and debate for centuries. John's account, which says the sisters had a brother named Lazarus, spans seventy verses. Though some earlier interpreters blended the person of Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalene and the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50, current scholars believe she was a different person.

Among the women who are specifically named in the New Testament of the Bible, Mary Magdalene’s name is one of the most frequently found. In , the author names three women in sequence: “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.” In the Gospel of Mark, the author lists a group of women three times, and each time, Mary Magdalene’s name appears first. Finally, in the Gospel of Luke, the author enumerates the women who went to the tomb of Jesus, writing that, “It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them,” which once again place Mary Magdalene at the head of the list. According to Carla Ricci, “The place she [Mary Magdalene] occupied in the list cannot be considered fortuitous,” because over and over Mary Magdalene’s name is placed at the head of specifically named women, indicating her importance. The significance of this is further strengthened when one examines the lists of the named apostles. In Luke, the author writes that Jesus “took Peter, John and James.” According to Ricci, because Peter occupies the first position in the list, that place can be considered the position of highest importance. As a result, it can be argued that Mary Magdalene must have held a very central position among the followers of Jesus, whether as disciple or in some other capacity.

Mary Magdalene as prostitute

Pope Gregory the Great's homily on Luke's gospel dated 14 September 591 first suggested that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute: "She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark. And what did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices? ... It is clear, brothers, that the woman previously used the unguent to perfume her flesh in forbidden acts."(''homily XXXIII'')

In 1969 the Vatican, without commenting on Pope Gregory's reasoning, implicitly rejected it by separating Luke's sinful woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdala via the Roman Missal.

This identification of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute was followed by many writers and artists until the 20th century. Even today it is promulgated by some secular and occasional Christian groups. It is reflected in Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis's novel ''The Last Temptation of Christ'', in José Saramago's ''The Gospel According to Jesus Christ'', Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', Mel Gibson's ''The Passion of the Christ'', Jean-Claude La Marre's ''Color of the Cross'' and Hal Hartley's The Book of Life.

It was because of this association of Mary as a prostitute that she became the patroness of "wayward women", and "Magdalene houses" became established to help save women from prostitution.

Artwork

The identification of Mary Mary Magdalene as prostitute and adulteress is perpetuated by much Western medieval Christian art. In many such depictions, Mary Magdalene is shown as having long hair which she wears down over her shoulders, while other women follow contemporary standards of propriety by hiding their hair beneath headdresses or kerchiefs. The Magdalene's hair may be rendered as red, while the other women of the New Testament in these same depictions ordinarily have dark hair beneath a scarf. This disparity between depictions of women can be seen in works such as the Crucifixion paintings by the Meister des Marienlebens.

There are depictions of her also showing us how various artisits viewed her and Jesus' relationship. According to Robert Kiely, "no figure in the Christian Pantheon except Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist has inspired, provoked, or confounded the imagination of painters more than the Magdalene." Paintings can offer a deep insight as to what popular culture believed about an individual at a certain point in history. In Fra Angelico’s painting ''Noli me tangere''. There is no sign of "suppressed desire" and there is not tension. Fra Angelico’s painting (according to Robert Kiely) "is not a shocking or disturbing scene in which Mary overreacts, but a quiet beginning of a heavenly dance."

New Testament Apocrypha and Gnostic texts

In apocryphal texts, she is portrayed as a visionary and leader of the early movement who was loved by Jesus more than the other disciples. Several Gnostic gospels, such as the Gospel of Mary, written in the early 2nd century, see Mary as the special disciple of Jesus who has a deeper understanding of his teachings and is asked to impart this to the other disciples.

Several Gnostic writings, usually dated to 2nd and 3rd centuries, paint a drastically different picture of Mary Magdalene from that of the canonical Gospels.

In Gnostic writings Mary Magdalene is seen as one of the most important of Jesus' disciples whom he loved more than the others. The Gnostic Gospel of Philip names Mary Magdalene as Jesus' companion. Gnostic writings describe tensions and jealousy between Mary Magdalene and other disciples, especially Peter.

''Gospel of Mary''

In her introduction in ''The Complete Gospels,'' Karen King names the manuscripts available for the Gospel of Mary. She writes that only three fragmentary manuscripts are known to have survived into the modern period, two third-century fragments (P. Rylands 463 and P. Oxyrhynchus 3525) published in 1938 and 1983, and a longer fifth-century Coptic translation (Berolinensis Gnosticus 8052,1) published in 1955.

The Gospel of Mary exalts Mary Magdalene over the male disciples of Jesus. The Gospel of Mary provides important information about the role of women in the early church. It is usually dated to about the same period as that of the Gospel of Philip. The Gospel was first discovered in 1896. The Gospel is missing six pages from the beginning and four in the middle.

The identity of "Mary" appearing as the main character in this Gospel is sometimes disputed, but she is generally regarded to be Mary Magdalene. ''The Gospel of Mary'' presents her as one of the disciples, says she has seen a private vision from the resurrected Jesus and describes it to other disciples.

Peter said to Mary, "Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them." Mary answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you." And she began to speak to them these words: "I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision."

Almost all of Mary's vision is within the lost pages.

When Mary had said these things, she fell silent, since it was up to this point that the Savior had spoken to her.

Mary is then confronted by Andrew and Peter, who do not take for granted what she says, because she is a woman:

"Did he then speak secretly with a woman, in preference to us, and not openly? Are we to turn back and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?" Then Mary grieved and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart or that I am lying concerning the Savior?"

However, Mary is defended by Levi:

"But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? Surely the Savior knew her very well. For this reason he loved her more than us."

The repeated reference in the Gnostic texts of Mary as being loved by Jesus more than the others has been seen as supporting the theory that the Beloved Disciple in the canonical Gospel of John was originally Mary Magdalene, before a later redactor made changes in the Gospel.

''Gospel of Philip''

Gospel of Philip, dating from the 2nd or 3rd century, survives in part among the texts found in Nag Hammadi in 1945. In a manner very similar to , the Gospel of Philip presents Mary Magdalene among Jesus' female entourage, adding that she was his ''koinônos,'' a Greek word variously translated in contemporary versions as partner, associate, comrade, companion.

There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. His sister, his mother and his companion were each a Mary.

Others' irritation from the love and affection presented by Jesus to Mary Magdalene is claimed in the apocryphal Gospel of Philip. The text is badly fragmented, and speculated but unreliable additions are shown in brackets:

And the companion of [the saviour was Mar]y Ma[gda]lene. [Christ loved] M[ary] more than [all] the disci[ples, and used to] kiss her [often] on her [mouth]. The rest of [the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval]. They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her?"

''Gospel of Thomas''

Gospel of Thomas, usually dated to the late 1st or early 2nd century, was also among the finds in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. It has two short references to a "Mary", generally regarded as Mary Magdalene. The latter of the two describes the sentiment towards female members of the early Gnostics:

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.

When the Gospel of Thomas was written, people commonly assumed that men were superior to women, much as humans were superior to animals. While it is surprising today to think that many believed back then that a woman would have to become male to enter the kingdom of heaven, it was an attitude consistent with the historical context.

The manuscript gives 114 "secret teachings" of Jesus. Mary is mentioned briefly in saying 21. Here, Mary asks Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?" Jesus responds, "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." Following this, Jesus continues his explanation with a parable about the owner of a house and a thief, ending with the common rhetoric, "Whoever has ears to hear let him hear."

''Pistis Sophia''

Pistis Sophia, possibly dating as early as the 2nd century, is the best surviving of the Gnostic writings. ''Pistis Sophia'' presents a long dialog with Jesus in the form of his answers to questions from his disciples. Of the 64 questions, 39 are presented by a woman who is referred to as Mary or Mary Magdalene. Jesus says of Mary:

"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."

There is also a short reference to a person named "Martha" among the disciples, possibly the same person who is named as the sister of Mary of Bethany.

Religious views of Mary Magdalene

Eastern Orthodox tradition

The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains that Mary Magdalene, distinguished from Mary of Bethany and the "sinful woman", had been a virtuous woman all her life, even before her conversion. They have never celebrated her as a penitent. This view finds expression both in her written ''life'' (βίος or vita) and in the liturgical service in her honor that is included in the Menaion and performed on her annual feast-day. There is a tradition that Mary Magdalene led so chaste a life that the devil thought she might be the one who was to bear Christ into the world, and for that reason he sent the seven demons to trouble her.

Mary Magdalene is honored as one of the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus, and received a special commission from him to tell the Apostles of his resurrection. She is often depicted on icons bearing a vessel of ointment, not because of the anointing by the "sinful woman", but because she was among those women who brought ointments to the tomb of Jesus. For this reason, she is called a Myrrhbearer.

According to Eastern traditions, she retired to Ephesus with the Theotokos (Mary, the Mother of God) and there she died. (This previous statement appears to be a conflation of Turkish local traditions about St. John and the Virgin Mary House of the Virgin Mary). Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 and are there preserved.

Apostle of the Apostles

Mary Magdalene is referred to as "the apostle to the apostles" from the tenth century. From the twelfth century Abbot Hugh of Semur (died 1109), Peter Abelard (died 1142), and Geoffrey of Vendome (died 1132) all referred to Mary Magdalene as the sinner who merited the title ''apostolarum apostola'', with the title becoming commonplace during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Hippolytus, a Christian leader in Rome around 200 AD, is thought by many to be the anonymous writer of that period that Jesus first appeared to the women at the tomb. He instructed them to go and tell his disciples that he was risen from the dead. Then he appeared to his disciples and "upbraided them for not believing the women's report." Bart D. Ehrman concludes that Mary Magdalene was the original apostle. He quotes Hippolytus as indicating: "Christ showed himself to the (male) apostles and said to them, 'It is I who appeared to these women and I who wanted to send them to you as apostles. Ehrman concludes from this that Mary and the others could therefore be thought of as "apostles sent to the apostles," a title that Mary Magdalene herself came to bear in the Middle Ages (Latin: ''apostola apostolorum''). Erhman further cites and Matthew 28:11 as evidence for his proposition.

Darrell Bock takes the view that Mary Magdalene was not singled out, but was part of a group of women who shared the honour, that for Hippolytus "she was one of a few apostles", stating the term did not originate with Hippolytus.

According to Harvard theologian Karen King, Mary Magdalene was a prominent disciple and leader of one wing of the early Christian movement that promoted women's leadership. King cites references in the Gospel of John that the risen Jesus gives Mary special teaching and commissions her as an "Apostle to the Apostles." Mary is the first to announce the resurrection and to fulfill the role of an Apostle─someone sent by Jesus with a special message or commission, to spread the gospel ("good news") and to lead the early church. The first message she was given was to announce to Peter and the others that "He is risen!"( ) Although the term is not specifically used of her in the New Testament, Eastern Christianity refers to her as "Equal to the Apostles"), and later traditions name her as "the apostle to the apostles." King writes that the strength of this literary tradition makes it possible to suggest that historically Mary was a prophetic visionary and leader within one sector of the early Christian movement after the death of Jesus.

Asbury Theological Seminary Bible scholar Ben Witherington III confirms the New Testament account of Mary Magdalene as historical: "Mary was an important early disciple and witness for Jesus." He continues, "There is absolutely no early historical evidence that Mary's relationship with Jesus was anything other than that of a disciple to her Master teacher."

In his apostolic letter ''Mulieris Dignitatem'' ("On the dignity and vocation of women", part 67-69) dated 15 August 1988, Pope John Paul II dealt with the Easter events in relation to the women being present at the tomb after the Resurrection, in a section entitled 'First Witness of the Resurrection': "The women ''are the first at the tomb''. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear "He is not here. ''He has risen'', as he said." (Mt 28:6). They are the first to embrace his feet (cf. Mt 28:9), They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:1-10, Lk 24:8-11). The Gospel of John (cf. also Mk 16:9) emphasizes the ''special role of Mary Magdalene''. She is the first to meet the Risen Christ. [...] Hence she came to be called "the apostle of the Apostles". Mary Magdalene was the first eyewitness of the Risen Christ, and for this reason she was also ''the first to bear witness to him before the Apostles.'' This event, in a sense, crowns all that has been said previously about Christ entrusting divine truths to women as well as men."

Roman Catholic tradition

Gregory of Tours, writing in Tours in the 6th century, supports the tradition that she retired to Ephesus, with no mention of any connection to Gaul.

How a cult of Mary Magdalene first arose in Provence has been summed up by Victor Saxer in the collection of essays in ''La Magdaleine, VIIIe – XIIIe siècle'' and by Katherine Ludwig Jansen, drawing on popular devotions, sermon literature and iconology. In Provence, Mary is said to have spent her last days alone in the wilderness, fasting and engaging in acts of penitential self-discipline, behavior that was rewarded with experiences of ecstatic union with the divine. Depictions of her last days became enormously popular in preaching and art.

Mary Magdalene's relics were first venerated at the abbey of Vézelay in Burgundy. Jacobus de Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of the relics of Mary Magdalene from her sepulchre in the oratory of Saint Maximin at Aix-en-Provence to the newly founded abbey of Vézelay; the transportation of the relics is entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard, duke of Burgundy. The earliest mention of this episode is the notice of the chronicler Sigebert of Gembloux (died 1112), who asserts that the relics were removed to Vézelay through fear of the Saracens. There is no record of their further removal to the other St-Maximin; a casket of relics associated with Magdalene remains at Vézelay.

Afterwards, since September 9, 1279, the purported body of Mary Magdalene was also venerated at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Provence. This cult attracted such throngs of pilgrims that the earlier shrine was rebuilt as the great Basilica from the mid-13th century, one of the finest Gothic churches in the south of France.

The competition between the Cluniac Benedictines of Vézelay and the Dominicans of Saint-Maxime occasioned a rash of miraculous literature supporting the one or the other site. Jacobus de Voragine, compiling his ''Legenda Aurea'' (Golden Legend) before the competition arose, characterized Mary Magdalene as the emblem of penitence, washing the feet of Jesus with her copious tears (although it is now believed that Mary of Bethany was the woman known for washing or anointing the feet of Jesus) protectress of pilgrims to Jerusalem, daily lifting by angels at the meal hour in her fasting retreat and many other miraculous happenings in the genre of Romance, ending with her death in the oratory of Saint Maximin, all disingenuously claimed to have been drawn from the histories of Hegesippus and of Josephus.

The French tradition of Saint Lazare of Bethany is that Mary, her brother Lazarus, and Maximinus, one of the Seventy Disciples and some companions, expelled by persecutions from the Holy Land, traversed the Mediterranean in a frail boat with neither rudder nor mast and landed at the place called ''Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer'' near Arles. Mary Magdalene came to Marseille and converted the whole of Provence. Magdalene is said to have retired to a cave on a hill by Marseille, La Sainte-Baume ("holy cave." ''baumo'' in Provençal), where she gave herself up to a life of penance for thirty years. When the time of her death arrived she was carried by angels to Aix and into the oratory of Saint Maximinus, where she received the viaticum; her body was then laid in an oratory constructed by St. Maximinus at Villa Lata, afterwards called St. Maximin.

In 1279, when Charles II, King of Naples, erected a Dominican convent at La Sainte-Baume, the shrine was found intact, with an explanatory inscription stating why the relics had been hidden.

During the Counter Reformation and Baroque periods (late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries), the cult of Mary Magdalene saw a great, new popularity as the Catholic Church publicized her as an attractive, persusasive model of repentance and reform, in keeping with the goals of the reform Council of Trent (1545–63). Numerous works of art and theater featuring the tearful penitent Magdalene appeared in the seventeenth century. As part of this new attention to the cult of the Magdalene, in 1600, her relics were placed in a sarcophagus commissioned by Pope Clement VIII, the head being placed in a separate reliquary. The relics and free-standing images were scattered and destroyed at the Revolution. In 1814, the church of La Sainte-Baume, also wrecked during the Revolution, was restored. In 1822, the grotto was consecrated afresh. The head of the saint now lies there and has been the centre of many pilgrimages.

The traditional Roman Catholic feast day dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene celebrated her position as a penitent. The Magdalene became a symbol of repentance for the vanities of the world to various sects. In 1969, the Catholic Church allegedly admitted what critics had been saying for centuries: Magdalene's standard image as a reformed prostitute is not supported by the text of the Bible. They reportedly have revised the Roman Missal and the Roman Calendar, and now neither of those documents mention Mary Magdalene as a repentant sinner of ill repute. St. Mary Magdalene was the patron of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Magdalene College, Cambridge (both colleges pronounce her name as "maudlin"). In contrast, her name was also used for the Magdalen Asylum, institutions for "fallen women".

Protestant tradition

Protestants honor her as a highly respected apostle, disciple and friend of Jesus. Anglican and Lutheran Christians revere her as a saint and some call upon her for intercession. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America honors Mary Magdalene, Apostle on July 22 as a Lesser Festival. Most Protestant Christians do not consider that Mary Magdalene was an apostle at all. They point out that it is Protestant Christianity's most ardent critics who try to propagate that assumption, along with strange—and in their eyes blasphemous—theories that Mary Magdalene had relations with Jesus. Those Protestant denominations that do not believe in the authority of women over men insist that the Bible clearly identifies the Apostles, and they were all men. Most Protestants see Mary Magdalene as a very dedicated follower, or disciple of Jesus, but not as an Apostle. Protestants do not believe the Catholic apocryphal texts are inspired of God, or God-breathed, in contrast to the rest of the Biblical texts that were included in the Biblical_canon.(cf John McArthur)

Easter Egg tradition

For centuries, it has been the custom of many Christians to share dyed and painted eggs, particularly on Easter Sunday. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians (including Albanian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Greek, Lebanese, Macedonian, Russian, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian) this sharing is accompanied by the proclamation "Christ is risen!" (in Greek ''"Christos anesti"'',Serbian:"Христос Вoскрeсе!", Armenian:"Քրիստոս յառեաւ ի մեռելոց",Albanian:"''Krishti U Ngjall!")'' and the response "Truly He is risen!" (in Greek - ''"Alithos anesti"'',Serbian:" Вaистина Воскресе", Albanian:"''Vertet U Ngjall''!").

One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that, following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by Emperor Tiberius. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed, "Christ is risen!" Caesar laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red, and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house.

Another version of this story can be found in popular belief, mostly in Greece. It is believed that after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary put a basket full of eggs at the foot of the cross. There, the eggs were painted red by the blood of the Christ. Then, Mary Magdalene brought them to Tiberius Caesar (see above).

Bahá'í tradition

There are many references to Mary Magdalene in the sacred writings of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, said that she was "the channel of confirmation" to Jesus' disciples, a "heroine" who "re-established the faith of the apostles" and was "a light of nearness in his kingdom." `Abdu'l-Bahá also wrote that "her reality is ever shining from the horizon of Christ," "her face is shining and beaming forth on the horizon of the universe forevermore" and that "her candle is, in the assemblage of the world, lighted till eternity." `Abdu'l-Bahá considered her to be the supreme example of how women are completely equal with men in the sight of God and can at times even exceed men in holiness and greatness. Indeed he claimed that she surpassed all the men of her time, and that "crowns studded with the brilliant jewels of guidance" were upon her head.

The Bahá'í writings also expand upon the scarce references to her life in the canonical Gospels, with a wide array of extra-canonical stories about her and sayings which are not recorded in any other extant historical sources. `Abdu'l-Bahá claimed that Mary travelled to Rome and spoke before the Emperor Tiberius, which is presumably why Pilate was later recalled to Rome for his cruel treatment of the Jews (a tradition also attested to in the Eastern Orthodox Church). According to the memoirs of Juliet Thompson, `Abdu'l-Bahá also compared Mary to Juliet, one of his most devoted followers, claiming that she even physically resembled her and that Mary Magdalene was Juliet Thompson's "correspondence in heaven."

Speculations

The name Mary occurs numerous times in the New Testament. There are several people named Mary in the Gospels. There also are several unnamed women who seem to share characteristics with Mary Magdalene. At different times in history, Mary Magdalene has been confused or misidentified with almost every woman in the four Gospels, except the mother of Jesus. "The idea that this Mary was 'the woman who was a sinner,' or that she was unchaste, is altogether groundless."

"Beloved Disciple" in the Gospel of John

A group of scholars, the most familiar of whom is Elaine Pagels, have suggested that for one early group of Christians Mary Magdalene was a leader of the early Church. These scholars have even suggested that Mary might even be the unidentified "Beloved Disciple" to whom the ''Gospel of John'' is ascribed.

Raymond E. Brown suggests that to make this claim and maintain consistency with scriptures, Mary's separate existence in the two common scenes with the Beloved Disciple were modifications hastily added later to give validity to the gospel in the late 2nd century. Both scenarios have contain internal inconsistencies, possibly stemming from rough editing to make Mary Magdalene and the Beloved Disciple appear as different persons.

Anne Graham Lotz summarized this reading of the texts in 2003. She demonstrated that an early Christian writing portrays authority as being represented in Mary Magdalene or in the church community structure.

Identification as Mary of Bethany

In Roman Catholic tradition, Mary of Bethany is identified as Mary Magdalene, while in Eastern Orthodox and Protestant traditions they are considered separate persons. "Mary of Bethany" itself is an anachronism, as she is just referred to as "Mary" both in and the Gospel of John.

The identification is mainly based on the Gospel of John. The Mary appearing in Bethany is introduced in only by her first name, as if her identity was self-evident. Jesus seems to know her family well and is described visiting them several times. In , Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume and wipes his feet with her own hair, to which Jesus says that it was intended "she should save this perfume for the day of my burial". Following this, Mary of Bethany inexplicably disappears from the narrative, while the earlier unmentioned Mary Magdalene emerges without introduction at Jesus' crucifixion, finding later his tomb empty and being the first to be visited by him after the resurrection. Furthermore, also Mary Magdalene is referred to as "Mary" in the scenes certainly involving her.

The Gnostic texts commonly refer to Mary Magdalene as Mary.

Mary Magdalene, betrothed to John the Evangelist

The monk and historian Domenico Cavalca (circa 1270-1342), citing Jerome, suggested that Mary Magdalene was betrothed to St John the Evangelist: "I like to think that the Magdalene was the spouse of John, not affirming it... I am glad and blythe that St Jerome should say so."

The Dominican monk Jacobus de Voragine in his Golden Legend reported the legend that Mary Magdalene was betrothed to St John the Evangelist, who left his bride at the altar to follow Jesus, dismissing it as a "false and frivolous tale".

In 1449 King René d'Anjou gave to Angers Cathedral the amphora from Cana in which Jesus changed water to wine, acquiring it from the nuns of Marseilles, who told him that Mary Magdalene had brought it with her from Judea, relating to the legend where she was the jilted bride at the wedding following John the Evangelist received his calling from Jesus.

Mary Magdalene, a virgin after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Ambrose (''De virginitate'' 3,14; 4,15) and John Chrysostom (''Matthew, Homily 88'') have suggested that Mary Magdalene was a virgin after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Relationship with Jesus

Gnostic texts

The Gospel of Philip depicts Mary as Jesus' ''koinonos'', a Greek term indicating a "close friend" or "companion". Mary Magdalene is mentioned as one of three Marys "who always walked with the Lord" and as his companion (Philip 59.6-11). The work also says that Lord loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often (63.34-36). The closeness described in these writings depicts Mary Magdalene, representing the Gnostics, as understanding Jesus and his teaching while the other disciples, representing the Church, did not. Kripal writes that "the historical sources are simply too contradictory and simultaneously too silent" to make absolute declarations regarding Jesus' sexuality. On the other hand, author John Dickson argues that it was common in early Christianity to kiss a fellow believer by way of greeting, and as such kissing would have no romantic connotations.

Mary Magdalene appears with more frequency than other women in the canonical Gospels and is shown as being a close follower of Jesus. Mary's presence at the Crucifixion and Jesus' tomb, while hardly conclusive, is at least consistent with the role of grieving wife and widow. There are also passages indicating that Mary of Bethany was behaving as a Jewish wife, for example in waiting to be summoned when Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ tomb. This would be resolved if Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were one and the same character (see below).

Proponents of a companionship with Jesus argue that it would have been unthinkable for an adult, unmarried Jew to travel about teaching as a rabbi. However, in Jesus' time the Jewish religion was very diverse and the role of the rabbi was not yet well defined. It was not until after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 that Rabbinic Judaism became dominant and the role of the rabbi made uniform in Jewish communities.

Medieval dualism

The 13th-century Cistercian monk and chronicler Peter of Vaux de Cernay claimed it was part of Catharist belief that the earthly Jesus Christ had a relationship with Mary Magdalene, described as his concubine. Quote: "Further, in their secret meetings they said that the Christ who was born in the earthly and visible Bethlehem and crucified at Jerusalem was 'evil', and that Mary Magdalene was his concubine – and that she was the woman taken in adultery who is referred to in the Scriptures; the 'good' Christ, they said, neither ate nor drank nor assumed the true flesh and was never in this world, except spiritually in the body of Paul. I have used the term 'the earthly and visible Bethlehem' because the heretics believed there is a different and invisible earth in which – according to some of them – the 'good' Christ was born and crucified."

A document, possibly written by Ermengaud of Béziers, undated and anonymous and attached to his ''Treatise against Heretics'', makes a similar statement. Quote: "Also they [the Cathars] teach in their secret meetings that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Christ. She was the Samaritan woman to whom He said, 'Call thy husband.' She was the woman taken into adultery, whom Christ set free lest the Jews stone her, and she was with Him in three places, in the temple, at the well, and in the garden. After the Resurrection, He appeared first to her."

Mary Magdalene and Iona

The author Fiona MacLeod reported "there's a story that Mary Magdalene lies in a cave in Iona".

Mary Magdalene in historical fiction

Edgar Saltus's historical fiction novel ''Mary Magdalene: A Chronicle'' (1891) depicts her as a heroine living in a castle at Magdala, who moves to Rome becoming the "toast of the tetrarchy", telling John The Baptist she will "drink pearls... sup on peacock's tongues."

See also

Jesus bloodline

Magdalen Society of Philadelphia forced labour society

Magdalene Asylum forced labour organisation

Mary of Bethany

Saint Sarah

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

St. Mary Magdalene's Church

References

Further reading

Acocella, Joan. "The Saintly Sinner: The Two-Thousand-Year Obsession with Mary Magdalene." ''The New Yorker'', February 13 & 20, 2006, p. 140–49. Prompted by controversy surrounding Dan Brown's ''The Da Vinci Code''.

Brock, Ann Graham. ''Mary Magdalene, The First Apostle: The Struggle for Authority''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003. ISBN 0674009665. Discusses issues of apostolic authority in the gospels and the ''Gospel of Peter'' the competition between Peter and Mary, especially in chapter 7, "The Replacement of Mary Magdalene: A Strategy for Eliminating the Competition."

Burstein, Dan, and Arne J. De Keijzer. ''Secrets of Mary Magdalene''. New York: CDS Books, 2006. ISBN 1593152051.

Jansen, Katherine Ludwig. ''The Making of the Magdalen: Preaching and Popular Devotion in the Later Middle Ages''. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2000. ISBN 0691058504.

ISBN 0226453812.

Pearson, Birger A. "Did Jesus Marry?." ''Bible Review'', Spring 2005, pp 32–39 & 47. Discussion of ''complete'' texts.

Picknett, Lynn, and Clive Prince. ''The Templar Revelation''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0593038703. Presents a hypothesis that Mary Magdalene was a priestess who was Jesus' partner in a sacred marriage.

Shoemaker, Stephen J. "Rethinking the ‘Gnostic Mary’: Mary of Nazareth and Mary of Magdala in Early Christian Tradition." in ''Journal of Early Christian Studies'', 9 (2001) pp 555–595.

Thiering, Barbara. ''Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene''. New York: Simon & Schulster (Atria Books), 2006. ISBN 1416541381.

Wellborn, Amy. ''De-coding Mary Magdalene: Truth, Legend, and Lies''. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2006. ISBN 1592762093. A straightforward accounting of what is well-known of Mary Magdalene.

External links

St. Mary Magdalene (pdf) from Fr. Alban Butler's ''Lives of the Saints''

"Saint Mary Magdalene." Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

The Life of St. Mary Magdalene: Saint of the Christian Church

St Mary Magdalene, Catholic Encyclopaedia 1911

Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene

St Mary Magdalen and the case for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church

Legends of Mary Magdalene

The Pesher Technique: ''The Marriage of Jesus'' by Barbara Thiering

Miriam/Myriam M'Gadola: Mary Magdalene

Articles and more than 40 Paintings

Early Christian Writings: ''Gospel of Mary''

''Gospel of Mary Magdalene''

Showing inaccuracy of ''The Da Vinci Code'' in respect to Mary Magdalene

Category:1st-century Christian female saints Category:1st-century deaths Category:Anglican saints Category:Eastern Orthodox saints Category:Equal-to-apostles Category:Followers of Jesus Category:New Testament people Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar Category:Roman Catholic saints Category:Saints from the Holy Land Category:Saints of the Golden Legend

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