Many paintings, books, documentaries, movies, plays and even church sermons have long incorrectly depicted Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. This false labeling has been passed down through generations, although there is nothing as such recorded anywhere in the Holy Bible (1).

At times, she's also been confused with:

Mary, Mother of Jesus (2)

Mary of Bethany (3) (Sister of Martha and Lazarus)

Mary (Mother of James the Less and Joseph)

Mary (Wife of Clopas)

ERRONEOUSLY SMITED

The false narrative of Mary Magdalene being a prostitute is traced back to 591 AD, when a Catholic Pope named Gregory the Great delivered a homily exhorting that (a) Mary Magdalene, (b) the Sinful Woman who Anointed Jesus (Luke 7:36-50) and (c) Mary of Bethany were, in fact, one and the same person. Boom. Get ready for 1400 years of false teachings, smutty paintings and the unshakeable moniker of "Penitent Sinner" . . .

WHO MARY MAGDALENE IS NOT

The following biblical accounts refer to women interacting with Jesus Christ (4). None of them are or involve Mary Magdalene:

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)

Jesus & The Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:1-26)

Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1-11)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany (John 12:1-11)

THE REAL (BIBLICAL) DEAL ON MARY MAGDALENE

In most New Testament (5) translations (6), Mary Magdalene is mentioned about 13 times (7) - all within the four Gospels of Matthew (8), Mark (9), Luke (10) and John (11). The Bible doesn't mention much about Mary's personal life and never connects her with any other biblical figures as relatives.

She first appears in the Bible in Luke 8:1-4, having been cured of evil spirits after Jesus drove seven demons out of her. Mary is mentioned in this account as one of many women (12) who were traveling with Jesus and His Twelve Apostles (13), helping to support them out of their own means. This loosely translates that Mary is, at the very least, financially stable. The Bible does not indicate by what means she arrived at this station.

As per the chart offered below, the Gospels tell us that Mary was present at Calvary when Jesus was crucified (14) as well as when He was buried. All four Gospels name Mary in their respective  Empty Tomb/Resurrection narratives (15).

note 1: Although Mary Magdalene is not mentioned by name, Luke 23:49 references "the women who had followed Him from Galilee" were watching from a distance.

note 2: Although Mary Magdalene is not mentioned by name, Luke 23:55-56 references "women who had come with Jesus from Galilee" tended to His body in His tomb.

CONCLUSION

Based on the Good News, it's righteous to conclude that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, but a selfless and devoted follower of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For a printer friendly version of this webpage, click on the PDF offered in the lower sidebar. Modifications are welcome at goodnews@downriverdisciples.com.

FOOTNOTES:

  (1) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/the-good-news

  (2) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/mary-mother-of-jesus

  (3) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/martha-and-mary

  (4) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/jesus-christ

  (5) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/new-testament

  (6) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/bible-translations

  (7) https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Mary+Magdalene&qs_version=NIV

  (8) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/matthew

  (9) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/mark

(10) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/luke

(11) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/john

(12) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/women-in-the-bible

(13) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/twelve-apostles

(14) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/obituary-of-jesus

(15) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/resurrection-of-jesus

RESOURCES

Richard J. Hooper, The Crucifixion of Mary Magdalene, p. 81

https://www.uscatholic.org/articles/200806/who-framed-mary-magdalene-27585

http://trivialdevotion.blogspot.com/2012/05/jesus-and-women-luke-82-3.html

https://juniaproject.com/mary-magdalene-5-things-should-know/