Few women from the Bible receive as much press and intrigue from both Christians and non-Christians alike as Mary Magdalene. From Broadway hits such as Jesus Christ Superstar to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, I have read more about her past than Scripture has indicated.
In this article, we’ll delve into the true identity of one of the most intriguing and devoted women who followed Jesus during His ministry: Mary Magdalene. For centuries, her story has been surrounded by mystery, misinterpretation, and even false portrayals, leading to widespread misconceptions about who she really was. Was she a prostitute? A close disciple? Even more? We’ll separate fact from fiction, exploring what the Bible actually tells us about her remarkable faith and unwavering loyalty to Christ. By examining her true role and dismissing the myths that have arisen over time, we’ll uncover the powerful example she sets for all believers today.
Table of Contents
- Bible Verses
- Mary Magdalene'sStory
- False Stereotypes of Mary
- Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?
- Her Significance
- Interesting Facts
What Does the Bible Say About Mary Magdalene?
We only have one hint at Mary Magdalene’s life before she followed Jesus. When He casts seven (or possibly more) demons out of her, as Luke 8:1-3 says, Mary Magdalene does a complete turnaround and follows Jesus for the rest of His ministry.
We will dive into some specifics about Mary's life but here is a summary of what else we know about her:
- Mary Magdalene, among a couple of other women, financially supported Jesus and the disciples (Luke 8:1-3).
- She witnessed Jesus’ death and was the first person to see Him resurrected (John 20:11-18).
- And she likely awaited the descent of the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended (Acts 1:14).
Aside from that, we don’t have many clear details about her from Scripture.
Mary Magdalene's Story in Scripture
Mary Magdalene was from the town of Magdala, a small fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Magdala, which means "tower" in Aramaic, was known for its thriving fishing industry and trade. Its proximity to other important locations in Jesus’ ministry, like Capernaum and Tiberias, may have contributed to Mary’s connection to Jesus and His disciples.
Her title, "Magdalene," is not her last name but a way to distinguish her from other Marys mentioned in the Bible, such as Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary of Bethany.
Mary Magdalene’s life was completely transformed when she encountered Jesus. Before meeting Him, her situation was desperate—Luke 8:2 describes her as a woman who had been possessed by seven demons. We read in Luke 8:2-3: "And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance."
Imagine the torment and isolation she must have experienced, living under the weight of such oppression. But everything changed when Jesus stepped into her life. He saw her not for her affliction but for who she was, and with His divine authority, He freed her from the power of those demons.
Jesus didn’t just heal her physical and spiritual afflictions—He restored her dignity and gave her a new identity as a beloved follower and servant of God. This profound experience led her to become one of Jesus's most faithful followers, accompanying Him in His travels and ministering to His needs. Magdala’s reputation as a bustling town may also give us a glimpse into Mary’s background. Some scholars speculate she could have been a woman of means, helping support Jesus and His ministry financially, as Luke 8:2-3 mentions that Mary and other women provided for Jesus out of their resources. Understanding where Mary Magdalene came from helps us see her not just as a follower of Christ but as a significant supporter of His mission.
Mary Magdalene's loyalty and dedication were most evident during Jesus's crucifixion and burial. We read in Matthew 27: 55-61: "And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock, and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb."
When many of Jesus's disciples deserted Him, Mary Magdalene remained steadfast, witnessing His crucifixion. She was also present at His burial and was the first to discover the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. We read in John 20:1-18: "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."...Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her."
This extraordinary moment made Mary Magdalene the first person to witness the resurrected Christ, a privilege of immense spiritual significance. Not only was she the first to encounter Him, but she was also entrusted with the vital task of sharing the news of His resurrection with the disciples. In doing so, she became the first to proclaim the cornerstone truth of the Christian faith—that Jesus had risen from the dead. Because of this, she has been honored with the title "apostle to the apostles," a recognition of her unique role in spreading the Gospel and her unwavering faith and devotion to Christ. Mary's encounter reminds us that God often chooses the unexpected to carry out His most important work.
False Stereotypes about Mary Magdalene
Western Christianity has long assigned roles to Mary Magdalene that the historical person does not appear to have fulfilled. Over the centuries, she has been inaccurately portrayed in art, literature, and modern media as a repentant prostitute—a characterization with no basis in the biblical text. In more recent interpretations, some have even sensationalized her as the wife of Jesus, fueling conspiracy theories and fictional narratives. These depictions have overshadowed her true identity as a devoted follower of Christ and the first witness to His resurrection.
To truly understand Mary Magdalene, we must move beyond these false stereotypes and examine the biblical and historical evidence, appreciating the profound and faithful role she played in Jesus’ ministry and the early church. Let’s dive deeper into these misconceptions and uncover the real story of Mary Magdalene.
1. Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife. (She wasn’t.)
For instance, some have said Mary and Jesus were either lovers or husband and wife. Some have pointed to a heretical document the size of a business card known as “The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” as evidence for this.
Mary Magdalene did not marry Jesus. Not only would this have been impossible, considering He remained single throughout His public ministry, but He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection.
Furthermore, God would not marry humans. Not to mention, if the Nephilim spoken of back in Genesis 6:1-4 were in fact fallen angels (supernatural beings) who had children with humans, then God saw the wickedness that came about from these unions. One theory of the Nephilim suggests one of the reasons the Great Flood happened was to wipe out the unnatural result of supernatural beings and humans having children.
2. Mary Magdalene was a former prostitute. (She wasn’t.)
Mary Magdalene, as it seems according to Scripture, was likely not a prostitute. Some people associate her with the prostitute who washes Jesus’ feet with her hair (Luke 7:36-50), but no biblical verse ties the two.
Additionally, some have speculated that Mary Magdalene was the woman caught in adultery, whom Jesus famously forgave and told to "go and sin no more" (John 8:1-11). Yet again, the text does not name the woman, and there is no scriptural basis for identifying her as Mary Magdalene.
Why Do So Many Christians Claim Mary Magdalene Was a Prostitute?
If no Scriptural evidence directly ties her to this role, where did the prostitute affiliation come from?
In the 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great authoritatively pronounced Pope Gregory the Great delivered a sermon in which he mixed up and combined three distinct biblical figures: the "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus' feet in Luke 7:36-50, Mary of Bethany (the sister of Martha and Lazarus, mentioned in John 11), and Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus who is introduced in Luke 8:2 as a woman from whom seven demons had been cast out. Gregory claimed these were all the same person, cementing a composite identity that painted Mary Magdalene as a repentant sinner, often interpreted as a former prostitute. The Eastern Orthodox Church never linked Mary Magdalene’s identity with the sinful woman in Luke 7.
Mary Ann Beavis explained for Baylor University’s Center for Christian Ethics:
“Although Gregory did not actually call her a prostitute, he interpreted the 'seven demons' of which she had been exorcised as the totality of vices, and asserted that the ointment she used to anoint Jesus’ feet had previously been used by her to perfume her body for sensual purposes. Subsequently, the legend of Mary Magdalene, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, as a beautiful, vain, and lustful young woman saved from a life of sin by her devotion to Jesus became dominant in western (Catholic) Christianity, although the eastern (Orthodox) church continued to regard Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany as distinct saints, and identified neither with Luke’s sinner.”
Although the Western church, since the late 20th century, has attempted to undo the false representations of Mary in the past, some of those misconceptions still linger, especially in popular culture.
What Happened to Mary Magdalene After the Resurrection of Jesus?
After the resurrection of Jesus, the Bible doesn’t give us many details about what happened to Mary Magdalene, but we can piece together some ideas from tradition and her role in the Gospels. What we do know is that Mary played a significant role as the first witness to the resurrection. Imagine the joy and awe she must have felt after encountering the risen Christ! Her immediate response was to go and tell the disciples, sharing the incredible news that Jesus was alive. In that moment, Mary was entrusted with a pivotal mission, earning her the title “apostle to the apostles.”
Beyond this moment, the Bible becomes silent about Mary Magdalene’s life, leaving her story open to interpretation and speculation. Some early Christian traditions suggest that she continued as a faithful follower of Jesus and played a role in the early church. There are legends that she traveled to spread the Gospel, possibly even as far as France, though these accounts are not rooted in Scripture. What’s clear is that Mary remained an important figure in the early Christian community, remembered for her devotion and faithfulness.
When we think about Mary Magdalene’s story, we’re reminded of how God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. She wasn’t a public leader or someone with power or influence, yet Jesus chose her to be the first to witness and share the most important event in history. Her life encourages us to reflect on how we can faithfully live out the Gospel in our own lives, even when the details of our story remain unknown. Like Mary, we can trust that our faithfulness and willingness to follow Jesus will leave an eternal impact, even if it’s not fully recorded in history.
The Significance of Mary Magdalene's Story
1. It matters that we clarify Jesus never had a wife. God would never engage in sexual relations with His creation. He would consider that to be an abomination. We need to eradicate any affiliation of Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ wife.
2. We must ensure we have the historical facts right about anything mentioned in the Bible, even something that seems insignificant. Nonbelievers will nitpick Scriptures to try and find something inaccurate historically so they can try to disprove its credibility. If we have an inaccurate picture of something even small, they will use that as evidence against the infallibility of Scripture.
3. Mary Magdalene is a radical character in the New Testament—the first to witness the resurrection—and we must make sure to get her story right since Christians and unbelievers alike seem fascinated with her.
Although all in all, we can take away from Mary Magdalene that she lived a life apart from God until she had an encounter with Jesus, which radically changed her life. She went from a life oppressed by seven or more demons to participating in Jesus’ ministry and witnessing the greatest miracle of all time.
Watch:7 Things You Didn't Know About Mary Magdalene
This video touches on things most Christians often don't know about Mary Magdalene. Although I can't cover everything below, I would like to highlight some of them that do appear in the video.
As mentioned in the video, Jesus set Mary Magdalene free from the grip of seven demons. Seven usually have a completeness factor to it in Scripture. Perhaps more dwelled inside of her than a mere seven. But this goes to show the power Jesus exemplified. To not only cast out one demon out of a person but at least seven.
Also, I appreciate how this video mentions how Mary (as well as many other women) supported the ministry of Jesus financially. When we give with loving hearts in church, we don't often understand how much our gift can help build the kingdom. Scripture calls us to give of our time and effort, but also, it does require of us to give in a financial sense. After all, the money does come from God. We render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. And we give with joyful hearts, just as Mary Magdalene did when Jesus preached and traveled.
Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. More than 350 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her column "Hope's Hacks," tips and tricks to avoid writer's block, reaches 5,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young's blog. Her modern-day Daniel, “Blaze,” (Illuminate YA) released June 2019 and the sequel releases a year from now. Find out more about her here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/ZU_09
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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