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Mary Magdalene

Woman living at the time of the New Testament

Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, was the first to witness His resurrection.

🗺 Places mentioned alongside Mary Magdalene on the map →

Also known as Mary

Mary Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. She was from the town of Magdala and had been healed by Jesus of seven demons (Luk.8.2). Mary Magdalene was one of the women who supported Jesus' ministry financially and followed Him even to the cross. She witnessed His crucifixion along with other women, including Jesus' mother Mary (Mat.27.56; Mrk.15.40; Jhn.19.25). After Jesus' death, Mary Magdalene and other women prepared spices to anoint His body and went to the tomb on the first day of the week. They found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Jesus and was instructed by Him to tell the disciples of His resurrection (Mat.28.1; Mrk.16.1, 9; Luk.24.10; Jhn.20.1, 11-18). As a result, she became known as the "apostle to the apostles" for being the first to witness and proclaim the resurrection of Jesus.

Connections

Part of: Bethany and the Women Around Jesus

Are Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the sinful woman one person?

RoleDebated

In 591 Pope Gregory the Great preached that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the anointing woman of Luke 7 were one. The NT names three separate people and never links them. Eastern churches keep them separate.

Mary MagdaleneFollower of Jesus, first witness of His resurrection.MarySister of Martha
Where the text shows it: Luke 7:36-50 — Unnamed sinful woman anoints Jesus' feetLuke 8:2 — Mary called Magdalene, seven demonsJohn 12:3 — Mary of Bethany anoints his feet
Ways people read this (3)
  • Western medieval tradition (Gregory): one woman.
  • Eastern tradition and most modern scholars: three distinct women.
  • Some see John 11:2 as the Gospel itself merging Mary of Bethany with the anointing.

Sources: Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels 33

The women who funded Jesus' travels

FriendsStated in the text

Luke says Mary called Magdalene, Joanna wife of Chuza, Susanna and many others accompanied Jesus and provided for them out of their means. Mary Magdalene had been delivered from seven demons.

Mary MagdaleneFollower of Jesus, first witness of His resurrection.JoannaA follower of Jesus who supported His ministrySusannaWoman who helped support Jesus and his disciplesChuzaHerod's steward, whose wife Joanna supported Jesus
Where the text shows it: Luke 8:1-3 — Women who provided for them

Sources: Scripture

Witnesses at the cross and tomb

RoleStated in the text

Mark lists Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome watching from a distance and at the tomb. Luke adds Joanna. These women became the first witnesses of the empty tomb.

Mary MagdaleneFollower of Jesus, first witness of His resurrection.MaryAlphaeus or Cleopas' wifeSalomeSister of Mary.JoannaA follower of Jesus who supported His ministryMaryMosther of Jesus
Where the text shows it: Mark 15:40-41 — Watching from a distanceMark 16:1 — Buy spices at the tombLuke 24:10 — Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary of JamesJohn 19:25 — Near the cross

Sources: Scripture

Mary Magdalene sees the risen Lord first

RoleStated in the text

John records Mary Magdalene finding the tomb empty, running to Peter and the other disciple, then seeing the risen Jesus. Mark 16:9 also says he appeared first to her.

Mary MagdaleneFollower of Jesus, first witness of His resurrection.PeterAn apostleJohnAn apostle
Where the text shows it: John 20:1-18 — Empty tomb; Jesus appears to MaryMark 16:9 — Appeared first to Mary MagdaleneMatthew 28:1-10 — The two Marys meet Jesus

Sources: Scripture

More background: search Wikipedia ↗

Bible dictionary

Mary Magdalene Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

Different explanations have been given of this name; but the most natural is that she came from the town of Magdala. She appears before us for the first time in (Luke 8:2) among the women who “ministered unto him of their substance.” All appear to have occupied a position of comparative wealth. With all the chief motive was that of gratitude for their deliverance from “evil spirits and infirmities.” Of Mary it is said specially that “seven devils went out of her,” and the number indicates a possession of more than ordinary malignity. She was present during the closing hours of the agony on the cross. (John 19:25) She remained by the cross till all was over, and waited till the body was taken down and placed in the garden sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathaea, (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55) when she, with Salome and Mary the mother of James, “bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint” the body. (Mark 16:1) The next morning accordingly. in the earliest dawn, (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2) they came with Mary the mother of James to the sepulchre. Mary Magdalene had been to the tomb and had found it empty, and had seen the “vision of angels.” (Matthew 28:5; Mark 16:6) To her first of all Jesus appeared after his resurrection. (John 20:14,15) Mary Magdalene has become the type of a class of repentant sinners; but there is no authority for identifying her with the “sinner” who anointed the feet of Jesus in (Luke 7:36-50) neither is there any authority for the supposition that Mary Magdalene is the same as the sister of Lazarus. Neither of these theories has the slightest foundation in fact.

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Mary Magdalene appears

14 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G3137

Matthew3
Mark4
Luke2
John5

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.