Salome was one of the women who witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. She was perhaps the wife of Zebedee.
In Mat.20.20-21, she approached Jesus with her sons, requesting that they be granted positions of honor and authority in His kingdom. This request demonstrated her ambition for her sons but also her limited understanding of the nature of Jesus' mission at the time. Jesus responded by teaching about the importance of humility and service in His kingdom (Mat.20.22-28). Salome is mentioned in Mrk.15.40 and Mrk.16.1 as one of the women who were present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and later went to His tomb on the morning of His resurrection. In Mrk.15.40, she is described as one of the women who watched the crucifixion from a distance, along with Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses. Her husband was Zebedee, according to hints at Matt 27.56 with Mrk.15.40. These women had followed Jesus and cared for His needs during His ministry in Galilee (Mrk.15.41). After the crucifixion, Salome, along with Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, bought spices to anoint Jesus' body (Mrk.16.1). They went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, intending to perform this act of devotion. However, when they arrived, they found the stone rolled away and a young man (an angel) who informed them that Jesus had risen (Mrk.16.2-6). The angel instructed them to tell the disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus would meet them in Galilee (Mrk.16.7). Salome's presence at both the crucifixion and the tomb on the morning of the resurrection highlights her devotion to Jesus and her role as a witness to these crucial events in the Christian faith.
Witnesses at the cross and tomb
RoleStated in the textMark 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.
Sources: Scripture
Who is "his mother's sister" in John 19:25?
FamilyDebatedJohn names either three or four women at the cross: "his mother's sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" may be 3 or 4. If four, the sister is likely Salome, mother of Zebedee's sons, making James and John Jesus' first cousins.
Ways people read this (3)
- Four women: sister = Salome, so James and John are cousins of Jesus.
- Three women: Mary of Clopas is the sister, or sister means sister-in-law.
- Two women sharing the name Mary as sisters is unlikely, which favors the four-woman reading.
Sources: Scripture
Salome: mother of James and John
FamilyWidely acceptedMatthew's list at the cross includes "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" where Mark has Salome, so the two are generally taken as the same woman. She asked Jesus for places for her sons.
Sources: Scripture
Salome as mother of James and John
FamilyWidely acceptedMatthew names "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" among the women at the cross where Mark names Salome. Most readers equate the two, making Salome Zebedee's wife; the name Salome itself is never said to belong to her in Matthew.
Where the text shows it: Matthew 27:56 — Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.Mark 15:40 — Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James the less and Joses, and Salome. Ways people read this (1)
- The match rests on comparing parallel lists of women; both lists are compatible with Salome being someone else.
Sources: Matthew 27:56 · Mark 15:40
Mary and Salome as sisters
FamilyDebatedJohn 19:25 lists the women at the cross; if "his mother's sister" is a separate person from Mary of Clopas, she could be Salome of Mark 15:40 or the mother of Zebedee's sons of Matthew 27:56. That would make James and John Jesus' first cousins.
Where the text shows it: John 19:25 — His mother, his mother's sister, Mary of Clopas, Mary Magdalene.Mark 15:40 — Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joses, Salome.Matthew 27:56 — The mother of the sons of Zebedee. Ways people read this (3)
- Four women in John (the sister is Salome) versus three (the sister is Mary of Clopas).
- Two sisters named Mary would be unusual in one family, which supports the four-women reading.
- No ancient source states that James and John were Jesus' cousins and TIPNR adopts the four-women reading.
Sources: John 19:25 · Mark 15:40 · Matthew 27:56
3 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G4539