# Women at the crucifixion

The presence of a group of female disciples of Jesus at the crucifixion of Jesus is found in all four Gospels of the New Testament. There have been different interpretations how many and which women were present. Although some Christian traditions hold that there were Three Marys at the cross, only one gospel claims this, and these names differ from the other gospels.

## Narrative comparison

| | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
| Women at the cross | Matthew 27:55–56 many women ... who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee | Mark 15:40 women ... among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome | Luke 23:49 the women who had followed him from Galilee | John 19:25 his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene |
| Women at the burial | Matthew 27:61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb | Mark 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary of Joses saw where he was laid | Luke 23:55 the women who had come with him from Galilee | |
| Women visiting the tomb | Matthew 28:1 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary | Mark 16:1 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome | Luke 24:10 Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them | John 20:1 Mary Magdalene |

## Interpretations

Matthew and Mark, who speak of "many women" present at the crucifixion, mention three individually at the death of Jesus and two at his burial. Matthew describes the third individual present at the death as the mother of the sons of Zebedee, without naming her. Mark's third individual is called Salome. Luke mentions none individually. John mentions four individually, including Jesus' mother Mary, who is not mentioned by the other gospels.
The indication in John 19:25 could be interpreted as referring to two, three or four women. There are difficulties against taking it as presenting a double apposition, with "his mother" being Mary of Clopas, and "his mother's sister" being Mary Magdalene. If the women are three, then there is a single apposition, with Mary of Clopas presented as the sister of Jesus' mother (despite the awkwardness of having two sisters bearing the same name) or else, since Hebrew and Aramaic had no specific word for "cousin", presented as her cousin or her sister-in-law, with Clopas considered the brother of Joseph. If there is no apposition, the women are four, as understood by Tatian and the Peshitta. If the last interpretation is chosen, the accounts that the four gospels give of individual women present at the crucifixion are:$^{:69}$
| Person | Matthew | Mark | John |
| Mary, mother of Jesus | | | Y |
| Mary Magdalene | Y | Y | Y |
| Mary, mother of James and Joseph/Joses | Y | Y | |
| The mother of the sons of Zebedee | Y | | |
| Salome | | Y | |
| A sister of Mary, mother of Jesus | | | Y |
| Mary of Clopas | | | Y |
Mary Magdalene is mentioned by all gospels apart from Luke, who mentions no individual. Mary, mother of James and Joseph/Joses is mentioned by Matthew and Mark. The others are mentioned by one gospel only: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary, the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Salome; a sister of Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary of Clopas.
Attempts have been made to consider Mary of Clopas, the mother of James and Josepsh/Joses, and a half-sister or sister-in-law of Mary the mother of Jesus as different descriptions of the same person.