Mary Magdalene

**Mary Magdalene**, also known as **Lilith**, **Mary** or **Magdalene**, is a disciple of Jesus Christ along with the 12 apostles, some theorizing that she was the wife or girlfriend of the Savior.

## Overview

Not much is known about Mary's past, but at some point, she was specifically possessed by seven demons, perhaps the Seven Princes of Hell, and was set free by the Son of God. After that, she becomes one of Jesus' disciples (perhaps the first) and begins to follow and preach his teachings. According to the Gnostic view, she was not just another of Jesus' followers, but was his consort. Several apocryphal texts show that the two were very close, which even caused discomfort in the apostles.

The gospel of Mary even mentions that Jesus loved more than the other disciples: "Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them". Mary answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you". And she began to speak to them these words: "I", she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision."

In the Bahai faith, Mary is said to enjoy an exalted status as a heroine of the faith and the "archetypal woman of all cycles". She is also called "the heroine who restored the faith of the apostles and was a light of nearness in their kingdom." On the horizon of the universe forever and ever "and that" its candle is, in the assembly of the worlds, lighted unto eternity.

## Appearance

In July 2015 the face of Mary Magdalene was revealed, digitally reconstructed through images of her blood exposed in France using a photogrammetry technique. The project was carried out by the Brazilian Team of Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Dentistry (Ebrafol) with the contribution of 3D designer Cícero Moraes, Her appearance is that of a light-skinned woman with long dark hair.

As the soul of human beings is incorporeal, on the physical plane it can take on any appearance it likes. Her current appearance is that of a young woman with dark skin and long black hair with blue eyes. She always wears a light blue dress.

## Personality

Mary is one of Jesus' followers, that is, a Christian, so she is always trying her hardest to follow in the footsteps of the Enlightened One, to do what is right and what is fair in God's eyes. She showed herself to be a person concerned about Jesus following all of his crucifixion, even going to visit his tomb. Despite this, she showed some disbelief about the resurrection of Jesus, as when she saw the empty tomb she thought that the Savior's body had been stolen, when in reality He was more alive than ever.

## Myths and Legends

### Eastern Orthodox

The Eastern Orthodox Church has never identified Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany or the "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus in Luke 7:36–50 and has always taught that Mary was a virtuous woman her entire life, even before her conversion. They have never celebrated her as a penitent. Mary Magdalene's image did not become conflated with other women mentioned in Biblical texts until Pope Gregory the Great's sermon in the sixth century, and even then this only occurred in Western traditions. Instead, she has traditionally been honored as a "Myrrhbearer" (Μυροφόρος; the equivalent of the western Three Marys) and "Equal to the Apostles" (ἰσαπόστολος). For centuries, it has been the custom of many Eastern Orthodox Christians to share dyed and painted eggs, particularly on Easter Sunday. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb.

### Protestantism

The 1549 *Book of Common Prayer* had on July 22 a feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, with the same Scripture readings as in the Tridentine Mass and with a newly composed collect: "Merciful father geue us grace, that we neuer presume to synne through the example of anye creature, but if it shall chaunce vs at any tyme to offende thy dyuine maiestie: that then we maye truly repent, and lament the same, after the example of Mary Magdalene, and by lyuelye faythe obtayne remission of all oure sinnes: throughe the onely merites of thy sonne oure sauiour Christ." The 1552 edition omitted the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, which was restored to the Book of Common Prayer only after some 400 years.

Modern Protestants honor her as a disciple and friend of Jesus. Anglican Christians refer to her as a saint and may follow her example of repentance; While some interpret the Thirty-Nine Articles as forbidding them to call upon her for intercession, other Anglicans, citing the Episcopal burial service, say they can ask the saint to pray for them. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America honors Mary Magdalene on July 22 as an Apostle, albeit as a Lesser Festival. Presbyterians honor her as the "apostle to the apostles" and, in the book *Methodist Theology*, Kenneth Wilson describes her as, "in effect", one of the "first missionaries". Mary Magdalene is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 22 July.

### Baháʼí Faith

There are many references to Mary Magdalene in the writings of the Baháʼí Faith, where she enjoys an exalted status as a heroine of faith and the "archetypal woman of all cycles". `Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, said that she was "the channel of confirmation" to Jesus' disciples, a "heroine" who "re-established the faith of the apostles" and was "a light of nearness in his kingdom". `Abdu'l-Bahá also wrote that "her reality is ever shining from the horizon of Christ", "her face is shining and beaming forth on the horizon of the universe forevermore" and that "her candle is, in the assemblage of the world, lighted till eternity". `Abdu'l-Bahá considered her to be the supreme example of how women are completely equal with men in the sight of God and can at times even exceed men in holiness and greatness. Indeed he said that she surpassed all the men of her time, and that "crowns studded with the brilliant jewels of guidance" were upon her head.

The Baháʼí writings also expand upon the scarce references to her life in the canonical Gospels, with a wide array of extra-canonical stories about her and sayings which are not recorded in any other extant historical sources. `Abdu'l-Bahá said that Mary traveled to Rome and spoke before the Emperor Tiberius, which is presumably why Pilate was later recalled to Rome for his cruel treatment of the Jews (a tradition also attested to in the Eastern Orthodox Church). Baháʼís have noted parallels between Mary Magdalene and the Babí heroine-poet Táhirih. The two are similar in many respects, with Mary Magdalene often being viewed as a Christian antecedent of the latter, while Táhirih in her own right could be described as the spiritual return of the Magdalene; especially given their common, shared attributes of "knowledge, steadfastness, courage, virtue and will power", in addition to their importance within the religious movements of Christianity and the Baháʼí Faith as female leaders.

## Quotes

*"God dwells in each of us since he breathed into Adam's nostrils, he is one with us. If God dwells in each of us, then let's take good care of one another so that we can get to know him, and he us." - Mary Magdalene.*

*"I called you by name." - Jesus Christ to Mary.*

*"I saw the Lord!" - Mary, John 20:18.*

*"Do not hold me back, for I have not yet returned to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." - Jesus to Mary, John 20:17.*

*"Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources." - Luke 8:1-3.*

*"Sometime the strongest force is love. And is faith but the love between humanity to our Creator." - Mary Magdalene.*

*"Mary! Mary of Magdalene!" "Who are you and how do you know my name?!" "Thus saith the Lord, He Who created thou." "No... YOU!" "The one who formed thou. Do not be afraid, for I have rescued you. I called you by name. You are mine." " Not! SHE IS MINE! WHO CALLED YOU HERE?! GET OUT OF HERE!" "Unclean and deaf spirit... Get out of her now!" "No! It can't be! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" - Jesus and Mary Magdalene formerly speaking, before Yesh and Satan speak through both as Yesh exorcises Satan from Mary.*

## Trivia

* There are theories that before she was exorcised by Yeshua, Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, or a sinful woman with a lot of money.