Ethan Walker
Mary Magdalene is a significant figure in Christianity, known for being one of the witnesses to Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, as mentioned in all four Gospels. Over the years, there has been much debate and uncertainty within the Catholic Church regarding the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who is also referred to as Mary of Bethany. While some, including Pope Gregory I, have identified them as the same person, others argue that they are distinct individuals, with Mary Magdalene being from Galilee and Mary of Bethany residing in Judea. The confusion may stem from the commonality of the name Mary during that time, as well as the use of identifiers like the Magdalene and of Bethany to distinguish between different women with the same name.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is Mary Magdalene the sister of Lazarus in Catholicism? | No, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, are two different people. |
| Evidence | Mary Magdalene is referred to as "the Magdalene" in all four Gospels, whereas Mary of Bethany is identified with respect to her siblings. Mary Magdalene is from Magdala in Galilee, while Mary of Bethany is from Judea. |
| Other names for Mary of Bethany | Mary of Bethany is often referred to by her siblings' names, i.e., Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Modern scholars also refer to her as Mary of Bethany to avoid the longer phrase. |
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What You'll Learn
Mary Magdalene is identified as the Magdalene in all four Gospels
Mary Magdalene, sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, travelled with Jesus as one of his followers. She is identified as "the Magdalene" in all four gospels, which is a reference to her origins in the fishing village of Magdala, a mostly Gentile town of about 40,000 people on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. This is an important distinction because Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, was from Bethany, a village in Judea just outside Jerusalem.
Mary Magdalene is a historical figure, believed to have been healed by Jesus, who supported his ministry financially and was present at his crucifixion and burial. She is described as a prominent follower of Jesus and played a key role among his female disciples. She is often named first in lists of women, indicating that she was seen as the most important out of all of them. All four gospels affirm her presence at these pivotal moments, highlighting her unique role as one of the few named female disciples and a key figure in the early church.
The identification of Mary Magdalene as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, is a mistake that has been attributed to a sermon given by Pope Gregory the Great in the year 591. This belief likely predates Gregory, and it became cemented in the General Roman Calendar, where the Feast of Mary Magdalene includes a collect referring to Mary of Bethany. However, the current interpretation of the Catholic Church, influenced by the Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, is that these are two different women. This distinction is further supported by the fact that Mary Magdalene did not have prominent siblings known in the Christian community, whereas Mary of Bethany had well-known siblings in Martha and Lazarus.
The confusion between Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany has led to a composite depiction of Mary Magdalene, with her image being conflated with that of Mary of Egypt, a repentant prostitute. This composite depiction influenced the Mass texts for her feast day, with the Tridentine Mass explicitly identifying her as Mary of Bethany by describing Lazarus as her brother. However, it is important to note that there is no authority for identifying Mary Magdalene with the "sinner" who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke, and there is no biblical reference to suggest that she was involved in prostitution or had an immoral past.
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Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is from Bethany, Judea
Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, is from Bethany, Judea. She is introduced in the Bible as the sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany. Bethany is a village near Jerusalem in Judea.
Mary of Bethany is often confused with Mary Magdalene. This is due, in large part, to a homily given by Pope Gregory the Great in which he taught about several women in the New Testament as though they were the same person. This led to a conflation of Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalene. However, they are not the same person. Mary Magdalene is identified as "the Magdalene" in all four Gospels, whereas the two Gospels that refer to the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke and John) identify her with respect to her siblings. This means that Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, had prominent siblings who were known in the Christian community, whereas Mary Magdalene did not.
Mary of Bethany is honoured as a separate individual from Mary Magdalene in Orthodox Church tradition. She is also commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches with her sister Martha on 4 June, as well as on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers (the Third Sunday of Pascha).
Mary of Bethany is mentioned in the Bible in connection with two incidents: the raising of her brother Lazarus from the dead and the anointing of Jesus. In the latter incident, Mary pours perfume on Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair.
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Mary Magdalene is from Magdala, Galilee
Mary Magdalene, sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, was a Jewish woman from Magdala, a village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Magdala was a fishing town, primarily known in antiquity as a fishing village.
Magdala was a mostly Gentile town of about 40,000 people. Mary Magdalene's name is mentioned 12 times in the Gospels, more than most of the apostles. She was a prominent follower of Jesus, believed to have been healed by him, and supported his ministry financially. She was present at his crucifixion and burial and played a key role among his female disciples.
Mary Magdalene was likely referred to as "the Magdalene" because she was from Magdala in Galilee. This was a naming convention used in first-century Palestinian Jewish culture, such as "Jesus of Nazareth" or "Jesus the Nazarene". This place designation suggests that she did not have any relatives who were well known in the early Christian community.
There has been some historical confusion between Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This was partly due to a sermon given by Pope Gregory the Great in 591, where he asserted that the two Marys were the same person. However, this belief was likely predated by earlier interpretations. The identification of the two Marys became cemented in the General Roman Calendar, where the Feast of Mary Magdalene included a collect referring to Mary of Bethany.
The current interpretation of the Catholic Church, influenced by the Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, is that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are two different women. Mary of Bethany was from Judea, not Galilee, and was the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
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Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is also the sister of Martha
Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, is a separate figure. She is referred to as "the Magdalene" in all four Gospels, indicating that she was from Magdala, a fishing village in Galilee. Mary Magdalene was a prominent figure in the early Christian community and was one of the witnesses of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.
The distinction between Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, and Mary Magdalene was made by the Congregation for Divine Worship in 2021. The two figures were previously believed to be the same person, an identification made by Pope Gregory I in a sermon in 591. However, modern scholarship and a growing awareness of first-century Jewish naming practices have clarified that they were two different women.
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Mary Magdalene was a witness to Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection
Mary Magdalene, sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, was a devoted follower of Jesus. She was believed to have been healed by him and supported his ministry financially. She was one of the few who remained with Jesus through his crucifixion and was the first to witness his resurrection.
All four Gospels refer to Mary Magdalene as a witness to Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. She is often named first in lists of women, which indicates that she was prominent in the early Christian community and was well-known by the authors of the Gospels.
In the Gospel of Mark, Mary Magdalene is one of the women who stayed with Jesus even to the Crucifixion. She is also mentioned in the Gospel of John, where she is the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. This is her greatest claim, not repentance or sexual renunciation.
Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus was one of transformative devotion. Her life was reoriented by love and healing, and she became one of the few who remained with Jesus through his crucifixion. She was also the first to witness his resurrection and the first to preach the "Good News" of that miracle.
There has been some historical confusion between Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This was partly due to a sermon given by Pope Gregory the Great in 591, where he asserted that the two Marys were the same person. However, this belief has been challenged, as Mary Magdalene is identified as ""the Magdalene"" in all four Gospels, while Mary of Bethany is identified in relation to her siblings. Additionally, Mary Magdalene was from Galilee, while Mary of Bethany was from Judea.
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Frequently asked questions
No, they are two different people. Mary Magdalene was from Galilee, while Mary of Bethany was from Judea. Mary Magdalene is also mentioned in all four Gospels as one of the witnesses of Christ's resurrection, while Mary of Bethany is mentioned in two Gospels as the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
Mary was a very common name in first-century Palestine, with more than one in five Jewish women bearing the name. This has led to confusion about the Marys mentioned in the Bible. The identification of the two Marys as the same person was also influenced by a sermon given by Pope Gregory the Great in 591.
Mary Magdalene was one of the witnesses of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, and she is often named first in lists of women. This indicates that she was prominent in the early Christian community and was well-known by the authors of the Gospels.
Mary of Bethany played a prominent role in the Gospel of John, where she anoints Jesus' feet with her hair and wipes them with perfume. She is also mentioned in Luke 10:38-42.
