How Jesus Christ healed Mary Magdalene. Who was Mary Magdalene? Sensational facts! The Legend of Mary Magdalene and the Egg

To the release of the film "Mary Magdalene" on April 5, 2018. Mary Magdalene is one of the most mysterious personalities of the Gospel. People formed an idea about it mainly from pictures on biblical themes. They usually depict a half-naked repentant sinner with beautiful long hair, with which, according to the New Testament, she wiped the feet of Jesus. She became his most devoted follower. And Christ after the resurrection appeared to her before the others. It turns out that Jesus Christ preferred the former harlot? The strange predilection of the Savior for Mary Magdalene made many scholars who studied the Bible and looked for evidence of events in history that occurred in it, take a closer look at this woman. But an explosion of interest in it occurred after the appearance of Dan Brown's book "The Da Vinci Code", and then the film, which triumphed on the screens of the world. It was then that for the first time the idea was voiced that Mary of Magdala was ... the wife of Jesus and the mother of his child, who became the ancestor of the dynasty of the Great Keepers of the Holy Grail.

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The following excerpt from the book Mary Magdalene. The Secret Wife of Jesus Christ (Sophia Benois, 2013) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

Great Whore

Magdalene, woman "from the castle tower"

AT“The Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary” writes about her: “Mary Magdalene is a myrrh-bearing wife from the city of Magdala. She led a dissolute life, and J. Christ, by his sermon, returned her to a new life and made her his most devoted follower. After the resurrection, I. Christ appeared to her before the others. Already in this short presentation there is a contradiction, or rather, a confrontation on which we decided to build the book. First of all, we meet two inconsistencies: she was a despicable whore and - after the death of Jesus the teacher - she was the first to whom he appeared ... Strange circumstances that make the believer a priori think that a dirty whore, even a repentant one, is more precious than a half-mother.

For several centuries, among the fathers of the church, disputes have not subsided about whether to consider Magdalene the harlot, the anointer of Christ, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, the same woman to whom the resurrected Jesus first appeared. In the VI century. with the blessing of Pope Gregory, the Western Church has recognized this identification. Whereas the Orthodox Church, which strictly adhered to the information about Magdalene known from the New Testament, never recognized this identification. Despite the fact that the Western Church in the XVI century. will come to an agreement with the Eastern Church on this issue, in the minds of the people Mary Magdalene remains a “holy harlot”, anointing the feet of Christ, washing them with tears and wiping them with her beautiful hair.

On the western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret is the place Magdala, where Mary Magdalene was from.

Was this woman promiscuous? And did this woman, who bore the name Mary Magdalene, behaved indecently? Is there a mistake in the biblical narrative, or perhaps, among the falsified events, there lies the most mysterious secret, carefully hidden from the eyes of a simple man in the street, but visible only to the initiated?

According to the official version, Mary Magdalene was born in the town of Magdala on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, in Galilee, in the northern part of the Holy Land, not far from the place where John the Baptist baptized. The middle name Magdalene is believed to point to Magdala, her hometown on the western shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee, and the name is believed by many to come from the Hebrew word "migdal", "migdol", which means "castle". Therefore, Magdalene is a Latinized form of the word meaning "from the tower", "from the castle tower". According to other sources, the small homeland of Mary Magdalene at the time of Christ was called Migdal-El or Migdal Nunnaya, which in Aramaic means "Tower" or "Tower of fish" (here they caught and salted fish). It is also believed that Magdala is translated as "almond".

It may seem strange that Mary Magdalene, unlike other biblical Marys, received her nickname from her place of birth - for women of that time it was quite unusual. As a rule, a woman was given a nickname by her husband or son; in the Bible we find that "Mary of Jacob" (Mark 16:1) and "Mary of Josiev" (Mark 15:47) were the mother - "Mary the mother of James the Lesser and Josiah" (Mark 15:40), and Maria Kleopova - the wife of Cleopas, who became one of the followers of Jesus Christ. Considering that the nickname of our Mary was given by the name of her native city, we can assume that: a) she led a rather independent way of life from men; b) was a rich woman living in a castle with towers (tower).

Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the Russian Orthodox Monastery in Magdala was built in 1962. The monastery was built on the spot where, according to legend, the Lord cast out demons from Mary Magdalene

It can be mentioned that in addition to Mary from Magdala, an image of Mary from Bethany also appears on the pages of the Bible. “What do we know about Mary Magdalene, and what do we know about Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus? Firstly, Magdala is located on the shores of the Lake of Galilee, not far from Capernaum and Bethsaida, where the first disciples of Christ were from. Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, which was located near Jerusalem, which is very far from Magdala. It seems that this circumstance should immediately cross out the commonality of these two names – Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany,” writes the author of the Christian Internet portal A. Tolstobokov. And he explains: “However, let's not rush, because it is not difficult to find a simple explanation for this, given two circumstances: 1) the Lord cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2), after which she others healed and cleansed followed Jesus through the cities and towns. 2) The woman from Bethany was a sinner who poured precious ointment on Jesus in Simon's house (Luke 7:37-50; Matt. 26:6,7; Mark 14:3). And in In. 11:2 and Jn. 12:1-3 says explicitly that Mary the sister of Lazarus "anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair." Of course, it can be assumed that there were two women who performed such a good deed towards Jesus at different times. But most likely we are talking about one woman. Then we see that “both” Marys, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, had an unenviable past of sin. Both Marys received great forgiveness from the Lord, and therefore followed Him. Is this why another nameless sinner, forgiven by Christ, is traditionally associated with Mary Magdalene? (John 8:11).”

So who is she, this strange stranger?! The sources that reveal the life story of a woman from Magdala are the writings of the authors of the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, John, Luke and some others. An excellent study on this topic was carried out by Catherine Ludwig Jansen, who published a book on Mary Magdalene based on her monograph. She rightly believes that any study about this character should begin with the New Testament - the oldest historical source confirming the existence of this devoted follower of Jesus. In total, in the four Gospels, this woman is mentioned twelve times, and only once not in connection with the story of the passion of Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospel of Luke (8:2-3) says that Mary, called Magdalene, is the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. After he healed her, Mary of Magdala, along with Joanna, Susanna, and others, became one of his most faithful disciples.

Lazarus with sisters Martha and Mary

According to the New Testament, the disciple of Christ was present at the crucifixion of the Great Teacher (Mat. 27: 56; Mark 15: 40; John 19: 25), they noticed her when he was placed in the tomb (Mat. 27: 61; Mark 15: 47), as well as on the first day of Easter among those who came to the tomb to anoint his body with spices (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10; John 20:1).

In the Holy Gospel of Mark, recognized by scholars as the oldest of the Gospels, the author tells that Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected Christ on the first day of Easter before others: Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he cast out seven demons." Seeing him with her own eyes, she went and announced the resurrection to the other disciples, “but when they heard that he was alive, and she saw him, they did not believe” (Mark 16:9-11).

In the Gospel of Matthew, Mary Magdalene, on the way from the tomb, meets the resurrected Jesus, who instructs him to tell his brothers that they will see him in Galilee (Matt. 28: 1-10).

But the Evangelist Luke insists that even though Mary Magdalene came on the first day of Easter to the empty tomb of Jesus along with other women, Jesus did not first appear in front of her, but in front of two of his disciples who were going to the village of Emmaus (Luke 24:13– fifteen).

Catherine Ludwig Jansen's book about Mary Magdalene

The first day of Easter, described by John, differs little from the stories of Mark and Matthew, only he paid more attention to the meeting of Mary Magdalene with the resurrected Jesus. This, according to researchers, is the largest of the passages dedicated to her in the New Testament. John describes how Mary Magdalene, coming to the tomb and finding it empty, hurries to Peter and John and tells them that the body of the Lord has been carried away from the tomb. They immediately go to see everything with their own eyes, but soon come back. And only the faithful Mary Magdalene remains: she stands at the tomb, weeping bitterly. Suddenly, two angels appear to the woman, who ask why she is crying, and Mary answers. Then a man approaches her, whom she mistook for a gardener, who asks: “Whom are you looking for?” She answers by crying, mourning for her Lord. Then the man calls out to her: "Mary." Finally, she recognizes her Lord and turns to him (John reports: Mary addresses the Risen One with the Hebrew word "rabboni" - teacher). Jesus does not allow Mary to touch him, but only tells the good news of his resurrection to other disciples and followers of his teaching.

Summing up, we point out that according to the New Testament, Mary Magdalene is exactly the woman whom Jesus of Nazareth healed from demon possession and who became one of his devoted disciples; Mary served Christ during his lifetime, stood next to the cross on which he was crucified, was present at his position in the tomb, brought ointments and incense to the tomb after his martyrdom, was the first to see the resurrected Christ and became the one who first announced the rest of the resurrection Teachers (said in three of the four gospels).

To avoid a superficial account of the fate of the important heroine, we should also mention the Gnostics, who also wrote their revelations, and often long before the authors of the above holy tests. Gnosticism is a religious and philosophical trend, the adherents of which were separate Christian sects of the second century AD.

crucifixion. Artist Simone Martini

And they were united by their belief in gnosis (from the Greek: “knowledge”, “cognition”), that is, in knowledge about God, the Universe, the fate of mankind, received from God (the Higher Cosmic Mind) or as a result of illumination. And in each of the three Gnostic texts that exist today, Mary Magdalene plays a significant role - the role of the closest and most beloved woman of Jesus, but we will talk about this later.

Fall. In the arms of Judas of Carioth

The many-sided figure of Mary Magdalene in our time has become more attractive than ever. But - as already emphasized - most researchers, based on biblical information, assign her the role of a sinful seductress who became a student of an extraordinary person who calls himself the Son of God.

Well, according to tradition, we will start with the most attractive image - with the usual version of blissful debauchery. Not forgetting that in the late Middle Ages, Mary Magdalene became the most revered saint after the Virgin Mary.

And if the most beautiful pictures of great artists depict an attractive sinner, then the most beautiful image, written out by the skill of a male writer, was precisely the image of a dissolute maiden in Gustav Danilovsky's book "Mary Magdalene". However, the church and society, accusing this biblical heroine of carnal sins, giving this woman only the right to be a repentant sinner, deprived the novel of the Polish writer of the right to life and success. Immediately after the publication of the book in 1912, it was confiscated, and in different countries of Europe. And of course, the Pope put it on the list of banned books. Why was the church so afraid in the “contemptible novel”, no less fictional than all the brilliant canvases with portraits of this person, but which the church and museums of the world are so proud of?!

Mary Magdalene. Artist Carlo Crivelli

Based on a biblical story told by a Pole who lived a century before us, Mary grew up under the care of an older sister named Martha and brother Lazarus.

“Martha found an outlet for her violent vitality, a refuge from the heavy care of her sick brother and from the superstitious horror of her younger sister Mary Magdalene, who lives in a child of madness.

It was not for nothing that Mary's mother, when she was wearing it, dreamed just before the birth that wind mixed with fire would be born from her - her daughter from a very young age began to justify this prophetic dream.

Alive as a flame, impressionable, extraordinarily attractive, and at the same time reasonable, in her childhood she was the joy and light of her family. But as her chest developed, her home became cramped, stuffy and uncomfortable on the narrow mat of a girl's bedroom. Something unknown drove her to meadows, groves, free fields, to hillocks, to waters, where, together with the shepherds, she indulged in self-willed pranks, crafty running around, and then secret kisses and fleeting caresses, from which her beauty blossomed and her blood lit up. .

Why so much sensuality in the humble Catholic who wrote these lines? Was he inspired by the paintings of the beautifully-faced, red-haired Mary, or was he inspired by the biblical story with its oddly tucked into the pages of the Song of Song? It seems that the latter is much more truthful, for the description of the sinful Magdalene is made as if in unison with the well-known terms from the named love part of the Book of Books.

“Indeed, with her thin, regular nose, pink, small, like shells, ears, luxurious golden-reddish hair, Maria sharply differed from the general type of the Lazarus family - black-haired brunettes. And only her purple, oblong, sleepy and moist eyes in the hours of calm, and a certain lazy languor in movements, characteristic of the women of Galilee, famous for their beauty, reminded her mother.

Saint Martha

Despite such a bad reputation, everyone loved Mary. Slender, white, as if coming out of a milk font, turning pink from the slightest excitement, like a morning dawn, with purple lips, half-open, as if a bursting pomegranate flower, she struck with her irresistible beauty, disarmed with the charm of her pearly smile, and with long eyelashes and a long caressing look attracted the most severe. With liveliness of mind and fiery temperament, she knew how to capture and attract the simple-minded inhabitants of her native town so deeply that they forgave her her frivolity.

So, this author allows us to show doubt that the beauty was the legitimate daughter of Lazarus, he directly says that the girl’s mother cheated her from a visiting merchant. Such a biography seems to justify the obscenities that the heroine does in adulthood. All according to the Bible: for the sins of parents?!

Moreover: the author finds the culprit of her fall! He attributes the first adultery to Mary of Magdala with Judas of Carioth. Thoth, as we know, will also be one of the leading characters in the Bible. And since later we will avoid a lengthy citation of this author alone, now we will nevertheless give a description of the biblical character with whom our heroine dealt.

“Meanwhile, their guesses were in fact fair, but only they were mistaken in the personality of the seducer. It was not at all the young fisherman Saul, swarthy and flexible, like a reed, but the heavy, ugly, hairy Judas of Carioth, a ragged vagabond who wandered all over Palestine, reached the edge of both seas, wandered along the banks of the Nile, visited Alexandria and even lived not long in distant, mysterious Rome, the formidable seat of Caesar's iron legions.

Christ with Martha and Mary. Artist Henryk Semiradsky

Eloquent, cunning, keeping in his big red head a chaos of extraordinary thoughts, and in his chest under a patched cloak, scorpions of powerful desires and proud aspirations, strong and unprincipled, he managed to ignite the imagination of an exalted girl, mastered her thoughts, entangled them with clever sophisms, and youthful blood inflamed to such an extent that, having seized a moment, he overcame her resistance and, having mastered her strength, for a long time kept her under the spell of his power. Fearing the consequences, he soon disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.

Perhaps this is how we come to the most important thing: how it all began in the matter of involvement in sinfulness. And could it be, as the author claims, that the devil of debauchery Asmodeus so captured our hot beauty with a sheaf of magnificent hair that she even took “lying down” with a slave in the manner of Greek hetaeras for her innocent seductive tricks? Was it not enough for her the tender embraces of a patrician, the greedy embraces of merchants, or the strong embraces of fishermen and soldiers?

It is worth recalling once again that according to Christian tradition, Mary Magdalene is not a completely depraved girl, she is only “possessed by seven demons”, which Jesus will then successfully deal with. But what are these seven demons, and was the same Asmodeus, greedy to the heat of love, one of these invisible monsters? The biblical story is silent about this.

According to the Bible Dictionary of the nineteenth-century Swedish biblical scholar Erik Nyström, the word "Demon" (from the Greek Daimon or Daimonnon) denotes an evil spirit that serves its chief devil, the "prince of demons" (Matt. 9:34). According to the minister of the church and the author of the Christian Internet portal Andrey Tolstobokov, “John in the first epistle writes: “Whoever commits a sin is from the devil, because the devil first sinned. For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). So, in Mary there were seven demons that controlled her way of thinking, her way of life. And this image was far from God's principles set forth in His Word, His law.

Judas Iscariot played by Luca Lionello in The Passion of the Christ

This indicates that she was full of sin. But Christ, having power over unclean spirits (Mark 1:27), can also free us from these spirits and their leader, just as He freed Mary. Jesus wants to do this, but by force, without our will, without our choice, He cannot free us from sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; if they are as red as purple, they will be as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Having received forgiveness, liberation from many sins, Mary was full of special, quivering feelings for her Liberator. Her reciprocal love moved her to follow and serve Christ.”

Archpriest Gennady Belovolov, who visited the homeland of Mary Magdalene, said: “At the mention of Magdala, the image of the Equal-to-the-Apostles myrrh-bearing Christ immediately arises. This place is known throughout the world as the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. It is located on the shores of Lake Tiberias, 5 km from the city of Tiberias…

Russian monastery in honor of St. Mary Magdalene, which is a skete of the Gornensky monastery, is located not far from ancient Magdala on the shores of Lake Tiberias at the site of a source where, according to legend, the Lord expelled seven demons from Mary. A large plot of land was acquired in favor of the Russian Mission in 1908, and a church in the name of Mary Magdalene was erected on it in 1962.”

Paying tribute to the "classical" sinful image of Mary Magdalene, it should be mentioned once again that she could be associated with another woman bearing the same name - Mary. The second biblical heroine, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, also had a sinful past, and both of these Marys received the forgiveness of our Lord.

The woman convicted of adultery and brought to Christ, Mary, from whom seven demons were cast out, the woman who anointed Jesus with precious ointment, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who also anointed Jesus with ointment - traditionally Christians saw in all these women the same face. Preachers, theologians, poets, prose writers and artists attributed all these events to Mary Magdalene, about whom, according to Christ, should be proclaimed everywhere (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9).

The interior decoration of the church of St. Mary Magdalene in Magdala

I wonder if the Polish Catholic Gustav Danilovsky knew or thought about this when he colorfully wrote his novel about the biblical “fallen woman”?! Did the great artists of the Middle Ages think about this, leaving us dozens of portraits with the imperishable, indestructible image of Mary Magdalene - a repentant sinner? Or did all these men work the principle of complete trust in the fathers of the church, who affirmed this “truth”? ... or in all these men, together with the fathers of the church, was manifested in them the masculine, wild, ineradicable sin of contempt for the Woman as such?!

Perfeminam mors, perfeminam vita: death and life through a woman...

It is modern learned ladies-emancipe who can exclaim knowingly: “The problems of the soul that arise in women cannot be dealt with by inscribing them, women, into some form acceptable to the unconscious culture; neither can they be squeezed into the intellectual notions of those who claim to be the only sentient beings" (according to Clarissa Estes). Nevertheless, as we know, the Church Fathers “with knowledge of the matter” put women on the same line as human sins, for already belonging to the female sex meant belonging to the “unclean”.

Opening the Bible, in the Old Testament we read in the "Book of Ecclesiastes": "I turned with my heart to learn, explore and seek wisdom and understanding, and to know the wickedness of stupidity, ignorance and madness - and I found that a woman is bitterer than death, for she is a snare, and her heart is a snare, her hands are shackles; the good before God will be saved from her, but the sinner will be caught by her.”

And here is St. Ambrose, who uttered the famous expression: perfeminam mors, perfeminam vita - through a woman, death, through a woman, life, was ready to classify all Eve's compatriots as sinners. Ambrose does not directly call Mary Magdalene a sinner, he makes it clear: belonging to the female gender - this is already her sin, for "she is a woman and therefore is involved in original sin." But it won't be long before Mary of Magdala is set against the "stupid" Eve!

Meanwhile, back in the 13th century, the Dominican monk and philosopher Aldobrandino da Toscanella, in his essay “On Animals,” thought of writing: “A woman is an underdeveloped man.”

As for the quoted phrase of St. Ambrose, its explanation was heard in the saint’s Paschal sermon, when he stated that since “mankind fell into sin through the feminine gender, then humanity was reborn through the feminine gender, since the Virgin gave birth to Christ, and the woman announced his resurrection from the dead." According to him, “Mary honored Christ and therefore was sent to the apostles with the news of his resurrection, breaking the hereditary connection of the female sex with immeasurable sin. The Lord does this in secret: for where sin once abounded, grace now abounds more (Romans 5:20). And it is right that the woman was sent to the men, since she, who was the first to inform the man about sin, should also be the first to announce the mercy of God.

And how could any other man - unless he was Jesus Christ - take the sin of belonging to his male gender and the sin of copulation upon himself, freeing an earthly woman from this sin?!

Saint Ambrose was ready to classify all Eve's compatriots as sinners

It is also curious: what would the long-dead Ambrose say about a woman if, according to some other Bible, the resurrected Jesus appeared for the first time not to a woman, but to his male disciple? Perhaps then this saint would angrily point out: you see, my shepherds, our Lord despised sinful creatures, even those who followed him and served him, which I advise you too - stay away from this infection in the form of a temptress as far as possible. However, this is all the author's inventions ...

The topic is very interesting for its deep and almost eternal (by the standards of the time of the existence of Christianity) opposition, but we will not go too deep, because the author’s task is to consider and, if possible, explain the riddle of Mary Magdalene as simply and accessible as possible for each of us.

We must not forget that medieval philosophers claimed that women were prone to suggestible knowledge: mysticism, inspiration, revelations and visions, while men were considered more rational creatures prone to acquired knowledge. Also, based on the logic of many medieval thinkers, "all women's sin was of a sexual nature." But these fabrications were based on early Christian dogmas. When Pope Gregory the Great, who was also called Gregory the Dialogist, (540-604) - the last pope of the ancient world and the first pope of the Middle Ages, whose name is associated with the origin of Gregorian chant, settled in the Vatican, he had to think about the question of personality Mary Magdalene. This was due to the frequent questions about the unclear interpretation of this image. And it was Gregory the Dialogist who had the opportunity to evaluate the devoted disciple of Christ. It can be said in the spirit of modern feminists: based on the fact that the pope was a man, he attributed to Mary Magdalene the features and characteristics of a fallen woman.

But this great saint, revered in the West and East, had another reason to give negative colors to the companion of Christ. During the papal reign of Gregory, the biblical city of Magdala acquired a reputation for being godless and depraved, a kind of follower of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the pope found it possible to take revenge on the townspeople by endowing the native of Magdala with the most unflattering qualities. Thus laying down these characteristics for many centuries to come. Here it is - the vector of history in action, when one word dictates the processes taking place in society even after millennia!

Grigory Dvoeslav had a chance to evaluate Mary Magdalene. He attributed to her the features of a fallen woman ...

So it is likely that it was external circumstances that made it possible to ascribe to Mary Magdalene the life of a harlot.

On September 21, 591, Pope Gregory the Great, during a sermon in the Basilica of St. Clement in Rome, presented to the Western Christian world a new image of Mary Magdalene, declaring: “We believe that this woman, whom Luke calls a sinner, whom John calls Mary Magdalene, and is the same Mary from whom, as Mark says, seven demons were cast out. As we can see, Gregory the Great could identify three different women mentioned in the Gospels with one, a dissolute one. The first on this list was a nameless sinner who showed up at the house of the Pharisee Simon, where Jesus was eating at that time. In this dramatic scene described by Luke, a woman poured her tears over the feet of the Lord, wiped them with her hair and smeared with myrrh. The second, as John reported, was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha, at whose request Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The third is the demon-possessed Mary Magdalene, cured by Jesus of her illness and later becoming his obedient disciple.

So Mary Magdalene, with very vague and little proven facts of her biography, became the reason that the preachers turned their attention to the Woman and her nature, explaining in numerous sermons the questions that arise in society about the place and purpose of a woman, about the problem of prostitution, about the need for guardianship over a woman. (“it befits a man to be the ruler and master of a woman”; even the Lord is often called the Master of Mary Magdalene). As K. Jansen wrote, "preachers and moralists invented the image of Mary Magdalene in order to consider the problem that they considered purely feminine."

Basilica of St. Clement in Rome, where Pope Gregory the Great presented the world with a new image of Mary Magdalene

On the eve of Lent in 1497, the famous Italian Dominican priest and dictator of Florence (from 1494 to 1498), Savonarola, angrily appealed to the inhabitants of Florence: whose houses are bursting with vanity trinkets, paintings, obscene objects and harmful books ... bring them to me - we will burn them or sacrifice them to God. And you, mothers, dressing up your daughters in vain and elaborate robes and decorating their hair with fancy ornaments, bring all these items to us, and we will throw them into the fire, so that when the Day of Judgment comes, the Lord God will not find them in your homes. .

In the above-mentioned sermon of the pontiff Gregory the Great, it was also directly stated that the seven demons of Magdalene are seven grave sins. It turned out that the possession of Mary Magdalene by demons is a disease of the soul called sinfulness, despite the fact that the physical symptoms of the disease were seen by the main appraiser of human sins in the form of external beauty, some nakedness, embellishment of the flesh and sexual incontinence. Medieval commentators on biblical texts also had no doubt that the sin of the woman from Magdala was sensual, and that she "was sinful of the flesh." Carnal female sin, of course, was associated with the sexual sphere. In the Gospel of John, if you wish, you can find confirmation that Mary Magdalene committed a sensual sin - in a place where there is a story about an unnamed woman taken in adultery. Jesus protected her, and having blessed her, commanded her not to sin again.

But the church fathers seemed much more intolerant of Jesus. In one of his public sermons, the Franciscan clergyman Luke of Padua calls for fulfilling the cruel law of Moses, who commanded to stone adulterers.

It is worth remembering how medieval preachers loved to cite that passage from the canonical Book of Proverbs of Solomon, where it is said that a beautiful and reckless woman is essentially the same as a pig with a golden ring in her nose, because a beautiful woman will certainly wallow in the abomination of carnal sin just like that. just like a pig is bound to wallow in the mud. For example, Bernardino of Siena, in one of his sermons, following the instructions of the named book, directly likened Mary Magdalene to a pig with a golden ring in his nose.

Sermon Savonarola in Florence. Artist Nikolai Lomtev

Preachers condemned almost everything that is somehow connected with a woman; even dancing and singing were among the taboos! For example, the medieval preacher Jacques de Vitry scourged “guilty” sinners in his furious sermons: “The woman leading the choir is the devil's chaplain; those who answer her are his priests.” Another of his fellow preachers spoke disapprovingly of the simple circle dance: "At the center of this dance is the devil, and everyone is moving towards destruction."

Or here's another: the Dominican monk, Italian spiritual writer, author of the famous collection of the lives of the saints "The Golden Legend" Jacob Voraginsky in his sermon on the conversion of Mary Magdalene to the true path taught that beauty is false, for she deceived many. He compared female beauty to hot coals, a sparkling sword, a beautiful apple, for they also deceive imprudent young men. When touched, coals are burned, a sword hurts, and a worm hides in the middle of an apple ...

Isn't this the wretchedness of the male spirit, which does not allow for any adornment for a woman, any freedom, does not give the right to unique natural beauty and innocent, joyful entertainment? Certainly, individual temple servants were no less militant during the time of the "enlightenment" of Magdalene.

And only a curious woman, a woman exploring the world, can see in Mary Magdalene "the archetype of sacred femininity." Just as a nice remark on the topic: the author of the book “Secrets of Code. A guide to the mysteries of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Bernstein dedicated his research to Julia, "who every day of my life personifies the sacred feminine." How far progress has been made in the perception of women; and perhaps our heroine Mary Magdalene played an important role in this coming positive?

Jacob of Voraginsky argued in his sermon that beauty is false, for it has deceived many. A page from The Golden Legend

Unfortunately, the illusory balance in relation to the sexes is turning today into the humiliation of a man. In fact - in accordance with the well-known biblical expression: "With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you" ...

And on this path to illusory balance, the process is still going on, described by Clarissa Estes in such simple words: “Women who have lived for years the mythical life of the Primordial Woman silently scream:“ Why am I not like everyone else? …” Every time their life was about to blossom, someone sprinkled salt on the ground so that nothing would grow on it. They were tormented by various prohibitions that restricted their natural desires. If they were children of nature, they were kept within four walls. If they had a penchant for the sciences, they were told to be mothers. If they wanted to be mothers, they were told to know their hearth. If they wanted to invent something, they were told to be practical. If they wanted to create, they were told that a woman has a lot of housework.

Sometimes, trying to meet the most common standards, they only then understood what they really wanted and how to live. Then, in order to live their lives, they decided on a painful amputation: leaving a family, a marriage that they swore to keep until their death, a job that was supposed to become a springboard for another, even more stupefying, but also more highly paid. They left their dreams, scattering them along the way.

For "scattered dreams" and for more important - for classifying (without substantial evidence) a beautiful, sweet, helpful and smart virgin - Mary Magdalene to a host of daughters walking, sinful - men as the main accomplices of the infringement of the female essence and now receive what they deserve when their role in society and the family is sharply reduced.

Clarissa Estes: “Women who have been living the mythical life of the Primordial Woman for years silently scream: “Why am I not like everyone else? ...”

"Are there not enough prophets who should be persecuted?"

However, let's move on to the moment when Mary of Magdala heard about the new prophet. How it really happened - we will never know, but it is worth assuming what could happen as follows.

Judas, who visited the family where the young Magdalene lived, said:

- Over the quiet Lake of Tiberias, nicknamed the Sea of ​​Galilee, a new light shone. Some extraordinary prophet casts out evil spirits and demons, heals lepers and the obsessed. And his name is Jesus, he is the son of the carpenter Joseph and Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, originally from Nazareth.

Simon, who was nearby, objected: “How do you know that he is true, that he is a real prophet, whom he pretends to be?

And he lamented: “Were there really so few prophets who should have been driven out of our land?

To which Judas replied ardently: “The Heavenly Sage has not sent us great prophets for a long time, but this one truly works miracles.

Calmly accepting the news, Marfa interjected: - Come again, a new impudent charlatan, bringing confusion into our minds. Ugh, pervert.

“Be quiet, woman,” Judas remarked meaningfully with a sigh.

Only the silent Maria shone with sly eyes at the speakers, she already knew what the words and promises of this new homeless vagrant, a homeless tramp who picked up various knowledge on the side, were worth.

Karl Anderson as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, based on the musical of the same name

Even the biblical portrait of Judas shows us a deceitful and cunning person, with a rich imagination and hot temperament, an intriguer who can commit rash misconduct, followed by repentance.

It is known that the real character of the time when Judea was a space squeezed by the iron ring of the Romans, Judas managed to live with the adherents of the stern order of the Essenes. But he could not stand the rule of banishing any pleasure from everyday life, as evil and sinful, and decided to become a connoisseur and interpreter of Holy Scripture, but the dry scholasticism of the texts seemed to him insipid, devoid of sense for life's realities. In his search for truth and peace of mind, Judas found himself in the service of the Sadducee priests, but drew only doubts about the holiness of their harsh rites. His heart trembled with new joy when he joined the ranks of the zealous followers of John the Baptist, but he did not take root here either, rejecting both the ascetic teaching and the teacher himself.

But the meeting with the new prophet Christ made an extraordinary impression on Judas. The rabbi knew how to broadcast, completely capturing the minds of the listeners. He asserted, and this one wanted to believe, that the first would be last and the last first. He denounced the deceitful priesthood and reproved the Pharisees. He cared little about rituals and church prescriptions, he was ready to live to the fullest, enjoying life. The new prophet did not avoid incense, women, wine and fun, but at the same time, common people always gathered around him, ready to serve and listen, support and share his opinion, ready to follow him to the end. And the fact that the life of this strange rabbi prepares trials for his followers is so obvious: Jesus, who destroys the old and builds the new, is in fact an apostate from the law, and besides, he is too lenient towards the weak, sinful, erring, but too harsh and accusatory in relation to the strong and powerful.

Such a combination of intelligence and courage in one man captured Judas, and he easily fell under the influence of Jesus, sincerely believing that this Son of God is completely different from all the previous prophets.

Kiss Judas. Artist Cimabue

Surely he is the foreshadowed Savior whom the humiliated people of Israel have passionately called for for many decades. And then the teacher made Judas the guardian of the treasury, and he realized that the rabbi could be completely trusted not only with his future, but also with the future of his people. In addition, Jesus repeatedly assured that his kingdom was approaching, and his disciples, who are now suffering deprivation and persecution, will be in power, acting as shepherds to the lambs of men. And they will have to feed the sheep at a distance from sunrise to sunset, and rule in a capital more powerful than Rome itself. And their teacher, who is now naked and barefoot, will crown his forehead with a royal crown.

Returning to Jerusalem, Judas immediately began to talk everywhere about the new prophet, praising his talents and skills. And at the same time spread in secret that this just man Jesus comes from Bethlehem, from the house of David, as the Magi calculated. And, therefore, he is really the prophet whom the people of Israel have been secretly waiting for for a long time.

A little time will pass, and Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea, Samaria and Idumea, will also be talking about a new prophet, to whom the impudence spoken by Jesus, written down by people specially sent for surveillance, was reported. It turned out that in many places where he visits, he gathers crowds of people around him in order to openly condemn the lawyers and Pharisees, and he also says boldly:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

But at the same time, the overseers sent on a secret mission noted, this prophet gives such surprisingly simple, but such evasive answers to all provocative questions that it becomes difficult to convict him of a crime.

“You can see in everything a smart, but dangerous person,” the learned Pharisees also noticed, leading anxious conversations in their homes. - It would be necessary to send to him the most dexterous, most intelligent people who would be able to draw sedition out of him in the presence of numerous witnesses, so that, if necessary, be able to accuse him with evidence in hand.

Pontius Pilate on the fresco "The Flagellation of Christ" by Giotto di Bondone

Some of those denounced by Jesus only nodded their heads, hearing the name of their ill-wisher, and someone called:

- It would be necessary to ask about his plans several of his students, who were seen in the city the other day. They all rejoice that their teacher is near.

- How close is it? the household of the speaker asked uneasily.

- On the way to Jerusalem... Let him go, but let him not see and do not think that he is a great danger to us. We will be able to defeat all the arguments and thoughts of this Nazarene, we just need to try.

Already going to Jerusalem, the prophet sent two apostles accompanying him to the city, so that they would visit Simon, asking him for shelter. Martha, long overwhelmed with curiosity, encouraged by Lazarus, joyfully began to prepare for the coming of the messiah. It was assumed that during the day the prophet with his disciples would be in the city, and at night he would return to the suburbs, to Bethany. So Mary was destined to meet this amazing man, who was called the Son of God. However, the prepared meeting took place under the strangest, most unfavorable circumstances... So says most of the sources that tell about the life of Mary Magdalene, representing this golden-haired beauty as a harlot.

The origin of Jesus Christ: important or not?

Based on the official version, the name Jesus Christ is a “translation” into the Greek way of the Hebrew name Yeshua Meshiya, who was supposedly called the strange Teacher, born during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (30 BC - 14 AD) in Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the family of Joseph the Carpenter, later called a descendant of King David, and his wife Mary. The birth of this baby (hence the holiday: the Nativity of Christ) answered the Old Testament prophecies about the birth of the coming Messianic king from the line of David and in the “city of David” Bethlehem. The appearance of an extraordinary baby was predicted by the angel of the Lord to his mother (hence: the Annunciation), and through her to her husband Joseph.

Jesus and Pilate. Artist Nikolai Ge

Yeshua (Joshua) Meshiya contains the concepts: God and salvation, the anointed messiah; however, this man entered the history of Christianity and the history of mankind under the name of Jesus. Some biblical critics emphasize that the New Testament confirms that Jesus was a Jew who was perceived as a healer and teacher, that he was baptized by John the Baptist, and at the end of his short life was accused of sedition against the Roman Empire and crucified in Jerusalem by order of the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

I hope many have heard of such a strange process as channeling, meaning receiving information from a certain Higher Mind (Messengers, etc.) through a “channel” through an earthly person. So-called contactees live among us, through whose mouths some higher powers speak. According to Pamela Kribe, she was in contact with Jesus, with Mary Magdalene and some other historical figures. Here is what the disembodied Jesus “said” to her (us) during the 2002 contact:

“I am the one who lived among you and whom you knew as Jesus. I am not the Jesus of church tradition, nor the Jesus of religious scriptures. I am Yeshuaben Joseph. I lived as a man of flesh and blood. And I reached the consciousness of Christ before you, but I was supported by forces beyond the current understanding. My arrival was a cosmic event, and I put myself at his disposal. In my earthly incarnation, I carried the energy of Christ. This energy can be called Christ. In my terminology, Jesus is the name of a God-like person who came into existence as a result of the infusion of Christ energy into the physical and psychological reality of Yeshua.

View of Bethlehem. Lithograph by D. Roberts

Quite a curious explanation for those who like to reason and philosophize... It is likely that such an explanation of the presence and role of Jesus on earth has a very real basis, but for us, ordinary people, it is difficult to understand and accept.

But let's give the floor to our contemporaries, arguing on the World Wide Web about the origin and deeds of Christ. After all, among the virtual debaters there are many well-read and thinking people. And they are worried about the same questions as many of us.

Evangelist: Why is Jesus Christ considered a Jew? After all, if you carefully delve into the genealogy, He was not a blood Jew: Mary was a Galilean both by her father and by her mother (Akim and Anna), who were not Jews. The names of the parents and the name Maria are by no means Jewish. Joseph was, as you all know, named father. The appearance of Christ was also by no means Jewish: he was tall, slender, with year-old or blue eyes and white skin, that is, he was of the Aryan race, so to speak. And the words in Scripture: "King of the Jews" do not at all indicate the national identity of Christ. I think that making Jesus a Jew was beneficial to the church, which is still based on the Old Testament.

blueberry: – I think that Jesus Christ is considered a Jew because through the Jews Jesus was revealed to the world.

Alex095: First, Mary's name was Miriam. She was Jewish, like all her relatives. From childhood to youth, she worked on decorating the Temple. Do you think a non-Jew could be admitted there? She was a Galilean where she lived.

Fedor Manov: - The real name of Yeshua's mother is Miriam, she is from the tribe of Levi, from the clan of Aaron. That is, from a priestly family. I think that you can guess that the priests at the Temple in Judea were only Jews. Joseph was not a named father, but the normal father of Yeshua.

Christmas. Artist Martin de Vos

Fea:– In Jesus the Divine and human Natures were united. He is God manifested in the flesh. And that's just according to the flesh He was a Jew; “that is, the Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the statute, and worship, and the promises; their fathers, and from them Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever, amen. (Rom 9:4,5)." But among His earthly ancestors there really were not only Jews. Ruth, for example, was a Moabite. Although it is close to the Jewish family.

Ahmed Ermonov: – Can God be of any nationality? Fear Him! Christ was not only a Jew, but also a Jew!

Yeshua: - Mary was from the family of David, the David whom God anointed to rule over all the Jews.

Evangelist: – If Joseph was a real father, then, therefore, you do not recognize the divine nature of Christ?! If so, then what is there to argue about ...

Antidepressant: - Judging by some well-known icons, Jesus and His mother were either Hindus or Negroes.

Kadosh2: – The Gospels state that Mary is a relative of the mother of John the Baptist Elizabeth, who was from the tribe of Levi, like his father Zechariah. And a Jew from the tribe of Judah Joseph could not marry a woman of another tribal affiliation. And here are the very first words of the New Testament: “Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham, the son of David” also speak of nationality.

KolyaN: - I have nothing against the Jews themselves. I am against their lies. My point of view is that Jesus is God not for the Slavs. And that's it! It is high time to clear the minds of some Christians who have lost their heads because of the "divinity" of the entire Jewish people.

Ivanpetja: Actually, Jesus was not a Jew. He was born and lived in a family that lived in Nazareth. As today, there was no Jewish spirit in this town. The inhabitants professed Judaism for mercenary reasons, since the territory was part of the Roman province of Judea. The ethnic composition of the population was mixed. These were immigrants from different territories of Assyria. And the official texts of the Bible about the origin of Jesus were written in the Middle Ages, and it is naive to consider them the ultimate truth. By the way, the names Yeshua (Jesus), Mariam (Mary) are not only Jewish, but also Syrian.

Panorama of Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Photo 1898

Troll: - I recognize as a divine creation every person who is created in His image and likeness. Including Yeshua of Nazareth. But in him the image and likeness were fully embodied. That's why He could say: "I and the Father are one."

Maria: – Everyone will figure out the Truth to the extent of his closeness to God.

The gospels present Jesus Christ as an extraordinary person throughout his entire life journey: from the miraculous birth to the amazing end of his earthly life. In the Bible, we read that the Archangel Gabriel, talking with the virgin Mary, speaks of the child miraculously conceived by her: “ He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father.” From these words it is clear that the ancestor of Jesus was indeed David. And since Gabriel talked with Mary, and not with Joseph, then there is reason to assume that Mary herself belonged to the family of David. For the father of the child was supposed to be the Holy Spirit, and not the husband of the woman.

However, in Luke we find information that the genealogy of Joseph is also traced back to the same king David - but nothing surprising, because among the Jews, family marriages have always been a common thing. A child in this family is born miraculously at an immaculate conception. As we all well know, the appearance of the exceptional baby Jesus, born in a stable, praised by a host of angels, is like a fairy tale. Shepherds and sorcerers come to bow to him, whose path to his dwelling is indicated by the bright Bethlehem star moving across the sky.

Upon learning of the appearance of the messiah, the Jewish king Herod the Great, in fear for his power, orders the extermination of all babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding area, but Joseph and Mary, warned by an angel, flee with Jesus to Egypt. After a three-year stay in Egypt, Joseph and Mary, having learned about the death of Herod, return to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee, in Northern Palestine. Then, for seven years, Jesus' parents move with him from city to city, and everywhere behind him stretches the glory of miracles performed, among which are such: people were healed, died and were resurrected according to his word, wild animals humbled themselves, inanimate objects and even water came to life. full-flowing Jordan parted. As a twelve-year-old child, Jesus amazes with his thoughtful answers the teachers of the laws of Moses, with whom he talks in the Jerusalem temple. However, then, for some mysterious reason, "He began to hide His miracles, His mysteries and mysteries, until His thirtieth year was fulfilled."

Madonna della Melagrana, Mary with the Christ Child and six angels. Artist Sandro Botticelli

When Jesus Christ reaches this age, he is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (about 30 AD), and the Holy Spirit descends on him, which leads him into the wilderness. There, for forty days, Jesus struggled with the devil, rejecting three temptations one after another: hunger, power, and faith. Upon returning from the wilderness, Jesus Christ begins his preaching work. He calls his disciples to him and, wandering with them through Palestine, proclaims his teaching, interprets the Old Testament Law and performs miracles. The activity of Jesus Christ unfolds mainly in the territory of Galilee, in the vicinity of Gennesaret, it is also Tiberias, Lake, but from time to time visits Jerusalem ... On one of these visits, our heroine Mary met an amazing teacher.

“He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her!”

The weary beautiful Mary, returning through the streets of Jerusalem from another date, did not expect that someone would dare to attack the Libyan slaves carrying her palanquin (in ancient Rome it was called: lectic).

Massacre of the innocents. Artist Matteo di Giovanni

But it happened, and the abandoned helpless woman, looking after the fleeing slaves, heard the hateful cries sent to her face:

- Whore!

Following the mind-stunning words, stones flew at her. One of the attackers grabbed her by the hands, someone by the hair in order to drag her to an unknown place for savage reprisals. Maria screamed in horror with all her might.

At some point, she realized that she had been dragged to the square, and just a moment ago, the empty space began to fill with mob running from all sides, wanting either to look at what was happening, or to take part in the action. One thing was clear: there were more and more people who wanted to deal with her. The woman writhed with her whole body, trying to escape from the hands of the cackling, excited executioners.

And only one person did not show visible curiosity, he sat high on the step of the white marble staircase of the magnificent temple, standing on the same square. His gaze would be peaceful and calm, and his neatly combed, slightly wavy hair cast gold in the sun. In all his appearance, harmony and divine purity were seen. The stranger was dressed in long white clothes, his dark cape lay next to him. That was Jesus.

Hearing the noise and following the flickering, he raised his hand to attract attention and thereby intervene in what was happening. But he immediately stopped his gesture when he saw the Pharisees in red robes running towards him. Such a development of events could mean only one thing: they want to draw him into another adventure, to force him to make decisions that would disagree with the opinion of the majority. And do it in front of a large crowd of witnesses. Otherwise, why would bureaucrats need him?

Jesus grimaced in annoyance and, pretending to be indifferent, bent over, as if thinking about something of his own.

Jesus and the Woman Taken in Adultery. Artist Gustave Dore

When he raised his eyes, he saw right in front of him a beautiful woman, trembling with fright, who was tenaciously held by someone's hands. There was a crowd around, and the first of the closest Pharisees was already boldly asking Jesus sitting on the steps:

“Rabbi, this woman has been taken in adultery and there are those among us who directly testify against her!”

The crowd shouted loudly:

- We testify! We testify! We testify!

The Pharisee smiled contentedly and continued:

“Moses in his divine law commanded us to stone such girls. What is your word against the word of Moses?

Jesus looked once more at the unfortunate creature, and although her bare arms and neck were bruised, and traces of the violence committed were visible on her face, yet she was beautiful, and her thick luxurious hair, which was at arm's length from him, was fragrant with expensive oils. Strong breasts, hidden under a pale blue tunic, heaved heavily, and she trembled all over, like a hunted doe. And her ankles, wrapped in the golden braid of her sandals, trembled and twitched slightly. The woman did not lower her gaze, she seemed to be waiting for the verdict, realizing that her fate depended on this beautiful stranger, who was considering every word within himself.

Jesus stood up, a quiet, calm smile ran across his lips. And, turning to those assembled, he said, with barely perceptible irony, in a low but firm voice:

“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her!”

The smiles faded from the cunning faces of the Pharisees, and the mob, realizing that there would be no reprisals, retreated in amazement at a simple answer, but heard even in the back rows.

Christ and the sinner. Artist Jacopo Tintoretto

Gradually, people, obviously disappointed, but at the same time exchanging meaningful glances, dispersed on pressing matters. And soon there was practically no one left on the steps of the temple, and on the whole square, except for Jesus and the girl, still seized with a small tremor. Mary saw the light before her, and saw the wise eyes of the savior. As if through a dream, she heard a question related to herself:

- Woman, you see, no one condemned you? And I'm not your judge. Go in peace, and sin no more.

She smiled gratefully, afraid to ask his name, and realizing in her heart that she already knew the name of this strange gentleman, then turned around, intending to leave the steps. He, obviously touched by her appearance, called out:

Maria turned to take from him the cloak held out to cover her tattered robes.

In the heart of the girl crept in a previously unknown tenderness. And tears of gratitude rolled down her cheeks, bathed in a gentle blush. He, as if not noticing anything, went to the gates of the temple and soon disappeared behind the colonnade.

End of introductory segment.

Mary Magdalene in Orthodoxy is a person revered as a saint equal to the apostles. She was a myrrh-bearing woman who followed Christ until His Crucifixion. Mary Magdalene was the one before whom the resurrected Messiah first appeared. It is mentioned not only in Orthodoxy, but also in Catholicism and Protestantism. The saint is considered the patroness of preachers and teachers, and Renaissance masters admired her image.

The role of the Magdalene in Christianity

The description of her activities is inscribed in only a few fragments. The veneration of this woman is different in the traditions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. For the latter, she appears exclusively as a myrrh-bearing woman cured of demonic obsession. The Catholic Church speaks of Mary as an extraordinary beauty and repentant harlot, sister of the resurrected Lazarus. In addition, the Western tradition attaches colossal mythical material to the gospel texts.

Icon of the holy myrrh-bearing Mary Magdalene

The Equal-to-the-Apostles saint was born and raised in a city called Magdala. Today, in its place stands the small village of Mejdel. In the Holy Scriptures there is no story about the young years of Magdalene, but it is said that Jesus Christ healed her from the invasion of seven demons. This radical change in her fate stimulated the woman to follow in the footsteps of the Great Teacher and Savior.

• Mary was the inseparable companion of God's Son during the period when He and His chosen apostles preached Christianity in the settlements of Judea and Galilee.
• Along with Magdalene, other pious women also served Christ: Joanna, Susanna, Solomiya, and others. These myrrh-bearing women shared the labors of the apostles, spreading the good news about the coming of the Savior.
• Mary Magdalene was the first to follow Christ when He was led to Golgotha. Luke claims that the myrrh-bearing women wept when they saw the suffering of Jesus, but He consoled them and reminded them of the Kingdom of God. Mary was with the Mother of God and John at the Cross at the time of the Crucifixion of the Messiah.
• Magdalene showed fidelity to Jesus not only in the period of His exaltation, but also in the days of utter humiliation. She attended the funeral of God's Son and saw with her own eyes how His body was carried into the tomb. Further, the saint Equal to the Apostles witnessed the closing of this cave with a large stone.
• Mary, faithful to God's law, along with other myrrh-bearing women, remained, coinciding with the feast of Easter, in complete peace. On the first day of the week, the faithful disciples planned to come to the tomb and anoint the body of Christ with incense. The myrrh-bearing women reached the burial place at sunrise, and Mary arrived when the darkness of the night still reigned.

Additional articles:

The Equal-to-the-Apostles saint saw that the stone that closed the entrance had been rolled away. In fear, she rushed to the apostles Peter and John, who lived closer than the others. Arriving at the place, they were surprised to see a folded shroud and shrouds. The apostles left the cave without saying anything, but Magdalene remained and wept, yearning for her Lord.

Mary Magdalene and Angels in the Holy Sepulcher

Wanting to make sure that there really was no body, she went to the coffin. Suddenly, a divine light shone in front of the woman, and she saw two angels in snow-white robes.

• When she answered the question of the heavenly messengers about the cause of her grief and turned away in the other direction, the Risen Christ appeared at the entrance to the grotto. However, the disciple did not recognize God's Son until He spoke to her. This voice initially became a great ray of light for Mary after being healed from a demonic disease. She said with great joy, "Master!" In this exclamation, respect and love, grandiose reverence, recognition and tenderness merged together.
• Magdalene threw herself at the feet of Christ to wash them with tears of divine joy, but Jesus did not allow them to touch her, for "the Son has not yet ascended to the Father."
• After everything she had seen, Mary went to the apostles and told the news that everyone was looking forward to. This is how the first sermon about the divine Resurrection of the Savior took place.
• When the apostles dispersed throughout the world to tell people about the great teachings of the Savior, the brave Mary Magdalene went with them. The saint, in whose heart the fire of love for the Lord did not subside, was on her way to pagan Rome. She announced the Resurrection, but a small number of people took the words of the preacher for the truth.

Interesting! The name "Mary" is of Hebrew origin and appears several times in the text of the New Testament. The nickname "Magdalene" carries a geographical meaning and indicates the place where the saint was born. Due to the fact that the “tower” (Magdala) was a knightly symbol, in the Middle Ages, the image of Mary was given aristocratic features. In the Talmud, the nickname "Magdalene" was often deciphered as "curling her hair."

Walking in Italy and death

Scripture states: the first disciple of Christ appeared in the palace of Emperor Tiberius and presented him with a red egg - a symbol of the Resurrection. She told the story of the innocently condemned Christ, who worked miracles and was executed on the evil slander of the high priesthood.

Red egg - a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

She recalled that salvation from worldly fuss comes through the blood of a pure Lamb, and not through gold or silver items.

• Mary continued to spread the good news in Italy. The apostle Paul praised her labors in the Epistle to the Romans, recognizing her extraordinary courage and selfless devotion to the Almighty. The Scripture says: Magdalene left Rome at an advanced age after Paul had been judged for the first time. The Equal-to-the-Apostles saint went to Ephesus to help the Apostle John preach. Here she quietly and peacefully left the mortal world.
• Her imperishable relics were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople in the 9th century. Some researchers suggest that the remains were transported to Rome during the Crusades. The relics were placed in the church of John Lateran, which was soon renamed and consecrated in honor of the most reverend Mary Magdalene.
• Some of the remains are in France, near Marseilles, as well as the monasteries of Mount Athos and Jerusalem. A huge number of pious pilgrims come to venerate the relics of the saint.

Interesting articles:

On a note! Thanks to the preacher, the custom of giving Easter eggs with exclamations: “Christ is risen! He is truly Risen!" After the apostolic period, prayers were read in churches for the consecration of eggs and cheese. The brethren and parishioners heard laudatory songs to the glory of Magdalene, who was the first to set an example of a joyful sacrifice.

Orthodox church in honor of St.

The church is located in an area called Gethsemane, in East Jerusalem. Nearby is the tomb of the venerable Virgin Mary. This church was erected by the Orthodox community of Palestine at the expense of the imperial family and was consecrated in 1888. Since 1921, the remains of the Great Martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara have been kept here.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene is part of the complex of the Gethsemane Orthodox Monastery

• The idea of ​​building and choosing the area on the slope of the Mount of Olives belongs to Archimandrite Antonion. The first stone of the Church of Mary Magdalene was laid in 1885. In 1934, an Orthodox women's community was organized on the territory, the abbess of which was the nun Mary, who was of Scottish origin.
• The icon “Hodegetria” is kept in the monastery. Here, parishioners worship the miraculous image of Mary Magdalene.
• The seven-domed Jerusalem temple was built of white stone and made in the style of Moscow architecture. The bell tower is small, and the iconostasis is made of marble with a bronze ornament.

Icons and images of Mary Magdalene

The images of the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint demonstrate to believers an example of the greatest love and devotion to the Most High Father. The holy faces of Magdalene point to the true path and require patience and spiritual stamina from a person.

• Orthodox iconography depicts Mary with a red Easter egg, as well as a vessel in which myrrh is concentrated.
• Often on the canvases she is shown together with the Mother of God and John the Theologian next to the crucifix. The saint can be observed on icons with a plot demonstrating the position of Christ in the tomb. In the Orthodox tradition, she is depicted among the myrrh-bearing women who came, who saw the emptiness in the cave and the evangelizing angels.
• The scene of the appearance of Christ after the Resurrection for the domestic church is a rare occurrence. It can only be seen in examples of later Greek-style icons.
• Before the holy face, they ask for gaining the true faith and getting rid of harmful habits, flattering temptations. Prayers before the image relieve bodily and mental ailments.

In Catholicism, Mary Magdalene appears as a “repentant harlot”, who at the end of her life journey retired to a desert area and indulged in severe asceticism, regretting her sins. Her robe fell apart from decay, and her hair covered her entire body in a miraculous way. After divine healing, she was taken up by angels to the Kingdom of Heaven. This legend has had a huge impact on Western art.

• Many works where Magdalene is the main character are made in the Vanitas (Vanity) genre. A skull is shown next to the woman, symbolizing the awareness of frailty and understanding of the importance of the true path. Additional attributes are a lash and a wreath of thorns. The scene of the action is a cave in France: here the saint meditates, reads the Scriptures or repents, looking up to heaven.
• In Western European icon painting, Magdalene is depicted washing the Messiah's feet and wiping them with her luxurious hair.
• In the Catholic tradition, the myrrh-bearing woman is depicted with loose hair and holding a vessel with fragrant oils.
• In other variations, she is supported above the ground by winged angels. This story has been found in Western art since the 16th century.
• Very rarely in Catholicism and Protestantism is depicted the last communion of Mary and her death.
• On some canvases, she mournfully hugs the leg of the Savior, crucified on the cross of Golgotha. On the icons of “mourning”, she holds the feet of the Savior and mourns for the loss.

Interesting! The name of Magdalene played an important role in the development of Gnosticism, a theological and religious trend influenced by pagan views and ancient philosophers. The Gnostics said that Mary was the only and true recipient of the revelation, the Savior's most beloved disciple. This religious and theological trend was recognized as a heresy in the III century.

This woman showed divine love for her Teacher, remained forever devoted to Him and carried the good news along with the apostles. In the Orthodox tradition, Mary Magdalene is considered a saint, cured by Jesus Christ of the disease of "seven demons", and following Him until the Resurrection. Little is said about her in orthodox texts, but various legends with the participation of the Equal-to-the-Apostles student have gained popularity in Catholicism.

Video about the life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene

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Mary Magdalene is rightfully considered the most mysterious character in the New Testament. We do not know anything about her childhood, or about her parents, or about her relatives. We don't know anything about her life. In any case, none of the four Gospels can tell us how this woman lived after her execution. Jesus Christ...

When information is scarce, it is conjectured. The Fathers of the Church also had to think about this information when the question arose - to make a saint out of the mentioned Mary or not?

Since Mary Magdalene was the first to see the resurrected Christ, it was difficult to get rid of this character. And she was canonized as a saint, but ... on special conditions - attributing to the unfortunate actions and deeds that she had never done! In the church's understanding, the holiness of Magdalene was expressed in the fact that she turned from a great sinner into a great righteous one.

One and a half thousand years have passed, and modern researchers of the life of Magdalene did exactly the opposite with her: they made a great sinner out of a great righteous woman and announced that it was wonderful. Who really was this extraordinary woman?

Entity multiplication

Mary first appears in the text of the Bible when Jesus cast seven demons out of her. Having been healed, the woman followed the Savior and became one of His admirers.

Mary of Magdala was a wealthy woman, she willingly took on the expenses of Jesus. When Jesus was captured and sentenced to death, she was present at the execution along with two other Marys - the mother of Christ and the sister of Lazarus. She participated in the burial of Jesus and anointed His dead body with the oil of Peace.
It was she who came to the cave where Jesus was buried and found that His body had disappeared. And it was she who first saw the resurrected Christ and told the apostles about him. It was also mentioned that she visited Rome, where she also spoke about Christ.

Nothing more can be drawn from the New Testament. But besides the four canonical Gospels, there are several that are not recognized by the church, that is, non-canonical. These gospels were rejected by the church because of their gnostic (teachings hostile to Christianity) origin and content.

In the first centuries, when Christianity had not yet taken shape as a world religion, some Christians shared the views of the Gnostics, who asserted the cognizability of God and the possibility of acquiring by any person with the help of knowledge of the divine essence. Mary of Magdala was given a very important role in the Gnostic Gospels. She was considered the beloved and most faithful disciple of Christ. Mary herself was the author of one of the Gospels - the Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

Judging by this text, Mary of Magdala was most interested in the question of posthumous transformations of the soul. No wonder the non-canonical Gospels claimed that this woman became the founder of a philosophical Christian community and her own church. Of course, official Christianity blotted out these Gospels as dangerous and wrong. And offered a completely different image of Mary from Magdala.

From student to harlot

Turning a faithful student into a representative of the first ancient profession was not worth much work. It was only necessary to unite with Mary of Magdala all the women mentioned, but not named in the New Testament.

The first candidate to complete the image of the Magdalene was a woman who washed the world and wiped Christ's feet with her hair. Another candidate is the woman who anointed Christ's hair. The third is the harlot whom Jesus saved from the stoning and who followed him. As a result, unnamed women easily turned into the already well-known Mary of Magdala.

The image of the improved Mary became as follows: before she walked with a painted face and loose hair and was engaged in prostitution, but Jesus saved her from death, cast out demons from her, which should be understood as vices, and Mary became a virtuous and faithful companion of the apostles.

Somewhere in the background of the Gospels, she was with Susanna, John and Salome. Only the mother of Jesus, in view of her complete purity and divine inspiration, was allowed to take a place next to Jesus, and even then only because He was her son.

Orthodox Christians had a simple attitude towards women: they are all the daughters of Eve, who succumbed to temptation in Paradise and thus burdened humanity with original sin. Mary from Magdala simply repeated the path of Eve, but in the opposite direction - she was cleansed of sin by her faith. And when Christians in the fifth century had Saint Mary of Egypt, who in her earthly life really engaged in fornication, but repented, the image of Magdalene was completed. Say, a harlot and nothing else.

The kiss that offended the apostles?

Centuries have passed. In 1945, the famous scrolls written in Coptic were found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt. These were the same texts not recognized by the church, which miraculously survived during the struggle against heresies. It was suddenly revealed that Jesus called Mary of Magdala his beloved disciple and often kissed her on the lips.

And other disciples were very jealous of Christ and even demanded an explanation from him why he singled out this Mary to the detriment of the others. Jesus answered this allegorically and evasively. Modern researchers immediately had a bad suspicion that Jesus kissed Mary of Magdala not at all as a disciple ...

Mary Magdalene embraces the cross on which the Savior is crucified. She couldn't hug Jesus while she was alive, but she did when she died. In all the paintings and icons, she is more worried about the death of the Savior than any of the apostles.

The researchers were quick to notice that Jesus did not just kiss Mary, but often on the lips. The peculiarity of such kisses in the 20th century was clear as day. There were two options why Jesus kissed Mary on the lips - either He lived with his disciple in sin, or He was simply married to her.

A sinful relationship somehow tarnished the name of Jesus. Well, the fact that Jesus had a wife did not contradict the then Jewish laws, on the contrary, a man of the age of Jesus simply had to have a wife! But if in the sixth century it was possible to turn Magdalene into a harlot on the basis of a text, then in the twentieth century it became impossible to turn Jesus into a married man. More than one generation of theologians managed to work on the purity and purity of His image!

So He could not have any wife, because it is not supposed to. And to the question why Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene on the lips, they began to answer with deadly logic: because in the first century among Christians it was customary to kiss each other on the lips. But the essence of the question still eluded those who answered: why then did Jesus do this so often that the other disciples were offended and indignant?

Mother of the Heirs of Jesus

And then there was a revelation from the British historians and archaeologists Baigent, Ley and Lincoln "The Sacred Riddle", where Magdalene was declared not only a companion, disciple and wife of Jesus Christ, but also the mother of His children.

In general, there is nothing surprising in the existence of children in a married man. If, of course, not the name of this man. But in early Christian times, such versions safely existed. Let's say that some features of the knightly era are to blame for this. Even the name of Mary Magdalene was deciphered as "Mary from the city of Magdal-El", which in turn simply translated as "Mary from the city with towers." Images of Mary from Magdala were willingly complemented by a turret in the background.

In that remarkable era, apocryphal (hagiographic) texts appeared that depicted the life of Magdalene as follows. She was the spiritual wife of Jesus and through the virgin birth bore from him a son, Joseph the Sweetest. This baby became the ancestor of the Merovingian royal house. To save the child, Magdalene had to flee to Marseille. But soon her earthly life ended, and Jesus took her to heaven in the Bridal Chamber.

There is another legend. According to her at Magdalene had two children- boy and girl: Joseph and Sophia. Magdalene lived to a ripe old age and was buried in the south of France.

Although Magdalene is mentioned only 13 times in the New Testament, after the announcement of her saint, holy relics from Magdalene also appeared. Bones, hair, chips from the coffin and even blood. There was a desperate struggle for the relics of the Magdalene, and in the eleventh century there was even a period that historians call the "Magdalen ferment"! Mary Magdalene was worshiped not only by the Albigensian heretics, but also by the Knights Templar. No wonder the knightly Baphomet personified the "Baby Magdalene" Sophia, that is, Wisdom. But already in the Renaissance, the image of the penitent Magdalene became the favorite image of artists. What is the time, such are the images and relics.

Nikolay KOTOMKIN
"Mysteries of History" November 2012

She was born and raised in the city of Magdala on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, which is why she got her nickname. The Gospel does not tell us anything about Mary's early years, but Tradition tells us that Mary of Magdala was young, beautiful, led a sinful life and fell into a frenzy. The Gospel says that the Lord cast out seven demons from Mary. Through the illness of Mary Magdalene, the glory of God appeared, and she herself acquired the great virtue of complete trust in the will of God and unshakable devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. From the moment of her healing, Mary began a new life, became a faithful disciple of the Savior.

The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene followed the Lord when He and the Apostles passed through the cities and villages of Judea and Galilee preaching the Kingdom of God. Together with the pious women - Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Susanna and others, she served Him from her estates (Lk. 8, 1-3) and, undoubtedly, shared the evangelistic works with the apostles, especially among women.

Obviously, she, along with other women, is meant by the evangelist Luke, telling that at the time of Christ's procession to Golgotha, when, after the scourging, He carried the heavy Cross on Himself, exhausted under its weight, the women followed Him, weeping and sobbing, and He comforted them. The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene was also on Golgotha ​​at the time of the crucifixion of the Lord. When all the disciples of the Savior fled, she fearlessly remained at the Cross along with the Mother of God and the Apostle John. The Evangelists list among those standing at the Cross also the mother of the Apostle James the Less, and Salome, and other women who followed the Lord from Galilee itself, but everyone calls Mary Magdalene the first, and the apostle John, except for the Mother of God, mentions only her and Mary Cleopova. This indicates how much she stood out from among all the women who surrounded the Savior.

Holy Mary Magdalene accompanied the Most Pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was transferred to the tomb in the garden of the righteous Joseph of Arimathea, she was at His burial (Mt 27:61; Mk 15:47).

Faithful to the law in which she was brought up, Mary, along with other women, remained all the next day at rest, for the day of that Sabbath was great, coinciding that year with the feast of Easter. But still, before the day of rest, the women managed to stock up on fragrances so that on the first day of the week they would come at dawn to the tomb of the Lord and Teacher and, according to the custom of the Jews, anoint His body with funeral aromas. It must be assumed that, having agreed to go to the Sepulcher on the first day of the week early in the morning, the holy women, dispersing on Friday evening to their homes, did not have the opportunity to meet each other on the Sabbath day, and as soon as the light of the next day dawned, they went to the tomb not together, but each from his own house. The Evangelist Matthew writes that the women came to the tomb at dawn, or, as the Evangelist Mark puts it, very early, at sunrise; Evangelist John, as if supplementing them, says that Mary came to the tomb so early that it was still dark. Apparently, she was looking forward to the end of the night, but, not waiting for dawn, when darkness still reigned all around, she ran to where the body of the Lord lay.

So Mary came to the tomb alone. Seeing the stone rolled away from the cave, she hurried in fear to where the closest apostles of Christ, Peter and John, lived. Hearing the strange news that the Lord had been carried away from the tomb, both apostles ran to the tomb and, seeing the linen and folded kerchief, were astonished. The apostles left and did not say anything to anyone, and Mary stood near the entrance to the gloomy cave and wept. Here, in this dark coffin, her Lord lay so recently lifeless. Wanting to make sure that the coffin was really empty, she went up to him - and here a strong light suddenly shone on her. She saw two angels in white robes, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus was laid. Hearing the question: Woman, why are you crying?" - she answered in the same words that she had just said to the apostles: " They took away my Lord, and I don't know where they put Him". Having said this, she turned, and at that moment she saw the Risen Jesus standing near the tomb, but did not recognize Him. He asked Mary: " Woman, why are you crying, who are you looking for? And she, thinking that she saw the gardener, answered: Lord if you carried it, tell me where you put it and I'll take it". But at that moment she recognized the voice of the Lord. A joyful cry escaped from her chest: " Rabbiuni!", which means Master. She could say no more and threw herself at her Master's feet to wash them with tears of joy. But the Lord said to her: " Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to my brothers and tell them: "I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."

She came to her senses and again ran to the apostles in order to fulfill the will of the One who sent her to preach. Again she ran into the house, where the apostles were still in confusion, and proclaimed to them the joyful news: " Saw the Lord!" So Mary became the world's first preacher of the Resurrection, an evangelist to the evangelists.

Holy Scripture does not tell about the life of Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Christ, but one can think that if in the terrible moments of the crucifixion of Christ she was at the foot of His Cross with His Most Pure Mother and John, then she remained with them all the near future after the resurrection and ascension Lord. So St. Luke writes in the book of the Acts of the Apostles that all the apostles with one accord remained in prayer and supplication with some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Holy Tradition tells that when the apostles left Jerusalem to preach to all parts of the world, Mary Magdalene went with them to preach. The brave woman left her native land and went to preach in Rome. Everywhere she proclaimed to people about Christ and His teachings, and when many did not believe that Christ had risen, she repeated to them the same thing that she had said to the apostles on the bright morning of the Resurrection: " I saw the Lord". With this sermon, she went around all of Italy.

Tradition says that in Italy, Mary Magdalene appeared to the emperor Tiberius (14-37) and preached to him about the Risen Christ. She brought him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: " Christ is risen!"Then she told the emperor that in his province of Judea, Jesus the Galilean, a saintly man who worked miracles, strong before God and all people, was innocently condemned, executed on the slander of the Jewish high priests, and the sentence was approved by the procurator appointed by Tiberius Pontius Pilate. Mary repeated the words of the apostles that those who believe in Christ are redeemed from a vain life, not with corruptible silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as a spotless and pure Lamb.

Obviously, it is Mary Magdalene that the apostle Paul has in mind in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16, 6), where, along with other ascetics of the preaching of the gospel, he mentions Mary (Mariam), who " worked hard for us Evidently, she was among those who wholeheartedly served the Church both with their own means and with their labors, being exposed to dangers, and shared with the apostles the labors of preaching.

According to Church tradition, she stayed in Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul there and two more years after his departure from Rome after the first trial of him. From Rome, Saint Mary Magdalene, already in her old age, moved to Ephesus, where the holy Apostle John worked tirelessly, who wrote the 20th chapter of his Gospel from her words. There the holy earthly life ended and was buried.

Relics and veneration

The Church canonized Saint Mary Magdalene as a Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles. The Orthodox Church sacredly honors the memory of St. Mary Magdalene, who, being called by the Lord Himself from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, showed an example of complete conversion, began a new life and never hesitated on this path. She loved the Lord and remained with Him both in honor and in dishonor, which is why, knowing her fidelity, He was the first to appear to her, rising from the tomb, and it was she who was worthy to be the first preacher of His Resurrection.

The holy relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary were in - years, under Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher (886-912), transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople and laid in the temple

On the third Sunday after Pascha, the Orthodox Church remembers the service of the myrrh-bearing women who came to the Savior's tomb to pour incense on His Body. Each of the evangelists conveys the meaning of the event with different details. But all four apostles remember Mary Magdalene. Who was this woman? What does Scripture say about her? What is the difference between Orthodox and Catholic ideas about Magdalene? Where did blasphemous heresies come from and how to overcome them? Read about all this below.

How do the Orthodox represent Mary of Magdala?

Mary Magdalene is one of the most famous characters in the New Testament. The Orthodox Church honors her memory on August 4 according to the new style. She was born in the Galilean town of Magdala near the Lake of Gennesaret, she was one of the most faithful disciples of Jesus. Holy Scripture describes her life and service to Christ very succinctly, but even these facts are enough to see her holiness.

Healed from demonic possession becomes a devoted disciple of the Savior

The Orthodox view of the personality of Mary Magdalene is completely based on the gospel narrative. The Scriptures do not talk about what a woman did before she followed Christ. She became a disciple of Jesus when Christ delivered her from seven demons.

Throughout the rest of her life, she remained devoted to Christ. Together with the Most Holy Theotokos and the Apostle John, she followed to Golgotha. She was a witness to the earthly sufferings of Jesus, mockery of Him, nailing to the Cross and terrible torment.

On Good Friday, together with the Mother of God, she mourned the dead Christ. Mary knew where the secret followers of Jesus - Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus - buried the body of the Savior. It was on Saturday.

And on Sunday, from early morning, she rushed to the tomb of the Savior in order to fully testify to her own loyalty . True love knows no barriers. This was also the case with Mary Magdalene. Even after the death of Jesus, she came to pour incense on His body.

And instead of a lifeless body in a coffin, she saw only white burial shrouds. The body was stolen - with such news and tears in her eyes, the myrrh-bearing woman ran to the disciples. Peter and John followed her to the burial place and made sure that Christ was not there.

First saw the risen Lord

The disciples returned to the house, and the myrrh-bearing woman remained to mourn the Savior. Sitting at the tomb, she saw two angels in shining vestments. Noticing her grief, the heavenly messengers asked why she was crying. The woman replied, “They have carried away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid Him.”

Christ was already standing behind her, but the myrrh-bearing woman did not recognize the Savior even when he spoke. The disciple of Jesus thought that it was the gardener who had taken the Body of Christ, and she turned: Lord! If you carried it, tell me where you put it, and I'll take it.

Only when the Savior called Her by name, Mary Magdalene recognized her native voice and exclaimed with genuine joy: “Ravuni!”, That is, “Teacher!”.

It was from Mary that the apostles heard that Christ was alive. The Evangelist John describes with restraint that the myrrh-bearing woman went and informed the disciples that she had seen the Lord. But surely Mary Magdalene literally burst into the house and joyfully shouted: “I saw Him, Christ is risen!”. It was from the lips of this myrrh-bearing woman that mankind received the good news — the Savior overcame death.

Sermon in Rome and the Red Egg

The Holy Scripture does not tell us more about the life and missionary work of this myrrh-bearing woman, except that the Apostle Paul remembers Mary, who worked hard for us. And it is not for nothing that the Orthodox Church honors her as equal to the apostles, because the saint was engaged in spreading the good news among the Romans before the Apostle Paul.

In her old age, according to reliable sources, she lived in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor. There she also preached the gospel, and also helped John the Theologian - according to her testimony, the apostle wrote the 20th chapter of the Gospel. In the same city, the saint peacefully rested.

The tradition of painting eggs for Easter is usually associated with the myrrh-bearing woman from Magdala. She preached the Gospel in Rome, Equal to the Apostles allegedly appeared to Emperor Tiberius . Among the Jews there was such a custom: if for the first time you come to a famous person, you should bring him some gift. The poor usually gave fruits or eggs. So the preacher brought the ruler an egg.

According to one version, it was red, which interested Tiberius. Then Mary Magdalene told him about the life of the Savior, death and resurrection. The emperor allegedly even believed her words and wanted to classify Jesus in the Roman pantheon. The senators prevented such an initiative, but Tiberius decided to testify at least in writing to the resurrection of Christ.

According to another version, the Equal-to-the-Apostles appeared to the emperor with an egg and said: “Christ is risen! ". He hesitated: "If your words are true, let this egg turn red." And so it happened.

Historians question the reliability of these versions. It is quite possible that the woman still talked with the emperor and brought him a symbolic gift. But thanks to this, the modern world has acquired another beautiful tradition with a deep meaning.

Catholics about Magdalene: between truth and fiction

In the Catholic tradition, Mary Magdalene was portrayed as a great harlot until 1969. What is it connected with? With the fact that they attributed fragments of biographies of many characters of the New Testament history to this disciple of Jesus.

It is believed that she indulged in debauchery, for which she was stricken with demonic possession. Jesus cast out seven demons from her, after which she turned into his devoted follower.

• The Gospel mentions a nameless woman who washed Christ's feet with the world and wiped them with her own hair. According to Catholic teaching, this was the Magdalene.
• On the eve of the Last Supper, another woman poured precious ointment on Jesus' head. The gospel does not name her, but the Catholic tradition says that this was also Mary of Magdala.
• In the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Catholics also venerate Mary Magdalene.

In addition, their image of this myrrh-bearing wife is partially intertwined with facts from the life of Mary of Egypt, who, being a harlot, went into the desert and spent 47 years there. And according to one version, the myrrh-bearing woman from Magdala was "ascribed" 30 years of hermitage.

According to another hypothesis, she spent her last years on the territory of modern France. This myrrh-bearing woman lived in a cave near Marseille. There, according to legend, she hid the Grail - a cup that was filled with the Blood of the Savior by Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Christ.

Mary Magdalene is one of the most revered saints in the Catholic Church. She is considered the patroness of monastic orders, churches are consecrated in her honor.

In general, the image of Mary in Catholicism does not fully correspond to the gospel text. After all, the attribution of facts to the biography of the saint did not pass without a trace, but led to many conjectures and heretical teachings.

How to resist heresy? Study the gospel

The mind of fallen man is incapable of containing the mystery of Christian love and the incarnation of the Son of God. This explains the blasphemous version that Magdalene was not only a follower of Christ, but also His life partner.

For the same reason, some readers of the Holy Scriptures believe that the favorite disciple of Christ was not John, but Mary, who is even credited with the authorship of the apocryphal Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

There are many more versions of who the myrrh-bearing wife allegedly was, but they all look more like stories from the yellow press than the truth.

The Orthodox Church condemns such heretical reflections and calls for meaningful study of the Holy Scriptures.

More details about the life of Mary Magdalene are told in this film:

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On February 22, 1992, the relics of St. Tikhon, known as Patriarch Tikhon, were uncovered. The one who anathematized the persecutors of the Church (read - the godless Soviet government) and openly condemned the execution of Nicholas II. You will find interesting facts from the life of the saint, about service and an attempt on life in the article.