Mary Magdalene
— – — · Magdala
Also known as Mary of Magdala
Feast: 22 July
Disciple of Jesus from Magdala in Galilee; first witness of the resurrection in all four Gospels. Called 'apostle to the apostles' by later tradition.
Highlights
- Main contribution
- Mary Magdalene is the first witness to the resurrection in all four Gospels.
- Primary source
- Gospel of John 20:1-18
Mary Magdalene is the first witness to the resurrection in all four Gospels. She follows Jesus during his ministry, stands near the cross when many have fled, and is sent to announce the risen Christ to the apostles. That is why later Christians called her 'apostle to the apostles.' The later Western habit of treating her as a repentant prostitute is a conflation, not the Gospel portrait; the texts present her as a faithful disciple and first preacher of Easter.
Primary sources
- ·Gospel of John 20:1-18
- ·Gospel of Luke 8:2
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