Mary Magdalene What the Texts Say
She supported Jesus from her own resources, stood at the crucifixion, and is named at the empty tomb in all four Gospels. For centuries she was also called a prostitute. We went to the original texts to see where that came from.
The image and the record
For centuries, Western art and preaching presented Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute: long red hair, tears, an alabaster jar, often a skull beside her. That image is still how many people picture her today.
No ancient text describes her that way.
Not Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Not the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, the First Apocalypse of James or the Pistis Sophia, all of which present her as a respected disciple. The identification of Mary Magdalene as a sinful woman first appears in a sermon preached in Rome in 591, more than five centuries after her lifetime.
The History & Mysteries Desk went back to the original manuscripts, those in today’s New Testament and those that are not, to set out what each one says.
The Greek manuscripts
We read the Gospels in Greek from the 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete manuscript of these texts, and made our own translations.1 Her name itself carries information: Μαγδαληνή, “the Magdalene,” the woman from Magdala, from the Hebrew and Aramaic migdal, “tower.”
- Luke 8:2Healed. ἀφ᾽ ἧς δαιμόνια ἑπτὰ ἐξεληλύθει, “from whom seven demons had gone out.” She had been afflicted, and she was freed. The text gives no further detail and does not mention any sexual conduct.1
- Luke 8:3Supporter. She and other women διηκόνουν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς, “were providing for them from their own resources.” She used her own means to support the group.
- Mark 15:40 · Matthew 27:56 · John 19:25At the cross. She is among the women watching the crucifixion.
- Mark 15:47 · Matthew 27:61At the burial. She saw where the body was laid.
- Mark 16:1 · Matthew 28:1 · Luke 24:10 · John 20:1At the tomb. She came early in the morning and found the tomb empty. All four accounts name her there.
- John 20:16–18First witness. He says Μαριάμ, and she answers in her own Aramaic, Ραββουνι, “my teacher.” The Greek text keeps this Aramaic word untranslated. He then sends her to tell the disciples.
These texts do not record her age, family, marital status or death. They do not call her a prostitute.
Ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον“I have seen the Lord.”John 20:18 · Greek, Codex Sinaiticus · our translation
Her description, from the texts alone
No ancient text describes what Mary Magdalene looked like. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John do not, nor do the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, the First Apocalypse of James and the Pistis Sophia, nor does her critic Celsus. None gives her hair color, age, height or clothing.
The texts do record where she came from, what she experienced, what she did and how others spoke of her. The profile below uses only what the sources state.
How three women became one
The Gospels mention many women, several of them named Mary. Three of these women were later identified as one person.
The unnamed “sinful woman” of Luke 7:36–50 comes to a dinner, weeps at Jesus’ feet, dries them with her hair and anoints them with perfume. Luke never names her and never says what her sin was.1
Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, also anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, in John 12. She is a different woman, in a different town and a different Gospel.
Mary Magdalene is introduced in Luke 8:2, one chapter after the sinful woman, as a new person. Luke does not connect her with the woman in chapter 7.
In 591 AD, Pope Gregory I preached in Latin in Rome that all three were one woman, and that Magdalene’s seven demons stood for all the vices.7 The sermon survives and gives no earlier source for this identification. Because the unnamed woman of Luke 7 was called a sinner, and her sin came to be understood as sexual, the combined figure became the repentant prostitute of later Western tradition.
Three separate women in the Gospels, identified as one in 591.
How long the identification lasted
The Greek-speaking Eastern churches did not adopt this identification. Their liturgical books have long given her the title ἰσαπόστολος, “equal to the apostles.” In the West, the official Latin calendar of 1969 dropped the “sinful woman” reading from her day,8 and a Vatican decree dated June 3, 2016 raised her July 22 memorial to a feast, the same rank as the apostles.9 The official announcement names her the first witness of the risen Christ and the first to announce the resurrection to the apostles, and uses an old Latin title for her: Apostolorum Apostola, “Apostle of the Apostles.”9
The Nag Hammadi library and related texts
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are not the only ancient writings about her. She also appears in the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, the First Apocalypse of James and the Pistis Sophia. Almost all were first composed in Greek. In 1945, farmers near Nag Hammadi in Egypt found a sealed jar of 4th-century books containing the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ and the First Apocalypse of James. These codices are held in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.4
For most of these texts the Greek originals are lost, and they survive as Coptic translations, Coptic being the Egyptian language of the time. Where Greek fragments survive, we read the Greek. Where only Coptic survives, each card says so. None of these texts was written by Mary, none gives an account of her life, and all of the manuscripts are incomplete. Together they present her as a disciple who receives and explains teaching, and the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas and the Pistis Sophia record disagreement between her and Peter.
- The New Testament list did not exist yet. The earliest surviving list matching today’s 27 New Testament books is in Athanasius of Alexandria’s Festal Letter 39, written in 367.10 Every text on these cards was written and read before that list existed.
- The surviving copies are the same age. The Nag Hammadi codices were copied in the 4th century, the same century as Codex Sinaiticus, the manuscript used here for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
- No text carries its own date. The “written” dates on each card are scholarly estimates based on language, ideas and quotation by other authors. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are generally dated to the 1st century. The Gospel of Thomas is debated, with estimates ranging from the mid-1st to the 2nd century.
- The oldest surviving pages: a fragment of John, P.Ryl. III 457, 2nd century;11 the Gospel of Thomas, P.Oxy. 1, about 200; the Gospel of Mary, P.Ryl. III 463, 3rd century.3
Gospel of Peter
A Greek gospel not included in the New Testament list of 367. Describing the women’s visit to the tomb, it names her Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνή, μαθήτρια τοῦ κυρίου: “Mariam the Magdalene, a disciple of the Lord.”2
Mathētria is the feminine form of the Greek word for “disciple.”
Gospel of Mary
The disciples are grieving and frightened. Mary comforts them, and Peter asks her to share what the Savior told her privately, admitting he knows the Savior loved her more than other women. A version of that exchange survives in the Greek fragments as well as the Coptic.3
She describes a vision about the soul rising past hostile powers. Peter and Andrew question whether the Savior would have spoken privately with a woman, and Levi defends her.
[ . . . pages 1–6 and 11–14 lost . . . ]
Gospel of Philip
Calls Magdalene the Lord’s “companion,” using the Greek loanword κοινωνός inside the Coptic, and names her among three Marys who always walked with him.
A damaged passage says he loved her more than the other disciples and kissed her often, and the disciples ask why.4
[ . . . on her [ missing ] . . . ]
Gospel of Thomas
In saying 114, Peter suggests Mary should leave the group. Jesus refuses and answers in the text’s symbolic language: he will guide her to become fully spiritual, which the author calls becoming “male.” Greek fragments of Thomas exist, but not of this saying.4
Dialogue of the Savior
Mary is one of three lead questioners of the risen Savior, next to Judas Thomas and Matthew. She asks about the world, the path and knowledge, and he praises her insight.4
Sophia of Jesus Christ
She joins the disciples questioning the Savior about the origins of everything and how salvation works, and is presented as a knowledgeable disciple.4
Pistis Sophia
Mary is the main questioner in this long dialogue, asking more questions than all the other disciples together, and she is repeatedly praised. Peter complains that she speaks more than the others.5
An outside critic: Celsus
A 2nd-century Greek philosopher who wrote against Christianity described the main witness of the resurrection as γυνὴ πάροιστρος, “a hysterical woman.”6
It is one of the earliest surviving references to her by a critic of Christianity. It does not call her a prostitute.
She also appears among those receiving instruction in the First Apocalypse of James (Nag Hammadi Codex V), and is mentioned in the Manichaean Psalm-Book, a Coptic collection of hymns. Across the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ and the Pistis Sophia she is consistently portrayed as a favored disciple, and her authority to teach is a recurring subject.
The Gospel of Philip passage
This passage is often cited in modern claims that Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus. The manuscript is damaged at the point where it says where he kissed her, so that word is missing.
Scholars estimate that the Gospel of Philip was composed in the late 2nd or 3rd century; the surviving copy in Nag Hammadi Codex II is from the 4th century. Throughout the text, marriage and the kiss are used as images of spiritual union and of passing on teaching. The text does not state that the two were married.
The evidence board
Where each common claim about Mary Magdalene stands against the sources:
Confirmed
- She was a follower who traveled with JesusLuke 8:1–3
- She helped fund the ministry with her own moneyLuke 8:3
- She stood by at the crucifixionMark, Matthew, John
- She found the empty tombAll four Gospels
- She’s the first witness of the resurrection in the Gospel accountsJohn 20:14–18
Not supported by the sources
- She was a prostituteNo ancient source says it; traced to a 591 sermon
- She’s the “sinful woman” of Luke 7Luke introduces them separately
- “Seven demons” meant seven sinsA 6th-century interpretation; Luke does not say this
- She wrote the Gospel of MaryScholars date its composition to the 2nd century, after her lifetime
Cannot be confirmed or ruled out
- She was married to JesusNo text states it; Philip uses “companion” within its own symbolic language
- What her affliction really wasThe text gives no detail
- Her age, family and how she diedNo surviving source records them
- Her later life in FranceFirst recorded in medieval sources, centuries later
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute?
No surviving source supports it. It does not appear in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, in the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Thomas, the Dialogue of the Savior, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, the First Apocalypse of James or the Pistis Sophia, or in the writings of her critic Celsus. It first appears in 591, when she was identified with other women in the Gospels, and that identification was removed from the official Latin calendar in 1969.
No historian can establish every detail of a person’s private life two thousand years ago. What the record shows is that this claim has no ancient source and a documented later origin.
The sources describe a woman who was healed, who supported Jesus from her own means, who was present at the crucifixion and burial, and who is named as the first witness of the resurrection.
Quick check
Which ancient text calls Mary Magdalene a prostitute?
Answer: None of them. No ancient text calls her a prostitute.
The penitent figure seen in many museum paintings reflects the identification made in 591 and the artistic tradition that followed. The ancient texts describe the woman from Magdala as a disciple, a supporter and the first witness at the tomb.
A note from The Cat House Foundation
A label pinned on a woman can outlive her by fourteen centuries. Mary Magdalene’s story is a reminder to check the source before repeating a claim, and to treat every person, whatever their work or their past, with dignity. The Cat House Foundation supports sanctuary, rescue and advocacy work for the vulnerable, animals and people alike, all year long. Learn more at cathousefoundation.org.
Verify it yourself: every text and where to find it
Each text cited in this article, the language it survives in, the manuscript and catalogue number, the institution that holds it, and where it has been published.
| Text | Language | Manuscript | Held at | Edition / access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew, Mark, Luke and John | Greek | Codex Sinaiticus (4th century) | British Library, London; Leipzig University Library; St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai; National Library of Russia, St Petersburg | Full photographs online: codexsinaiticus.org |
| Gospel of John (oldest fragment) | Greek | P.Ryl. III 457 | John Rylands Library, University of Manchester | Catalogue of the Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library, vol. III, Manchester, 1938 |
| Gospel of Peter | Greek | Akhmim codex, P.Cair. 10759 | Egyptian Museum, Cairo | U. Bouriant, Mémoires de la Mission archéologique française au Caire IX.1, Paris, 1892 |
| Gospel of Mary | Greek | P.Ryl. III 463 | John Rylands Library, University of Manchester | Catalogue of the Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library, vol. III, Manchester, 1938 |
| Gospel of Mary | Greek | P.Oxy. L 3525 | Oxyrhynchus Papyri collection, Oxford | The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. L, Egypt Exploration Society, London, 1983 |
| Gospel of Mary | Coptic | Papyrus Berolinensis 8502, tractate 1 | Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin | Bibliothèque copte de Nag Hammadi, Université Laval, Québec |
| Gospel of Thomas | Coptic | Nag Hammadi Codex II, tractate 2 | Coptic Museum, Cairo | The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Brill, Leiden, 1972–1977 |
| Gospel of Thomas | Greek | P.Oxy. 1 and P.Oxy. 654 | Bodleian Library, Oxford; British Library, London | The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vols. I and IV, London, 1898 and 1904 |
| Gospel of Philip | Coptic | Nag Hammadi Codex II, tractate 3 | Coptic Museum, Cairo | The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Brill, Leiden |
| Sophia of Jesus Christ | Coptic | Nag Hammadi Codex III, tractate 4; Papyrus Berolinensis 8502, tractate 3 | Coptic Museum, Cairo; Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin | The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Brill, Leiden |
| Sophia of Jesus Christ | Greek | P.Oxy. 1081 | Oxyrhynchus Papyri collection | The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. VIII, London, 1911 |
| Dialogue of the Savior | Coptic | Nag Hammadi Codex III, tractate 5 | Coptic Museum, Cairo | The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Brill, Leiden |
| First Apocalypse of James | Coptic | Nag Hammadi Codex V, tractate 3 | Coptic Museum, Cairo | The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Brill, Leiden |
| Pistis Sophia | Coptic | Askew Codex, Add MS 5114 | British Library, London | British Library catalogue, Add MS 5114 |
| Celsus, The True Word, quoted in Origen, Contra Celsum 2.55 | Greek | Vaticanus graecus 386 | Vatican Apostolic Library | Origen, Contra Celsum, Book 2, chapter 55 |
| Gregory I, Homily 33 | Latin | Homiliae in Evangelia, Homily 33 (591) | Text printed in Patrologia Latina | J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Latina vol. 76, Paris |
| Athanasius, Festal Letter 39 | Greek and Coptic | Festal Letter 39 (367) | Text printed in Patrologia Graeca | J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca vol. 26, Paris |
| Revised Roman calendar | Latin | Calendarium Romanum (1969) | Vatican City | Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1969 |
| Decree on her feast day | Latin, with official translations | Decree of June 3, 2016 | Holy See | press.vatican.va |
Endnotes
- Ancient texts only in their original Greek, with our own translations. Aramaic and Hebrew words are noted where the Greek preserves them; no text about her survives in Aramaic or Hebrew.
- Texts not in today’s New Testament are included, named individually. Where the Greek original is lost, the surviving Coptic translation is the only witness, and each card says so.
- No modern Bible translations, no news outlets, no opinion pieces, and no US-based sources. Later history comes only from the original documents themselves.
- Codex Sinaiticus, Greek, 4th century: Luke 7:36–8:3, Mark 15–16, Matthew 27–28, Luke 24, John 19–20. Leaves held by the British Library, Leipzig University Library, St Catherine’s Monastery (Sinai) and the National Library of Russia. codexsinaiticus.org
- Gospel of Peter 12:50, Greek, Akhmim codex (P.Cair. 10759), Egyptian Museum, Cairo. First edition: U. Bouriant, Mémoires publiés par les membres de la Mission archéologique française au Caire IX.1, Paris, 1892.
- Gospel of Mary. Greek: P.Ryl. III 463 (John Rylands Library, Manchester) and P.Oxy. L 3525 (Oxyrhynchus papyri, Oxford). Coptic: Papyrus Berolinensis 8502, Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin.
- Nag Hammadi Codices II (Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Thomas), III (Dialogue of the Savior, Sophia of Jesus Christ) and V (First Apocalypse of James), Coptic, Coptic Museum, Cairo. Sophia of Jesus Christ also in Papyrus Berolinensis 8502 and Greek P.Oxy. 1081. Critical editions with translation: Bibliothèque copte de Nag Hammadi, Université Laval, Québec.
- Pistis Sophia, Coptic, Askew Codex, British Library Add MS 5114, London.
- Origen of Alexandria, Contra Celsum 2.55, Greek, quoting Celsus, The True Word (c. 178).
- Gregory I, Homiliae in Evangelia, Homily 33, Latin, Rome, 591. Text: J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Latina vol. 76, Paris.
- Calendarium Romanum, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, Vatican City, 1969.
- Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, decree of June 3, 2016, with the official Holy See Press Office bulletin of June 10, 2016. press.vatican.va
- Athanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letter 39, 367. Greek and Coptic. Text: J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca vol. 26, Paris.
- P.Ryl. III 457, Gospel of John 18:31–33, 37–38, Greek, 2nd century. John Rylands Library, University of Manchester.
This feature is an independent editorial piece on history and religion.
BUT YOUR SAINT IS IN ANOTHER CODEX.
