Claude Wilson, Outlook Writer

The Da Vinci Code claims she was married to Jesus Christ and having children. Hollywood's The Last Temptation of Christ and the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar cast her character as a repentant prostitute, throwing herself at the Messiah's feet. In the latter film she would sing dotingly 'I Don't Know How to Love Him'. Also, Rev. Winston 'Bello' Bell, in his book, Sex In The Church, concurred with the Hollywood take that Mary of Magdala was brought to Jesus being "caught in the act of fornication".

But, in a recent discourse on 'Important Women in Scriptures', noted Bible scholar and Religious Hardtalk host Ian Boyne sought to debunk centuries-old notion that Mary Magdalene was that prostitute who sought repentance at the feet of Jesus. "This woman's name has been so besmirched in history, been so maligned, misunderstood, mis-caricatured in art and in Hollywood," he bemoaned.

Many, even up to that point, like most Christians, had inadvertently believed the common perception that Mary Magdalene was indeed a prostitute before her encounter with Jesus. Boyne showed that nothing in the Scriptures fingers Mary Magdalene, who Christianity Today magazine dubbed "a fine role model for 21st century Christian believers," as a prostitute. "It's an assumption and a conflation," he insisted.

Unnamed prostitute

The magazine weighs in, "Two thousand years of art and literature haven't helped her cause. Mary Magdalene often is depicted as the unnamed prostitute who washed Jesus' feet with her tears (Luke 7:37-50), or the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11), or as Lazarus' sister - who was from Bethany, not Magdala - who anointed the Lord's head with costly perfume (Mark 14:3-9, John 11:2)."

John (11:2) identifies the anointer as, not Magdalene, but Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. And, she was not the woman caught in sexual sin.

Historically, Mary was a common name in Judea at the time, and the New Testament mention seven, including Mary Magdalene; Jesus' mother; Clopas's wife; Mary of Bethany; John Mark's mother; a diligent worker; and James and Joses' mother, who was also referred to as "the other Mary". Nowhere has the Scriptures projected Mary, from Magdala, a town known for vice and violence, as a prostitute, a woman of ill-repute.

Her first encounter with Jesus was, as later narration indicates, when seven demons were exorcised from her body. Mary was to become a real friend and faithful follower in the last 18-20 months of Jesus' ministry.

"The real Mary Magdalene led the faithful sisters in financing the Lord's work 'out of their own means' (Luke 8:3) and following Jesus wherever he went," noted Liz Curtis Higgs in the magazine's Today's Christian Woman section.

According to Microsoft Encarta, "Mary Magdalene was identified by Pope Gregory I with a sinful woman described as having anointed the Lord's feet, and with Mary the sister of Martha, who also anointed Jesus the gospels support neither tradition." The Eastern Church, it says, maintains the distinction between the three. The feast day of Mary Magdalene is observed July 22.

Some Christians and scholars believe it is full time to rewrite the wrong, to rethink Mary Magdalene, at least the prostitute and stoning part. "Mary Magdalene is becoming a role model for women who expect more important roles for themselves in their respective churches. And scholars use Mary Magdalene as a symbol of the important role of women in early Christianity, as they [contemplate] the implications of recently discovered ancient literature," says one Internet site.

Sanctioned image

It continues, "The current reform of Mary Magdalene has centuries of church and art tradition to overcome. The non-biblical image of Magdalene as a repentant whore is an image that had been officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the sixth century. And it's that image that has been perpetuated by dozens of Christian paintings and movies ever since."

In contrast, Mary was a real and faithful friend and follower of Jesus equal to Peter, James and John, but the Catholic Church was remiss of canonising Mary Magdalene as saint and/or the ill-reputed Gospel of Mary as part of scripture.

It is believed in some quarters that Christ bequeathed the headship of the Church to Mary Magdalene, and not Peter, as Catholicism maintains. They see this as the reason for Pope Gregory I relating her to the repentant prostitute.

But Mary Magdalene's supporters points to what they called Mary's one-line biography, "When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appears first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons" (Mark 16:9). "Possessed by Satan, she was repossessed by Christ, and then privileged to witness his resurrection. Oh! She has a story, all right - but not a scandalous one," declared Christianity Today.