Women of the Gospels

1
Women of the Gospels
Caravaggio, Martha and Mary Magdalen, c.1598
(Detroit, Institute of Fine Arts)
2
Hidden History

• Scarcity of sources in ancient
• history
• Loss (recent finds
• Dead Sea Scrolls,
• Nag Hammadi Library)
• Question of reliability
• Values of recorders
• Who/what was considered worth saving?

www.nag-hammadi.com/
3
Biblical Womens HistoryVictims of Silence and
Denial

• Denial of physical presence
• Case in point feeding the 5,000
• Synagogue service required min. of 10 men
• Denial of testimony (no validity in Hebrew court
  of law)
• Denial of education (The words of the Torah will
  be destroyed in the fire sooner than be taught to
  women-Talmud)

4
Looking for Clues

• An effort must be made to uncover traces of a
  significant womens presence and examine
  indicative and revealing pieces of a far wider
  reality that lies hidden and, like an underground
  stream, from time to time trickles out of the
  written texts, then comes up to the surface
  (Ricci 23)

5
Jesus Travels
http//www.preceptaustin.org/bible_maps.htm
6
Jesus Travels
7
Jesus Ministry in Galilee

• Luke 81-3
• Soon afterwards he went on through cities and
  villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news
  of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,
  as well as some women who had been cured of evil
  spirits and infirmities Mary, called Magdalene,
  from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna,
  the wife of Herods steward Chuza, and Susanna,
  and many others, who provided for them out of
  their resources.

8
Jesus in Jerusalem

• Matthew 2755-56
• Many women were also there, looking on from a
  distance they had followed Jesus from Galilee
  and had provided for him. Among them were Mary
  Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and
  Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
• Mark 1540-41
• There were also women looking on from a
  distance among them were Mary Magdalene, and
  Mary the mother of James the younger and of
  Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and
  provided for him when he was in Galilee and
  there were many other women who had come up with
  him from Jerusalem.

9
Women at the Crucifixion

• Matt Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
• mother of James and Joseph, and the mother
• of the sons of Zebedee (Matt 27.55-56)
• Mark Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
• mother of James the younger and of Joses, and
  Salome. (Mark 15.40-41)
• Luke All his acquaintance including the women
  who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a
  distance, watching these things. (Luke 23.49)
• John his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary
  the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (John
  19.25)

10
Women Witnesses of the Empty Tomb

• Matt 2761
• Mary Magdalene the other Mary
• Mark 161-8
• Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother
• of James, and Salome
• Luke 241-10
• The women were terrified and bowed
• their facers to the ground . . . Now it
• was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary
• the mother of James, and the other
• women with them
• John 201-2 Mary Magdalene
• came to the tomb

11
Women May Be Present But Unmentioned

• Matthew and Mark speak of women following Jesus
  in Galilee only in the closing stages of their
  narratives, but clearly numbers of women were
  accompanying him all along and supporting his
  ministry.
• Why the delay in mentioning women followers?
  (except in Luke)

12
Androcentric Environment

• Little interest in presence
• of women
• Tendency to ignore them
• unless exceptional
• circumstances arise
• When men are present,
• women need not be noticed
• or mentioned.

"Saint Mary Magdalene approaching the Sepulchre"
Gian Girolamo Savoldo, ca. 1530.
13
Womens Witness Becomes Important When?

• When men are absent.
• And when where male witnesses absent?

14
The Disappearance of the Disciples

• Matt. 2656 Then all the disciples deserted him
  and fled
• Mark 1450 All of them deserted him and fled
• The redactors, unable to cite the witness of the
  male disciples, are forced to mention the women
• Questions to consider
• . . . .What if the male disciples had stayed for
  the crucifixion? . . .
• . . . . Were women at the Last Supper?

15
The Marys
Mary by Louis Glanzman
Mary, the Mother of God by Louis Glanzman
Mary Magdalene by Louis Glanzman
16
Mary Magdalene

• Original home?
• Magdala in Galilee
• Special healing?
• Jesus cast out seven demons
• Present with Jesus in what cases?
• Followed Jesus wherever he went (Lk 82)
• Present at crucifixion (Mrk 1540 John 1925)
• Observed Jesus burial (Mrk 1547)
• Observed resurrected Jesus (Matt. 281 Mrk 161
  Lk 2410 John 20)

Magdalene of the Night Light Georges de la Tour
17
Mary Magdalene the Gardener
Discuss

• Apostola apostolarum?
• Garden of Eden restored?
• Importance of their conversation?
• Who are you looking for?
• Mary
• Do not hold to me

Noli Me Tangere by Carravaggio 1625
18
What the Bible Does NOT Say About Mary Magdalene

• Prostitute
• Anointed Jesus feet
• Jesus wife
• Fled to Southern France
• to be continued . . .

Mary Magdalene by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
19
Other Women in the Gospels
Henryk Siemiradzki. Christ and the Samaritan
Woman. 1890.
20
Proper Social Convention
Unconventionality Peters Mother-in-Law
Mark 129-34

• Conventional features?
• Identified by relationship to male family member
• Male family members represent her to Jesus
• Unconventional features?
• Jesus goes to her room and touches her
• She ministers to Jesus-same verb used when
  angels ministered to him in Mark 115

21
Social Impropriety Propriety and Order
The Woman in the CrowdMark 5 24b-43

• Her problem?
• Unclean (12 years bleeding disorder)
• Her violations of social propriety?
• Respectable women do not travel unattended by
  male family member
• Respectable women do not touch men outside family
• How does Jesus supply ALL her needs
• Daughter and healing

Woman with Hemorrhage by Glanzman
22
Lowly Girl vs. High Priest Mark 1466-72

• Trial?
• Jesus interrogated by high priest in court
• Who is in lower courtyard?
• Maid stares at and questions Peter.

Gerrit van Honthorst The Denial of St. Peter,c.
1620-1625

• Ironies?
• High priest rejects truth of Jesus divinity
• Lowly maid insists on truth of Peters
  discipleship

23
The Samaritan Woman Culmination of Biblical
Meetings at Wells
John 44-42

• How does Jesus transform symbolism of water?
• New understanding of marriage, fertility, and
  life
• How does Jesus shock the disciples?
• Defies conventions of talking to women
  interacting w/Samaritans

TheSamaritanWomen by Louis Glanzman
24

• End of Part I

25
The Marys
Mary by Louis Glanzman
Mary, the Mother of God by Louis Glanzman
Mary Magdalene by Louis Glanzman
26
Mary, the Mother of Jesus

• Probably of tribe of Levi (cousin Elizabeth-
• Luke 15,36)
• Engaged to Joseph (tribe of Judah)
• Home in Nazareth (Galilee) traveled to
• Bethlehem escaped to Egypt
• returned to Nazareth
• Scolds Jesus at the temple (Luke 248)
• Asked for help at wedding in Cana (John 21-4)
• Had other children to care for (Matt 1355)
• Tries to take Jesus home (Mark 320-31)
• Stands at foot of cross (John 1925-27)
• Was present at Pentecost (Actsd 114)

Artemesia Gentileschi
27
Mary and Martha

• Sisters of Lazarus
• Home?
• Bethany, near Jerusalem
• Marthas stories?
• Complains to Jesus (Luke 1038-42)
• Testimony of faith (John 1127)

Raising of Lazarus by Guercino
Martha by Louis Glanzman
28
Mary of Bethany

• Family?
• Sister of Martha and Lazarus
• Her stories?
• Neglected household duties (Luke 1038-42)
• Upset with Jesus when he did not come (John
  1120,28-33)
• Anointed Jesus at her home in Bethany (John
  121-8)

Raising of Lazarus, by Guercino
c. 1619
29
Mary Anointing Jesus

• John 121-8
• Mary of Bethany at home w/Lazarus Martha
• Jesus en route to Jerusalem for Passover
• Costly nard--extravagent love
• Judas complains
• Foreshadows death burial
• Foreshadows Jesus footwashing for disciples
  (John 131-20)
• New Commandment

Courtesy Denim Lace
30
Anonymous Anointings

• Mark 14.3-9 and Matthew 26.6-13
• Unnamed woman at home of Simon the Leper in
  Bethany
• Anoints Jesus head
• Expensive, aromatic oil in alabaster vessel.
• Disciples complain of waste
• Luke 736-50
• Sinful woman of the city anoints Jesus feet at
  home of a Pharisee.

31
Mary Magdalene in the Gnostic Gospels

• Karen King (Harvard Divinity School) The Gospel
  of Mary of Magdala
• Elaine Pagels The Gnostic Gospels and Beyond
  Belief The Secret Gospel of Thomas

32
Nag Hammadi Library

• Nag Hammadi Library
• an earthenware jar, 1945, Egypt
• 13 leather-bound mss. codices of 52 books
  dating from 350-400 A.D. (140 A.D.)
• Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip, etc.
• Gnostic Insight, knowledge
• Early Christian group with different teachings
  later considered heretical, therefore suppressed
• Affirmative of womens role in spiritual community

33
Mary Magdalene in Gnostic Gospels

• Mary Magdalene close companion of Jesus
• Gospel of Philip Jesus used to kiss her often
• Disciple, evangelist, teacher, mystic (visions)
  who had esoteric knowledge of Jesus teaching
• MM rivals Peter for leadership of the early
  church Peter Andrew challenge her authority
• Peter Did he Jesus really speak to a woman
  secretly, without our knowledge, and not openly?
  Are we to turn and all listen to her? Did he
  prefer her to us?

34
Pope Gregorys Decision

• She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John
  calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom
  seven devils were ejected according to Mark. And
  what did these seven devils signify, if not all
  the vices? . . . It is clear, brothers, that the
  woman previously used the unguent to perfume her
  flesh in forbidden acts. What she therefore
  displayed more scandalously, she was now offering
  to God in a more praiseworthy manner . . . She
  turned the mass of her crimes to virtues, in
  order to serve God entirely in penance, for as
  much as she had wrongly held God in contempt.
• --Revoked by Catholic Church in 1969--

35
Miscellaneous Marys

• Mary, mother of James Joseph (Matthew) or Joses
  (Mark), witness resurrection, burial, and empty
  tomb
• Mary, the mother of the sons of Zebadee, James
  John (Matthew 2020-23 2756), asks Jesus to let
  her sons sit at his right and left hands in
  heaven. In Mark, the sons ask for themselves.
• The other Mary (Matthew 2761 281)--could be
  one of the Marys above or another one)
• Mary, the wife of Clopas (John 1925), stands at
  the cross.

36
Bibliography

• Books
• Murphey, Cullen. The Word According to Eve, 1998.
• Newsom, Carol A. and Sharon H. Ringe. Womens
  Bible Commentary.
• Ricci, Carla. Mary Magdalene and Many Others.
• Graphics
• At the Foot of the Cross The Society of Saint
  Mary Magdalene. www.st-mary-magdalen
  e.org/
• Footwashing denimandlace.50megs.com/
  alabasterbox2.html
• Glanzman, Louis www.louisglanzman.com/biblewome
  n.html
• Jesus Travels Map http//www.fbbc.info/disciplesh
  ip/bigpicture/year20of20popularity.htm
• Nag Hammadi Library manuscript
  www.nag-hammadi.com/
• next page

37
Bib. Cont.

• Raising of Lazarus Detail by Guercino 1619
  www.magdalene.org/lazarus/guercino.htm
• Saint Mary Magdalene approaching the Sepulchre"
  by Gian Girolamo Savoldo www.hometown.aol.com/
  listenwv/9.html
• Deposition from the Cross and Noli me tangere
  by Corregio and Martha and Mary Magdalene by
  Caravaggio from Web Gallery of
  Arthttp//www.wga.hu/index.html