This book results from the author’s curiosity, peaked by The Da Vinci Code, about one of history’s most admired women, but about whom we know very little. She is called Mary Magdalene because she was from the town of Magdala near the Sea of Galilee, but little else about Mary is known. The question “Who was Mary Magdalene?” remains unresolved after almost 2,000 years.
We know this dedicated follower of Jesus was neither his wife nor a prostitute, but then who was she? Only twelve passages in the Gospels make any reference to Mary Magdalene. Most likely, she was an average woman of the time and place. Like Jesus, she might have been Jewish, though there’s no specific mention of this in the Bible. Similarly, nothing in the New Testament tells us how Mary met Jesus.
Another source of information about Mary Magdalene exists, that being several second-century writings known as the Gnostic Gospels. Time caused the primary one about Mary to be partially destroyed, and it's unknown who wrote it or their sources. However, none of them were accepted at the Council (Synod) of Carthage in 397 c.e. to be part of the official (canonical) Bible.
During the Renaissance period, artists were fascinated by Mary Magdalene, and scores of paintings appeared, including some by such famous artists as Leonardo da Vinci and El Greco. Most portrayed her as a prostitute, although we now know that depiction of Mary was a fabrication.
In addition to the thoughtful story line of Mary’s Vision, there are also five appendices at the end of the novel. One provides over a hundred footnotes to help the reader understand the context and sources the author used. It is hoped readers will find them informative.
Other appendices offer information about Mary Magdalene’s image and misrepresentations over the centuries. This includes the remarkable honor that was paid her by the Roman Catholic Church in June of 2016. You can read about this on the last page of this website. At long last, some well-deserved recognition for Mary of Magdala was awarded.
Finally, some additional words about the goals of this book. As noted on the Home page of this website, the storyline is not primarily about religion. Its main focus is on how the societal mores of the times affected one ordinary person’s desire for personal fulfillment and gender equality in the patriarchal first century. Its goal is to suggest a credible answer to the book’s primary question: Who, really, might Mary Magdalene have been?
Most likely, she was simply an intelligent young woman who wanted very much to teach.
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