- Yes. Pope Gregory the Great affirmed this in AD 591.
- 2. Yes. She was the sinful woman in Luke 7:36–50 who anointed Yeshua’s feet and received His forgiveness.
- 3. Yes. She was the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1–11, as depicted in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.
- 4. No. There is no biblical evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute or an adulteress.
ANSWER
The correct answer is number 4.
What does Scripture tell us about Miriam of Magdala?
In Luke 8:2–3, we read:
“And also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”
This passage states that Mary Magdalene was delivered from seven demons and was among the women who followed Yeshua and supported His ministry. Scripture nowhere identifies her as a harlot or an adulteress. So where did this widespread belief originate?
The tradition arose largely from conflating three different women mentioned in the Gospels:
- Luke 7:36–50: An unnamed sinful woman who anointed Yeshua’s feet and received forgiveness. The passage neither identifies her as Mary Magdalene nor explicitly describes her as a harlot.
- John 12:1–8: Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who anointed Yeshua shortly before His crucifixion.
- Luke 8:2–3: Mary Magdalene, from whom Yeshua had cast out seven demons.
In AD 591, Pope Gregory the Great delivered a homily identifying these three women as the same person. This interpretation became deeply rooted in Western Christian tradition.
Centuries later, the confusion persisted in popular culture. In Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Mary Magdalene is portrayed as the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1–11. Yet that passage never identifies her as Mary Magdalene.
The conclusion is simple: She was a Jewish woman whom Yeshua delivered from demonic oppression, a faithful follower who supported His ministry, witnessed His crucifixion, and became one of the first to witness His resurrection. In fact, the Catholic Church corrected its position on Mary Magdalene, recognizing that she was never a harlot to begin with. In 2016, she was elevated and given the title “Apostle of the Apostles,” highlighting her role as the one chosen by Yeshua to bring the news of the Resurrection to the male apostles. We must distinguish what Scripture says from what centuries of tradition have led people to believe.