Editor's Note: There's more to Mary Magdelene that meets the eye. Many have shown she was the bride of Jesus in a sacred, holy union.
Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala and sometimes The Magdalene, is a figure in Christianity. Mary Magdalene travelled with Jesus as one of his followers. She is said to have witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Within the four Gospels she is named at least 12 times, more than most of the apostles. During the Middle Ages she developed a reputation in Western Christianity as being a repentant prostitute or loose woman. However, these claims are not supported by the canonical gospels.
The Gospel of Luke says seven demons had gone out of her, and the longer ending of Mark says Jesus had cast seven demons out of her. She is most prominent in the narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, at which she was present. She was also present two days later, immediately following the sabbath,when, according to all four canonical Gospels, she was either alone or as a member of a group of women the first to testify to the resurrection of Jesus. John 20 and Mark 16:9 specifically name her as the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.
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