Defining the Real Mary Magdalene

This chapter provides an overview of the major evidence and modern works defining Mary Magdalene as a real person. The body of evidence concerning Mary Magdalene is largely comprised by canonical Gospels, early extracanonical Gospels, and other works that may be repositories of independent memories. The most important evidence for the historical Mary Magdalene lies in the canonical Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark. The chapter then discusses recent studies of the historical Mary Magdalene within feminist historiography and popular history. It considers the interplay of Mary Magdalene with the divine, free from classical Christian dogma within the contemporary world.