By; Dr. Jerry Bergman
Montpelier, Ohio
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is an early Christian text first discovered in Egypt in 1896.
This fifth-century papyrus manuscript is called the Berlin Codex because it was purchased by German diplomat Carl Reinhardt.
The Berlin Codex is highly fragmented and missing more than half of its original pages. It also contains the Apocryphon of John, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, and a summary of the Acts of Peter.
Additional Greek Gospel of Mary text fragments were subsequently discovered between 1897 and 1906. They were only published in 1983 and are now labeled New Testament apocrypha.
These works from the early Christian period were valued by many early Christians, but were not accepted as part of the Biblical canon.
The early church fathers used three criteria to determine which books belonged in the canon of Scripture. These were Apostolicity (written by an apostle or someone directly connected to one), Orthodoxy (alignment with accepted church teachings), and Widespread Use (wide acceptance in the Early Church).
One major concern with the Gospel of Mary was that it was written anonymously. The text indicated familiarity with the Gospel of John, and even the letters of Paul, supporting a first-century authorship.
Parts may have been written in the first century by apostles or persons known by the apostles, but the copies found in the last century and a half have what appear to be added sections, because they contain Gnostic theology that contradicts mainstream orthodox Christian beliefs that would not have been accepted by Mary Magdalene.
The Coptic text of the Gospel of Mary, likely dated from early in the second century AD, was translated only in 1955 by Walter Till. The most questionable part of what appear to be second-century additions to the Gospel of Mary was that the text portrays Mary Magdalene as a leader who received revelations from Jesus that were not received by any of the male apostles.
The early church’s leadership structure was male-dominated, an obvious fact in Paul’s letters to the first-century churches.
Conversely, in arguing in support of the view that parts of the Gospel of Mary were valid is the fact that Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the New Testament in all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Luke 8:1-3 writes that Jesus cast seven demons out of her.
In the ancient world, this likely referred to a debilitating illness or trauma, not a life of sin. Mary also witnessed the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40-41, and John 19:25). It was she who watched where Jesus’ body was laid (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47).
While most of the male disciples fled or went into hiding during Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion, Mary was one of the few who stood bravely at the foot of the cross.
It was also she who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. Mary was also the very first person to see the resurrected Jesus.
Jesus then commissioned her to deliver the news of His resurrection to the male disciples (Mark 16:9, Luke 24:10, and John 20:1-18), leading early church fathers to bestow upon her the title Apostolorum Apostola (Apostle to the Apostles).
Mary Magdalene and other women, including Joanna and Susanna, used their personal wealth to support Jesus’s itinerant ministry. The Bible explicitly states that Mary Magdalene and other women supported Jesus’ ministry out of their own private means, but never details the source of their wealth.
Historians point to several likely sources. The name “Magdalene” indicates she came from the wealthy town on the Sea of Galilee named Magdala. She may have inherited a highly profitable, cooperative fish-exporting business.
Ancient tradition suggests she came from a noble, wealthy family, which had extensive land and property ownership, making her a wealthy widow. The name “Magdalene” is also thought to be an honorific title meaning “the Tower-ess.”
As a woman of independent means not tied to a husband, she may have operated a lucrative business like other notable women in the early Christian movement.
In late 2024, researcher and early Christian scholar Dr. Sarah Parkhouse published an analysis of a fourth-century papyrus fragment which she theorized could be a missing piece of the Gospel of Mary that describes Jesus teaching Mary about the interplay of fire and water as symbols of spiritual transformation.
It implies that Mary was not only a follower of Christ, but was a student of Jesus’ teachings. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, whose research is featured in National Geographic’s updated profile, notes that the Mary
Magdalene story resonates with persons who have been historically undervalued. The historical and Biblical account of Mary Magdalene gleaned from new documents shows a person of immense importance and courage.
Research on the Gospel of Mary highlights how early textual alterations and a 6th-century papal sermon mischaracterized Mary Magdalene, obscuring her role as a primary witness to Christ’s execution and resurrection.
Her story recovered crucial overlooked aspects of Jesus’s vision for humanity. The document, which was buried and purchased by a German diplomat for an unknown sum, had its study delayed by two world wars, and was finally published in 1955. It is now generating much attention seventy-one years after its first publication.
———————-
Dr. Bergman is a multi-award-winning professor and author. He has 9 degrees and has taught at both the graduate and undergraduate level for over 40 years. His over 2,100 publications are in both scholarly and popular journals. Dr. Bergman’s work has been translated into 15 languages. He has spoken over 2,000 times to college, university and church groups in America, Canada, Europe, the South Sea Islands, and Africa. He lives in Montpelier and is available to present in churches and schools. Jerry can be reached at JerryBergman30@yahoo.com Bergman’s website is: https://crev.info/author/jbergman/