Mary Magdalene has finally begun to regain her rightful place in history, after being misportrayed in church history for centuries as a penitent prostitute. In 591 AD Pope Gregory pronounced that Mary Magdalene, Mary the sinner, and Mary of Bethany from the gospels were one in the same. But there has never been evidence of that, and in 1969 the Catholic Church restored them to three separate identities, ending 14 centuries of mischaracterization.

There is much written of Mary Magdalene in the gospels of the New Testament. To understand something of her significance, consider the following :

*Mary was from Magdala, a small community on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Ruins of Magdala still remain on the shores of what is now called Lake Genesareth near the small village of Migdal. Matthew 15:39

*Mary was a constant companion of Jesus and followed him and the apostles throughout his ministry in the cities around Judea. She, and other devoted women in his following supported his ministry, giving of their own possessions. Luke 8:1

Mary witnessed the procession of Christ as he was carrying the cross and collapsed under its weight.

*Mary Magalene was present at the foot of the cross with Jesus' mother Mary and the apostle John. Mary was mentioned first among among women at the crucifixion in the gospels. Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, John 19:25

*Mary was present at Jesus burial at the tomb, and witnessed the stone being rolled to seal its entrance. Matthew 27:61

Mary was first to appear at the tomb the next morning, to witness the stone had rolled away. Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:10, John 20:1. At the tomb, Mary Magdalene is first one mentioned in all four synoptic gospels, and the only one mentioned in the gospel of John.

*Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the risen Christ, in fact, the first to preach the resurrection, to the apostles themselves. Mark 16:9, Luke 24:10, John 20:18

As a matter of evidence, it is easy to see how much of the stories of the gospels are attributed to her personal eyewitness account, and how heavily her testimony was relied upon in their writing. Much of the faith itself depends upon her witness, and as such her historical significance should not be underestimated.