Magdalene

Magdalene is the surname of Mary of Magdala, derived from her hometown on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. She is one of the most prominent women in the Gospels and the primary witness to the resurrection. Luke 8:2 records that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her, after which she became one of the women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples and supported their ministry. She was present at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25), witnessed the burial (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47), and was the first to discover the empty tomb (John 20:1).

In John 20:11–18, Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared, and she is commissioned to announce the resurrection to the disciples — a role that earned her the patristic title apostle to the apostles. The long-standing tradition identifying her with the unnamed sinful woman of Luke 7:37–38 or Mary of Bethany has no biblical support and was rejected by Eastern Christianity; the Catholic Church formally distinguished these figures in 1969. Mary Magdalene stands as the preeminent female witness of the gospel's central event.