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315th out of 761 books
—
736 voters
The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail
Margaret Starbird’s theological beliefs were profoundly shaken when she read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book that dared to suggest that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalen and that their descendants carried on his holy bloodline in Western Europe. Shocked by such heresy, this Roman Catholic scholar set out to refute it, but instead found new and compelling evidence fo...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
June 1st 1993
by Bear & Company
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First, let me say I very rarely write a negative review of anything unless I feel it's subject matter is not what it is purported to be. I'd just gotten done with "The Da Vinci Code" and this book seemed so highly recommended in reviews here on its factual, historical content. Or maybe I misunderstood. Because halfway through I had to stop reading it.
I thought it was going to be about Mary Magdalen-from her birth to her death, including her time with Jesus. Maybe eventually it ends up being abo...more
I thought it was going to be about Mary Magdalen-from her birth to her death, including her time with Jesus. Maybe eventually it ends up being abo...more
I think that when I read "The Gospel of Mary Magdalen" that I was looking for more of what I found in this book. I feel Margaret Starbird does a good job at the beginning of her book of showing the possibilities of what could have been and how the relationship between Mary Magdalen and Jesus could have been misinterpreted in the bible. I have been slightly bitter about the fact that I grew up believing Mary to be a prostitute b/c that is waht my Sunday school teachers taught me, only to find out...more
Okay, I admit I read "The DaVinci Code", and thought the premise was completely fascinating even if the writing was a bit too much with an implausible plot line. The premise encouraged me to dig deeper into the theme and I discovered this little gem of a book.
I am an avid researcher of the Jesus conspiracy so of course I loved this book. Worth reading if you are intersted in something other than what the Bible told you and want to keep an open mind.
This book was so fun to read because it was all about--what if Jesus got married to Mary Magdalen and had a daughter? In writing this, Margaret Starbird said that she couldn't prove that this was true--only that many people in the middle ages believed this was true. She talks about how this "heresy" was stamped out by the Church, but how its story survived in disguise, through symbols in art, literature, and music. It's everything I'm interested in: ancient history, theology, symbols, and art hi...more
Was well before the curve of the Mary Magdalen books that have come out in the last 10 years, and still one of the very best. That the church suppressed the truth (or mythology) surrounding this enigmatic friend of Jesus is well documented in this book. The unluckiness of the number 13 and the making the mark X (the St Andrew cross which apparently was the glyph that represented Mary) a sign representing 'wrong', were all part of the method of undermining those with a Marist interest.
A good read...more
A good read...more
"I cannot prove that Jesus was married or that Mary Magdelen was the mother of His child... but I can verify that these are tenets of a heresy widely believed in the Middle Ages; that fossils of that heresy can be found in numerous works of art and litterature, that it was virulently attacked by... the Church of Rome; and that it survived in spite of relentless persecution." And, one might add, doctoring of the texts.
As the Rev. Father Sweeney says in his preface, "Until the Church can offer rea...more
As the Rev. Father Sweeney says in his preface, "Until the Church can offer rea...more
Jun 27, 2008
Stacy
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
conspiracy theorists
Recommended to Stacy by:
Kathy
The first few chapters, where the author is laying out an alternative reading of the Bible's Mary Magdalen, are intriguing. The Bible is so vague and open to interpretation, it's interesting to hear Starbird's ideas.
The later chapters, where Starbird presents "evidence" for a cover-up of the importance of Mary Magdalen and Jesus' descendant(s) are intended to be scholarly but come across as laughable. Watermarks, tarot cards, unicorn tapestries... these are her proof. Each symbol is interpreted...more
The later chapters, where Starbird presents "evidence" for a cover-up of the importance of Mary Magdalen and Jesus' descendant(s) are intended to be scholarly but come across as laughable. Watermarks, tarot cards, unicorn tapestries... these are her proof. Each symbol is interpreted...more
I found the different undestandings of the sacred feminine and the discussion about tarot cards within this book quite interesting. I think that the discussions of imagery on tarot cards is interesting as Starbird gives different interpretations to the cards that are usually seen as negative. Starbird's ability to discuss complex ideas in simple ways causes an ease of reading for the information. I think that Starbird's book is a facinating example of thinking beyond contemporary Christianity.
A surprisingly well written work offering a logical and coherent argument for the idea of the 'Holy Grail' as the offspring of Jesus. This line, story, and symbols of the virgin, the rose,and the vine were preserved in early Europe despite Church attempts to eradicate the story and/or the line. Through art, early Tarot symbols, and other evidences that the church may have been a return to a balanced spirituality which valued equally the male and the female.
This book was beautifully written so easy to read. I enjoyed every minute of it. I love anything that has to do with the history of the Holy Grail and Margaret Starbird makes an excellent case from an extensive study of history, heraldry, symbolism, medieval art, mythology, psychology, and the Bible itself. Beautifully told story about the forgotten feminine--in the hope that its return will help restore a healthy balance to planet Earth.
This book may have been written in a "scholarly" manner, but it completely lacks footnotes. We are simply supposed to take the author's word for everything she's written. I stopped reading when she stated that Languedoc (in France) is otherwise known as Provence. In fact, they are two different areas of the country.
Skip this one and go straight to "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent. His is the original on the subject and is well documented.
Skip this one and go straight to "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent. His is the original on the subject and is well documented.
Starbird does a wonderful job but I couldn't get past her rationalization of the Black Madonna as metaphor as opposed to, you know, Black African. In her denial she missed an incredible opportunity to reveal more truths.
This book was well written and easy to read, but I really didn't learn anything new on the topic at hand. I was dissappointed in that fact.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the concept of a marriage between Mary Magdalen & Jesus; but if you have researched te topic at all before this book will shed little light.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the concept of a marriage between Mary Magdalen & Jesus; but if you have researched te topic at all before this book will shed little light.
This book was written long before Dan Brown made Mary Magdalene cool. There are moments in the book where Starbird overreaches to make her point, but it is well written and enjoyable.
I loved the idea of bringing the feminism into christianity. But I feel like Starbird made alot of asumptions that weren't backed up by facts. But overall I enjoyed the feminine symbols that were discussed.
I found Margaret Starbird's book very interesting. Her ideas are similar to mine, and a whole lot more plausible than Saul of Tarsus.
Was Mary Magdalen the wife of Jesus? Not very convincing argument. Too many theories, supported by questionable sources.
Very difficult reading. I did not like this book at all. Not from the content - more from the difficult reading.
It turned what I thought I knew about the Christian story on its head! I've been questioning even more ever since.
If you're called by Mary Magdalen, you've probably already read this book. It should be on the list.
Gave me some insight on this topic. Her research helped me to solidify some of my personal thoughts.
Even though this book was written in a scholarly way, it was easy to read and very enjoyable.
Exploration of Mary Magdalen's hidden role in artwork and in today's culture and symbols.
a great interpretation of Mary Magdalen's life that makes a lot of sense to me
One of the first books after HBHG to look at the saint in a new perspective
Outstanding, this book opened my mind on so many different levels.
Compared to Vern Swenson's work, this pales both in scholarship and theoretical rumination, but Starbird's book is fascinating as it comes from a Roman Catholic who worked through having her faith shaken by concepts that her church views as heretical. Her musings about Mary Magdalene have, I am sure, caused a lot of readers to ponder the fate of the women in Christ's life. Although much of this is conjecture, in light of the interest in the Dan Brown phenomena, Starbird proffers some possibiliti...more
Nov 18, 2009
Amanda
added it
didn't finish; had heard it all before in holy blood, holy grail
I read this way back after reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
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