The Quest for Mary Magdalene

by Michael Haag

From Michael Haag, the international bestselling author of The Templars: The History & the Myth and The Tragedy of the Templars, comes a fascinating account of one of the most mysterious and controversial figures in religious history.

Mary Magdalene is a potent and enigmatic figure. In the gospels she finances Jesus' mission in Galilee and is the only person with Jesus at his crucifixion, burial and resurrection—the critical moments that define his purpose and give rise to a new religion.

Yet in the sixth century Mary Magdalene fell foul of a profound argument in which the established, ritualized and hierarchical Church required that God be worshipped through itself, whereas everything about Mary Magdalene suggests a more immediate and personal experience of the divine. Pope Gregory reduced Mary Magdalene from an independent visionary to a sinner and a prostitute while making Jesus' mother Mary, who is a nonentity in the gospels, into a creature of the Church, hailing her as the epitome of all things feminine and holy.

In The Quest for Mary Magdalene, historian Michael Haag presents Mary Magdalene as the woman at the center of Jesus's life, a visionary and a radically independent woman. He explores how she has been used and abused and reinterpreted in every age, and he examines what she reveals about men and women, Jesus and God.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion, Christianity, Spirituality, Theology, Feminism

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Michael Haag, who lived in London, was a writer, historian and biographer. He wrote widely on the Egyptian, Classical and Medieval worlds; and on the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Reviews

[Tamara Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“From the point of view of what became in the fourth century the established Church, the need to construct and defend its hierarchy meant controlling Mary Magdalene…She was too close to Jesus; she knew too much. And unlike Mary the mother of Jesus, there was nothing passive about Mary Magdalene.”
Michael Haag’s The Quest for Mary Magdalene asks many questions but does not provide clear answers. However, that is not the point of this book. Instead of guiding the reader to some definite conclusion, Haag follows Mary Magdalene through time and interpretations looking for the motives for her transformation from the close companion of Jesus who was with him from his early days of healing and teaching through his crucifixion and beyond as witness to his resurrection. Circumventing the Church by directly witnessing the empty tomb, she does not require them to act as mediator. She is a threat to the establishment.
This work gathers a number of resources and seeks to provide not answers, but questions we must wrestle with ourselves. Who was Mary Magdalene and what were the motives of the church for transforming her from the independent radical woman who was the friend of Jesus into the whore of her later personification? What does this transformation mean to the modern church and to modern women as well?

[Steven Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely readable history of Mary Magdalene, from the Bible to Dan Brown, that will teach you some things even if, like me, you've read a lot about her already, from the likes of Vermes, Ehrman, etc.

The book lags a little in the last few chapters as Haag embarks on a quick trip through present day renditions. It's a little better when it describes Mary Magdalene in paintings from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, though I think it worked for me more because I'm interested in those times, and not so much because of what Haag had to say about Mary Magdalene in those times. It's at its best when it covers the Bible and the gnostics--ironic, because Haag describes himself as more of a historian on the Templars and Crusades, and not so much as a biblical scholar. But that's where he's at his best here.

His research is exhaustive and he deals a lot in common sense--things you would think go hand in hand with historians, but that hasn't been my reading experience. Often they're either too much one or the other, but they need to be combined to make sense of something that happened thousands of years ago. Haag does that well with the Bible. For example, after I thought I'd read everything there is to read about Mary, the mother of Jesus, I see this:

"There are indeed hints in the gospels that stories were going round in the lifetimes of Jesus and of Mary his mother saying that he was a bastard and she was an adultress. 'Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? [A]nd are not his sisters here with us?' says Mark 6:3. In Judaism a son would be identified by naming his father even if Joseph had been dead for a long while, but Mark, who mentions every other member of the family, leaves Jesus' father unknown. Nor does Mark mention Joseph in any other part of his gospel. And in John 8:41 during a confrontation at the Temple[,] the Pharisees say to Jesus, 'We be not born of fornication', insinuating that he was."

I just looked those passages up again in my New Testament. Mine replaces Joses with Joseph, and Juda with Jude, but all the rest is the same. And you can't disagree with the logic Haag uses. I've known all the stories before: I don't believe there was a census, because at no other time in the history of the world has a leader told his people that, for a census, everybody has to pack up and move back where their original ancestors came from. Can you imagine that happening in America today? What a nightmare! And the story of the slaughtering of the firstborn? No other writers writing at the time--and even in antiquity, there were many--mention anything like that. You would think it would make headlines, that everyone would have a comment to say about it, even someone in a court, in his private diary, never mind actual historians (apparently there have always been historians translating history, even in ancient history). But nobody did, outside of that one biblical passage, Matthew 2:1-16. So, yeah, I'd already known and thought about that, and somewhere in my blog you can read about my thoughts of Mary and Pantera, but this was the first time my attention was drawn to that one passage, of Jesus, "the son of Mary." Of course Haag is right. From ancient times, in the Middle East, in the Nordic stories, in Beowulf, in the Odyssey, possibly all over, a young man is defined as being the son of his father, not his mother. Beowulf and Odysseus were referred to like that long after their fathers had died. But when the father is unknown? Or the man had been born out of wedlock, for whatever reason?

Haag shows some good research and some good common sense, in equal measure. (And I have to add that, for a very long time, I've been put off my Jesus's only biblical conversation with his mother, at the wedding at Cana, in John 2:1-5. Yes, she seems to have been nagging him, but he is still rather curt and annoyed with her. No other writer has mentioned the same slight surprise at this that I have always felt. Until now. So thanks, Mr. Haag. Just a little thing, but it bothered me. And how do we feel about that conversation being the only one between Jesus and his mother? Doesn't it seem like she's been rather scissored out?

And the author proves rather conclusively, I think, that Jesus and his disciples were financially supported by Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene (if they're different; many scholars think they're the same, as Haag seems to), Joanna (possibly a former wife of someone relevant in the royal court, a man named Chuza), Mary, Jesus's mother, and a few other loyal women. I've considered this, but not for too long. But, yes, there seems to have been money flowing in, and it wasn't from Jesus himself, right? And his followers were fishermen (who were not necessarily poor at that time) and others said to be destitute, so who had the money? Could the women be hiking all over the Middle East unless they had some money? And the women who were not from money, or married to it, where did they get enough money, in that time, to be financially independent? (Get my, and Haag's, drift here?) But where do the robes come from? The food? The water? The sandals? Over the few years of the biblical stories? The Bible stays rather close-lipped about this, but it makes sense. These things cost money, and the guys didn't have any. Why else would these men, as worried about women as they were (Peter, for example, was apoplectic about them, especially Mary Magdalene; you can look that up), have these women along all the time, but that they were the bank?

So, yeah, makes you think. And that's why I read books like this. To think very seriously about a book that essentially controls my government right now, and yet none of those guys (and I emphasize the guys) seem to have actually read all of it. Well, I have, Old and New. Every word. Twice. And countless times in close readings while reading books about it. Which is right, by the way, to read books like Haag's and not to just take the author's word for everything. That's part of the whole problem, right? To just take someone's word for something very important without reading it yourself? So I do that--I read the Bible, and I read about the Bible, and then I read the Bible again to better think about the things that I have read in books about the Bible.

Because, for God's sake, someone's got to. See what I did there?

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of the things I like about this book are the illustrations and the examination of the culture of the times. The one thing that disappointed me was that Mary Magdalene was not really the focus of the book as it didn't really have that much about her, specifically, in it.

It talks the stories in Southern France that Mary Magdalene was actually the wife of Jesus. It also goes into the actual construction of the city of Magdala. There is a question whether or not she was actually from there, though.

The book says that Gentiles were 'no concern to Jesus,' and that he spoke harshly about them (and it sites particular Biblical quotes to back that up.) The book also holds that Mary Magdalene and some other women that followed Jesus were financially independent.

The author goes into the importance of the number 7 (which is the number of demons that Mary Magdalene supposedly contained.) Jesus may not have been a carpenter but an actual building (doing construction work, in other words.)

The author notes the time Jesus drove the money changes out of the Temple and says it was actually an attack on the (very profitable) practice of selling sacrifices. The book also goes into how Mary Magdalene basically disappeared from the Bible after Jesus left. (Actually, Mary, his mother, also was dropped as were the women disciples, turning the Bible into basically a man-only production with women bearing babies, being prostitutes or having some kind of illness.) This was largely due to Paul's over-influence on what was included in the 'official' version of the Bible.

You actually have to turn to the Gnostic Gospels to find out much about Mary. There's a lot more in the book making it a very good one to read.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to find a book about Mary Magdalene and her gospels. This book is not it. I gave up around chapter 4.
This book is more about the area and political climate of the area, with the same 'phrase' repeated over and over: That there was 'Mary and Joanna and Mary, Jesus' mother' and that they Might have been here or there.
Some people might find it enjoyable. And the research was extensive but not what I was looking for.

[Louise Bath · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: This book inspired so many ideas and tangents that this review is all over the shop. 😖

This was a fantastic read - a non-fiction book that read more like a rollicking, roller-coaster thriller. I don't think it would be beyond the realms of possibility to re-interpret The Quest For Mary Magdalene as a dramatised documentary, either - although I fear the potential to offend would be immense. In my head the series wouldn't be a typical drama-documentary; there'd be no appearances from Michael Haag and other talking heads popping up to discuss the results of Haag's pioneering research, for instance: Haag would be played by an actor, just like the other characters. Sadly, what I envisioned is far easier to imagine than describe, so let's move on!

Michael Haag's mission is to follow Mary Magdalene down through the centuries to document how she has been depicted and reinterpreted in each age. What emerges is both surprising and almost shocking. The Biblical image of Mary Magdalene, Haag suggests, is due to the conflation of Mary with the unnamed woman taken in adultery, the penitent sinner who washes Jesus's feet with her tears and dries them with her hair, and the woman who draws Judas's ire by anointing Jesus with an expensive jar of spikenard. Haag theorises that Mary Magdalene is, in fact, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. He adds that there is no evidence whatsoever that she was a prostitute; instead, she was a woman whom Jesus had cured of mental illness and in gratitude had chosen to follow him, becoming the most important of his followers.

During Jesus's ministry, women played a significant part in financing him and the other disciples; Mary, Haag says, like many of the other named women in the Gospels, is an independent woman with money of her own, and is not under the protection/control of a husband or other male relatives. Haag suggests that Mary and the other women were quite likely to be Hellenised Jews, whose lives would've been far less strict than those of traditional Jews. But she is especially close to Jesus, who shares with her his deeper, more esoteric teachings, understanding with ease whilst the other disciples struggle.

Mary is of special importance as the first witness to Christ's resurrection; it is Mary who finds the empty tomb and, in her grief, mistakes Jesus for the gardener. But in a touching scene, he identifies himself, reassures her, and tells her to go and witness to the other grieving disciples, which she does. The interesting aspect is Mary's presence at the tomb in the first place. Having lain in the tomb for three days, Jesus's body would need to be anointed with oils and perfumes and wrapped in burial cloths because, by this time, his corpse would have begun to stink. Since this would only have been done by a spouse or close family member, it adds credence to the belief that Mary *was* Jesus's wife.

Where the book becomes particularly intriguing is in the comparison between how Mary is treated in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament with how she is seen in the Gnostic Gospels. Haag explores how and why the early Church decided to reframe her as a "fallen woman", whilst the Gnostics adored her as Jesus's chief disciple - and how St Paul, who'd never actually *met* Jesus, put his own spin on Christ's teachings and promoted himself as the true bearer of Christ's message. And yet, as Haag shows, Mary Magdalene - a thorn in the side of the very male early Church - never lost her place in the affections of ordinary people, no matter how much she was sidelined or reviled. She became a goddess of beauty and love during the Renaissance and is now a feminist icon. Haag also draws comparisons between her and ancient goddess figures such as Isis, Astarte, and Ishtar.

What *did* shock me is that Jesus's mother, Mary, features only briefly in the Gospels - whereas Magdalene is mentioned frequently. Haag suggests that one reason for the latter's popularity may be that people (women especially) found it easier to identify with the fallible Magdalene than with the inviolate Virgin. Haag points out that, according to the Gospels, Jesus's relationship with his Mother was quite a testy one - which makes both seem believably human and also oddly endearing. He gives the example of Jesus's first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana - said by some to be Jesus's to Mary Magdalene. Everyone's having a good time until the wine runs out - a terrible faux pas at a party! The scene then becomes quite comic as Jesus, seemingly embarrassed and exasperated, is urged by his Mother to do something about it: "It's alright, my Yeshua will sort it out." "Muuuuuum...!" We've all been there... Eventually, she advises the servants that "Whatever he tells you to do, do it." No matter the deeper meaning of this story, the universality of a bossy mother nagging her mortified son is still relatable, well over 2000 years later. And, as Haag says as he draws his book to a close, Mary Magdalene is, too - her story will continue for a long time to come.

TL;DR: Yes, I know this review is a jumbled mess, but there's just so much to say about this book! It wears its learning lightly and rattles along like a thriller - albeit a million miles away from Dan Brown. Easy to follow, entertaining, fast-moving, and highly recommended.

[Magdalena Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful and well written book from Michael Haag.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dare I place this on the feminist shelf? I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and really appreciate the opportunity to read it and rate it in advance of its release. At first this book wasn't really what I was expecting. It goes into a lot of detail about the story of Jesus and what the gospels say about him and who he really is, possibly someone from a pretty well off family to begin with? Mary Magdalene feels a little bit more like an afterthought through the first half of the book, but I do think it was essential to establishing the context of women in the time of Jesus and their role compared to men. I was a little surprised to hear that Judaism was a pretty repressive society when it came to women.

Then the focus kind of shifts to explain the formation of the modern Roman Catholic church, that it was based on apostolic succession. They decided on what went into the New Testament and there was an emphasis on their need for power and control. To maintain that control they needed to use and manipulate certain characters in certain ways for different reasons. Mary Magdalene, surprise, was one of these characters, as was Mary the mother of God. They stood in contrast of each other, Mary Magdalene the repentant whore and Mary the mother of God who was a perpetual virgin and perfect in every way. I took tons of notes throughout the book, but I don't want to share them all here because if I did that then you would have no reason to read this book. . .

I learned so much about things that I wasn't aware of before, such as Gnostic Christians in Egypt, the defeated form of Christianity. The Gospel of Saint Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. This seems to be a much more spiritual type of Christianity that believe that every human has a part of God within them and that Heaven is a place on Earth, literally. They really believed Mary Magdalene was an equal to Jesus and her companion and possible lover.

I could go on with all the new things I've learned and am now interested in learning more about. . . But, I will just conclude with Haag shows us how Mary Magdalene has been classified and changed over the years in different generations in different ways mostly following the way society treats women. When society views women as property and objects, Mary is either completely ignored or a repentant whore. As society moves towards equality between men and women (they can and are independent of men), Mary Magdalene also becomes a more important figure in Jesus's life, perhaps she was a wife? Perhaps she was a spiritual equal and companion who understood without explanation? Perhaps we are coming closer to understanding who Mary Magdalene was when she was alive, a wealthy independent woman who perhaps Jesus relied on in some ways so that he could go out and teach. Very interesting and I hope that more can be discovered!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy a well-researched book that is prepared to challenge the status quo, and this certainly is an eye-opener. It starts by explaining how the Catholic Church changed its position concerning Mary Magdalene during the 20th Century, and then goes into the historical likelihood of a woman living around 30CE.

The author readily explains social norms, the backgrounds of words, and where translators of texts chose one direction or another, and in doing so shaped centuries of dogma. He highlights the difficulty for the Church to maintain its patriarchal and overtly sexist positions that have evolved over the years if it were to acknowledge the textual evidence for Mary Magdalene to perhaps be more important in the life of Jesus than any of the other Disciples, even though the Gospels themselves cannot hide her leadership and her being possibly the first witness to the resurrection.

The historical trail follows across the Middle East and the time of the Ministry, exploring the towns and society during the 1st Century CE, via Alexandria and the spread of the early Christian church and the other religions they encountered, through the Cathar heresies in the south of France, the use of her name for refuges for prostitutes in Victorian England, to the present day and the possible beginnings of her reinterpretation made popular by Dan Brown (although he was repackaging research into a trashy novel).

Well worth reading for anyone with an interest in how Christian theology has been shaped over the years.

[Saju · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind-blowing!!
This book is a treasure trove of information on Mary Magdalene, I never ever knew the influence she had when she lived and its impact on Christianity.
I did read Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code and Baigent et al's Holy Blood, Holy Grail, however I was not convinced by both the books. Dan Brown IMO is one of the worst writers (bad english, bad plot, poor research), he plagiarised an existing thought (Jesus bloodline) and added "masala" to it. On the other hand, The Holy Blood, Holy Grail fell flat on many accounts, especially when Plantard refuted the claims in the book.
This book though covers the journey of Mary Magdalene from when her name is referred in the Bible to the early Christian Era down to its modern day take on her. I really liked the research the author puts into it and his thought process. At this point in time, I don't know if I can refute the insights he has provided, whatever is written in the book is new knowledge to me.
A thought provoking book, will really keep you hooked.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

For lack of evidence of who Mary Magdelene was and where she was from, the author makes many suppositions that are purely subjective. However, it made me reflect upon the changing roles of women in the church, and the general information on the society of the times was interesting. I was most struck by the very first chapter, and sadly, it went downhill from there.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very unsatisfying - Haag seemed more focused on making a point about HOW Mary was absent due to the men around her as apposed to focusing on HER in general. Well written and researched, but slightly mistitled/guided.

[Ruth Kuohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

To technical for my liking. It's good, he makes some good points, but it took me forever to get halfway through it.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has done a large amount of research. He lists his references throughout the book and lists them at the end of the book. He also includes photos where he can to support his comments. He also has a section for further reading. All of these elements I look for when I am reading non-fiction. I like well researched books.

This book is basically divided into two parts. The first part explores Mary Magdalene role in the gospels. The author makes some interesting conclusions that I have not heard mentioned at church such as Mary M being Lazarus' sister. I was just on a trip to the Holy Land with my church. Having actually been to places such as Tiberias and Lazarus' tomb was a plus in understanding some of the conclusions the author made-to be able to visualize the places he was talking about.

The second part of the book relates to the early church and subsequent centuries and how Mary Magdalene has been perceived. I got bogged down with all the detail. He relates some of the legends about Mary M and looks at them in detail.

One of the local libraries has a history book club. This book was one of the monthly reads. So I was determined to finish it. Had it not been a book club selection I would have stopped reading after the biblical part of the book. More to the point, I may not have read this book at all if it were not a book club selection and I had not just returned from Israel.

[Bodies in the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the British Museum Bookshop on Saturday and read it in three days flat.

I’m not very good at Theology and have never quite understood why the gnostic gospels were not adopted as canon when they were discovered in 1945, but thanks to this book I have been able to wrap my head around the political situation and the emphasis placed by the Western Church on narrative and the primacy of apostolic Christianity. I don’t necessarily *agree* with it, but I understand what the arguments were, at least.

I also found the author’s walk-through of the ways in which accounts of what might be one woman referred to in 3 different ways or might be accounts of 3 different women caused confusion and allowed space for Mary Magdalene to be denounced as a sinner by one of the early Popes - again for his own political ends.

Finally, I really enjoyed the overview of the myths surrounding what Mary Magdalene did next, after Christ was crucified. She may have been in Egypt or in France. I was shocked to discover she may only have been 21 at the time. So she had pretty much her whole life ahead of her.

All in all, a lucky find in the bookshop - especially since it’s not a recent publication.

Three Word Review: Not a whore.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well researched. It offers insight into the cultures, religions, geography, and people who lived just prior to Jesus’s life, during his life, and following his death and resurrection nearly up to the present.

Having this context helps the reader understand so many of the events at the time as well as events, councils, and decisions made over the early centuries as the Catholic Church was established and fledging in its infancy. The nearly 2000 year usage of “apostolic succession” certainly needs a serious review and real acknowledgment of the critical role of women in the church in the first three centuries. Especially the central role of Mary Magdalene.

What a life Mary Magdalene lived. Can you even imagine? I am absolutely fascinated by her and her very close connection to Christ. The Catholic Church has only recently deemed her the “apostle to the apostles”.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Mary Magdalene and the early church.

[Aleksandar Jovcic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book full of lies.
It’s slightly convincing at the beginning as the writer explores the etymology of the names of Mary used in the bible and compares it to the surrounding environment hinting towards a misconception.

But then it gets ridiculous with the theories made about the bible and the disciples etc and the writers motivation becomes evident as he shows himself as a disgusting gnostic. Claiming salvation comes by magic practices and that god is a feminine creature and all other nonsense.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone it’s not even worth the read if you’re interested in what he has to say. Just read the church fathers instead and watch Harry Potter because it’s also a fantasy however isn’t repulsive like this book.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haag has written a book that, by its title, is dedicated solely to discovering the truth about Mary Magdalene. He fails in this aspect, and instead primarily covers Early Church history, with last minute linkings to the Magdalene, and subtle attacks on the teachings and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church.

Despite the failure to suitably live up to the title claim, The Quest for Mary Magdalene is still worth a read when one is looking for a general covering of women in the Early Church, and how they have influenced the arts and writings over the ages.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible introduction to the history of Mary Magdalene. It's incredibly easy to digest and read with great (and fascinating) breakdowns of every point of Mary Magdalene's illustrious reputation. I even love the direct callouts about The Da Vinci Code and how inaccurate the portrayal is while still remaining honest to the facts. It also made me super excited to read more about the history of early Christianity because wow things were messed up. Great read overall! I love the representation for my patron saint.

[☆Ruth☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For once a historical commentary that's not too dry and is comparatively easy to read.
I liked the author's logic and found some of his reasoning very thought provoking. He brings to light some of the myths and fallacies which have grown up around Mary Magdalene over the ages but also gives a comprehensive view of Christianity as it developed and spread from the original embryonic cluster of adherents.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A “quest” indeed because very little is said about Mary Magdalene in the first half of the book which features a full rehashing of Jesus’ life including a violent retelling of his death that I could’ve done without. The second half is dedicated to how men (artists, religious figures, apostles) perceived her through the centuries.

Nonetheless, I learned interesting things that I had not been taught through my Catholic upbringing. It didn’t however, make me any less of an agnostic.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first part of this book fascinating and convincing. The last part of the book was about the history from Time of Christ to 19th century Europe and how various factions manipulated the characters of Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of Jesus to suit themselves in art and politics etc. If you're interested in the subject, this is a good read. There is also a good bibliography at the end.

[Larissa Granato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting even if it sometimes loses itself in its many early christianity tangents. I'm glad it made me more curious about Mary Magdalene and I hope I continue learning more about her through other works. Hard to miss the way the author mentions scholar women only to unnecessarily criticize their work, though.

[Arielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting read, and left me with lots of questions about Mary and her role within Christianity as a whole.

While the bibliography is quite extensive, I wouldn't have minded if he had included more dissenting voices to add more nuance to the tale as a whole.

All in all, I would say that it's a good starting point rather than an end all be all type of book.

[Lisa Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was educational in terms of origins of Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, and Gnostics. Although it does build up Mary Magdalene's role in each religion and corresponding bibles, it was a slow build. There was a great deal of redundancy in the first few chapters but the later chapters made up for it. Still, it was not really what I expected.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haag has a lot of interesting things to say about early Christianity, the historical context of Jesus's ministry and death, and how Christian theology was shaped over time. The parts that actually related to Mary Magdalene were few, though.

[Pita Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched, academic yet journalistic--Haag has done an exquisite job of giving us an insight into the historical Mary Magdalene. I found the research that went into it to be exemplary. It is far from trite and offers much regarding the history of the time. A must read.

[Jessica Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this over Easter as I felt it was appropriate. Makes lots of big claims based on a few sentences from scripture but if you want an easy to absorb biblical history it's entertaining at least. And the SHADE thrown on Paul makes it all worth it.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking, easy read on Magdalene, the bible and what is missing. Interesting to learn more about the culture of the time of Jesus and years after. Beautiful artwork throughout. Certainly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've read any other books on Mary Magdalene, you realize this book has nothing new to offer. It is more a book on early Christianity and even still, it didn't offer any new insights.

[Tieraney Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work examining the theories regarding Mary Magdalene! Interesting, well written and informative!