A comprehensive study of the site of Magdala and its significance for the understanding of Galilee in the late Roman period.

A comprehensive study of the site of Magdala and its significance for the understanding of Galilee in the late Roman period.

Young Magda a naughty, lovable Mary Magdalene is sent to live in Nazareth when her mother dies. In Nazareth she meets Mary, who becomes her best friend. Mary, who is unwed, confides in Magda that she is with child. Magda stands by her friend saying, I cant wait to see what a Messiah looks like. When Marys son Jesus begins his ministry, Magda is his beautiful companion and wealthy patroness. But when he rebuffs her sexual advances, she deserts him, going off on a debauched, sexual spree. Months later they reunite after Jesus intervenes in her stoning. Jesus enemies, upset by his claims to be the Son of God, convince the Romans to crucify him. But Magda, a powerful, resourceful woman, conspires to save him from dying on the cross, a plot that is foiled by Jesus, who is intent on doing the will of God. Revived, Jesus comforts Magda after she learns that her childhood was a lie. He exorcises her demons, but one survives lust. Magda, fearing Jesus ascension into heaven is imminent, begs him to make love to her. The finale is a tender love scene where Jesus resists Magdas seductive charmor does he?

Wachsmann punctuates the absorbing details of preserving this artifact with the rich history that surrounds the Sea of Galilee, making this a uniquely enduring and personal work. Wachsmann transports us enabling us to savor this voyage with him on one of the greatest archaeological expeditions of the twentieth century.

Famously described as the 'Apostle to the Apostles', after her discovery of Jesus' resurrection, Mary has sparked curiosity, controversy and veneration since her name first appeared in the Gospel of Mark. But who was Mary Magdalene? Was she a prostitute, a goddess, a feminist icon, a church leader or all of these things? Using testaments, letters and narrative Margaret George brings to life one of the most mysterious and controversial characters in the bible, creating an epic that is both immediate and moving. 'Margaret George proves herself to be the very best when it comes to historical fiction. Her new novel is a gripping and moving story' Barbara Taylor Bradford

After 2,000 years of flawed history, here at last is a magnificent new biography of Mary Magdalene that draws her out of the shadows of history and restores her to her rightful place of importance in Christianity. Throughout history, Mary Magdalene has been both revered and reviled, a woman who has taken on many forms—witch, whore, the incarnation of the eternal feminine, the devoted companion (and perhaps even the wife) of Jesus. In this brilliant new biography, Bruce Chilton, a renowned biblical scholar, offers the first complete and authoritative portrait of this fascinating woman. Through groundbreaking interpretations of ancient texts, Chilton shows that Mary played a central role in Jesus’ ministry and was a seminal figure in the creation of Christianity. Chilton traces the evolving images of Mary Magdalene and the legends surrounding her. He explains why, despite her prominence, the Gospels actually say so little about her and why the Catholic Church for thousands of years has sought to marginalize her importance. In a probing look at the Church’s attitudes toward women, he investigates Christian misogyny in the ancient world, including the suppression of women priests who patterned their activities on Mary’s; explores the impact of Gnostic ambivalence toward women on its depictions of Mary; and shows that these traditions still influence modern portrayals of her. Chilton’s descriptions of who Mary Magdalene was and what she did challenge the male-dominated history of Christianity familiar to most readers. Placing Mary within the traditions of Jewish female savants, Chilton presents a visionary figure who was fully immersed in the mystical teachings that shaped Jesus’ own teachings and a woman who was a religious master in her own right.