02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

SAINTS
Muslims because she was the mother of Christ whom they
recognise as ranking amongst the important prophets.
Mary Magdalene
Perhaps no other Christian saint has been the subject of so
much controversy in recent years as Mary Magdalene. She is
revered as a saint in the Eastern orthodox, Roman Catholic
and Anglican churches and is an important figure within the
New Testament.
The name ‘Magdalene’ derives from ‘Magdala’, her town
of origin. Her title simply means that she is Mary of Magdala.
Her feast day is 22 July and, when she is depicted in religious
art, her symbols commonly include an alabaster jar containing
ointment. She is often portrayed with long, flowing hair,
kneeling at the base of the cross upon which Christ was crucified.
In later Christian traditions, Mary Magdalene is commonly
referred to as a prostitute and she is described as being the patron
saint of penitent women. However, the New Testament
actually makes no mention of her being a prostitute. Since the
discovery of the Gnostic gospels at Nag Hammadi, many writers
and historians have speculated that Mary Magdalene’s status
and relationship with Jesus have been considerably altered
by the Catholic Church in its later history. Many point to the
tantalising evidence offered by the Gospel of Philip which appears
to suggest that Mary Magdalene was the disciple who
was actually closest to Jesus.The text describes her in Greek
as being a‘koinonos’ of Jesus.This term has been variously interpreted
as meaning ‘friend’ or ‘companion’ but others have
suggested that, in fact, it means that the two were lovers.
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