TINTORETTO - Magdalena penitente (Musei Capitolini, Roma, 1598-1602) - copia

Photograph taken c. 1900 of al-Majdal, a village standing among the ruins of Magdala, Mary Magdalene's hometown[10][11][12]

International Gothic Elevation of Mary Magdalene with angels raising her in SS. Johns' Cathedral in Toruń

St. Mary Magdlene, wearing an austere yet elegant black dress, of fine material with faint gold embroidery, gives a knowing, wistful look as she clasps her hands. Painted the year Raphael met Leonardo da Vinci, and perhaps shows his influence.

St. Mary Magdalene, attr. Raphael (1505)

Mary Magdalene (1615–1616 or 1620–1625) by Artemisia Gentileschi

Christ emerges from the tomb, with a white gold halo, wearing translucent white robes. The three Marys, wearing french blue robes, with faint gold halos, stand aside. Beyond them in the distance, the sky darkens over a green hill.

William Blake, The Three Marys at the Sepulchre (1800-3)

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, travelled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Patronage and the Honorific Tower

Mary Magdalene is widely recognized as a historical figure whose title is often linked to the town of Magdala. Scholars Elizabeth Schrader Polczer and Joan Taylor have proposed that Magdalene might instead translate as "tower," serving as an honorific nickname. Because Mary supported Jesus' ministry financially, historians deduce she was relatively wealthy.

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Detail from painting depicting Martha

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary, by Henryk Siemiradzki, 1886

Johannes Vermeer Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, 1655

The Parish of Saint Martha in Imus, Cavite. The only parish in the Diocese of Imus dedicated to Saint Martha.

St Martha's Collegiate Church in Tarascon

Saint Martha and the Tarasque, from a 15th-century manuscript

Martha

Martha is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John, who lived in Bethany with her siblings Lazarus and Mary and witnessed Jesus resurrect her brother.

Ancient Nabatean Inscription from AD 5

The name Martha originates from the Aramaic title Mârtâ, translating directly to "the mistress" or "the lady" as the feminine counterpart of master. Physical evidence of this Aramaic usage exists outside scripture in a Nabatean inscription dated to AD 5 found at Puteoli, now preserved in the Naples Museum. Another early record appears in a Palmyrene inscription where the Greek translation takes the form Marthein.

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Johannes (Jan) Vermeer - Christ in the House of Martha and Mary - Google Art Project (cropped)

Martha preparing the meal while (in the background) Mary of Bethany sitting at Jesus' feet; painting (1566) by Joachim Beuckelaer

Christ in the House of Simon by Dieric Bouts, 1440s (Staatliche Museen, Berlin)

Processional image of Saint Mary of Bethany in Milaor, Camarines Sur. Her attributes of a perfume bottle and long hair reflect her identification as the “sinful woman” who wiped Jesus’ feet.

Processional image of Saint Mary of Bethany in Dumangas, Iloilo. This image shows her holding her long hair, also identifying her with the woman who anointed Christ.

Mary of Bethany

Mary of Bethany is a biblical figure in the Christian New Testament, described as living in the village of Bethany with her siblings Lazarus and Martha.

The First-Century Discipleship Posture

Sitting at the feet of a religious teacher was not merely a passive, polite posture. In first-century Judaism, adopting this position meant formally assuming the status of a disciple studying under a rabbi. Mary’s choice was therefore controversial, as women were rarely admitted to discipleship, making Jesus’ acceptance of her presence a notable break from contemporary social norms.

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Lidia

A modern Greek Orthodox outdoor chapel on what is said to be the site where Lydia was baptized

Lydia of Thyatira by Harold Copping

Baptism of Lydia by Marie Ellenrieder, 1861

Greek icon of Lydia of Thyatira

Lydia of Thyatira

Lydia of Thyatira is a woman mentioned in the New Testament who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe.

Geographic Identity Behind the European Convert

Lydia is recognized as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Rather than functioning purely as a personal name, her moniker represents an ethnicon indicating her origin in the ancient region of Lydia. This birthplace corresponds to modern-day Akhisar, Turkey, reflecting her deep roots in Asia Minor before her travels westward.

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Map showing ancient Cenchreae

Coptic cross

Phoebe (biblical figure)

Phoebe was a first-century Christian deacon of the church of Cenchreae, mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans.

Emissary Trusted with a Crucial Roman Delivery

Paul introduced Phoebe as his emissary to deliver his critical epistle to the church in Rome. Entrusted with carrying this document from Cenchreae, she acted as a trusted representative between early Christian communities. Paul provided her credentials explicitly because the Roman congregation was not yet acquainted with her.

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Thecla in flames, flanked by angels (detail, Tarragona)

Une Martyre (Saint Thechla) (1891) by Sarah Paxton Ball Dodson

St. Thecla Shrine. Latakia, Syria

Aya Tekla in Seleucia

The Convent of St. Thecla in Maaloula

Icon of Saint Thecla from the 11th century Menologion of Basil II

Thecla

Thecla was a saint of the early Christian Church and a reported follower of Paul the Apostle.

Self-Administered Baptism in a Seal-Infested Pool

Facing wild beasts in the arena, the condemned virgin decided to perform her own baptism without ecclesiastical mediation. She threw herself into a lake full of aggressive seals, who were struck down by lightning before they could devour her. The dramatic scene established an extraordinary narrative of female-led sacramental authority that subverted standard baptismal conventions of antiquity.

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Jan van de Venne - Saint Paul with Saints Aquila and Priscilla (crop)

Paul staying in the house of Saints Aquila and Priscilla by Jan van de Venne, 17th century: Paul is at left, writing a letter; Priscilla is at right, spinning, and her husband Aquila is in the background, working on the loom.[6]

Priscilla illustration from the Women of the Bible, Harold Copping

Miniature in the Menologion of Basil II

Priscilla and Aquila

Priscilla and Aquila were a first-century Christian missionary married couple described in the New Testament who lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul.

Artisanal Sustenance in the Wake of Roman Expulsion

Priscilla and Aquila built their ministry on shared manual labor, working alongside Paul as fellow tentmakers. Their partnership began after the Roman Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome in the year 49, as recorded by Suetonius. Paul subsequently lived and labored with the couple while establishing early Christian communities.

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Saint Joanna and the Head of Saint John the Baptist

Joanna, wife of Chuza, in the Good Friday processions in Baliwag, 2024

Joanna, wife of Chuza

Joanna, the wife of Chuza, is a woman mentioned in the gospels who was healed by Jesus, supported him and his disciples in their travels, and witnessed his resurrection according to the Gospel of Luke.

Royal Household Financing for an Itinerant Ministry

Joanna held an influential position in Galilee as the wife of Chuza, the steward managing the household of Herod Antipas. After being cured of evil spirits and infirmities, she joined Jesus and his apostles in their travels across cities and villages. Rather than merely being a passive follower, Joanna actively provided for the ministry out of her own substance.

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Saint Salome

Eastern Orthodox icon of the two Marys and Salome at the Tomb of Jesus (Kizhi, 18th century)

Crucifixion, from the Buhl Altarpiece, 1490s. Salome is one of the two leftmost women with a halo.

Salome (right) and the midwife (left), bathing the infant Jesus, is a common figure in Orthodox icons of the Nativity (fresco, 12th century, "Dark Church", Open Air Museum, Goreme, Cappadocia).

Capella dei Scrovegni, Padua, Giotto (1267–1337)

Duccio 1308–1311

Salome (disciple)

In the New Testament, Salome was a follower of Jesus named by Mark as present at the crucifixion and as one of the women who found Jesus's empty tomb.

Royal Namesakes and Hebrew Roots of Peace

The name Salome derives from the Hebrew root word shalom, translating to peace. Far from being unique to the biblical follower of Jesus, it was widely used across ancient Judean royalty. Her namesakes include both a sister and daughter of Herod the Great, alongside Queen Salome Alexandra, who died in 67 BC as Judea's final independent ruler.

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Hans Memling 026

Saint Veronica and the Holy Women, Grégoire Guérard, c.1530

Albrecht Dürer's 1513 Veronica

Saint Veronica with the Veil, Mattia Preti

Saint Veronica by Ángel María Cortellini Hernández

Saint Veronica, 1902 by Rupert Bunny

Saint Veronica

Saint Veronica, also known as Berenike, was a 1st-century AD widow from Jerusalem who, according to Christian tradition, gave Jesus her veil to wipe his forehead as he carried the cross to Calvary.

The Silenced Courtroom Witness

Canonical gospels contain no record of Veronica or her miraculous cloth. Instead, apocryphal traditions like the Gospel of Nicodemus identify her with the unnamed woman healed of a bleeding ailment. In that account, Berenikē attempted to testify in defense of Jesus at his trial, only to be shouted down by the crowd because legal customs barred women from giving testimony.

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Saint Tabitha

Detail of Healing of the Cripple and Raising of Tabitha by Masolino da Panicale, 1425

Dorcas Window St. Michael's Parish Church, Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire

Dorcas

Dorcas, or Tabitha, was an early disciple of Jesus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles who lived in Joppa and was known for her good works and acts of mercy.

Zoological Echoes of a Port City Translation

Tabitha's bilingual identity reflected her life in the bustling coastal hub of Joppa, where Greek and Aramaic coexisted among merchants and travelers. Both her Aramaic name and Greek equivalent Dorcas translate directly to female gazelle, aligning with the Hebrew name Zibiah carried by an ancient queen mother. Centuries later, this early Christian disciple's Greek appellation crossed into modern taxonomy as the scientific name for the dorcas gazelle.

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Medieval painting of Elizabeth.

15th century depiction of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, with Elizabeth on the left

Mariotto Albertinelli's imagining of Elizabeth (right), here pictured with Mary

The Virgin Mary, wearing a teal blue dress and a rose-colored scarf in her hair, and St. Elizabeth, wearing a lime green dress and a white veil, embrace on a city street. Both have thin gold halos.

Jacopo da Pontormo, Visitation (1528–1529)

St. Elizabeth kneels before the Virgin Mary, who wears an ultramarine cloak, a pearl and ruby brooch, and a light veil. The Virgin Mary's half-sisters, Mary, mother of James, and Mary Salome, stand on either side of an archway open to a view of a city on a hill.

Domenico Ghirlandaio, Visitation (1491)

The Virgin Mary, wearing a cerise dress, a pale violet scarf, and an ultramarine cloak, holds the Christ Child, who wears a crown of wildflowers and holds a cross made of reeds. St. Elizabeth, wearing a white veil, looks over the Virgin Mary's shoulder. St. John the Baptist hands the Christ Child freshly picked strawberries, on the vine. All have thin gold halos. Dawn breaks over the mountains in the distance.

Agnolo Bronzino, Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist (1540–1545)

Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist

Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, the wife of Zechariah, and a relative of Mary, mother of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke.

A Temple Vision Tied to the Day of Atonement

The angelic encounter that foretold John's birth is linked to specific ancient calendar computations. According to theologian Adam C. English, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah on September 24 based on Leviticus 23 ordinances regarding the Day of Atonement. This temporal calculation anchors the miraculous conception announcement directly to established high holy day rituals in the temple.

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