Mary M, the Magi, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

[DancesWithGnostics]

I disagree !!

lol

This thread can be a free for all about Mary Magdalene, and the Magi - who biblically were not "we three kings of orient are" - and in the Bible it does NOT say there were 3 Magi - just 3 kinds of Gifts
An Orthodox poster somewhere told me there was a tradition in Orthodoxy of 3 wise men - he even had their NAMES, but whether there really were 3 and whether they were trying to smoke an exploding cigar cannot be determined.

In another thread, Grailhunter and I have more questions than answers about Mary Magdalene

I lean towards Mary of Bethany - sister of Martha and Lazarus - being the woman with the alabaster jar, out of whom went 7 devils, not a prostitute as some Pope alleged (which RCC reversed) - and being one and the same as Mary Magdalene

and my pet peeve - NO MAGI AT THE MANGER !!
Bible says Magi found the child Jesus IN A HOUSE !!

 

[DancesWithGnostics]

Oh - anything about Gnostics and Gnosticism can be put in this thread too

 

[Mungo]

There are five Mary's in the NT

1. Mary the mother of Jesus.
First of course is Jesus’ mother. All her references are quite explicit and clear. She is mentioned in the infancy narratives, the wedding at Cana, at the foot of the cross, and at Pentecost.

2. Mary of Magdala.
References here are:
At the foot of the cross (Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40; Jn 19:25)
At the closing of the tomb (Mt 27:61; Mk 15:47 )
At the empty tomb (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1; Jn 20:1)
First appearance of Jesus (Mk 16:10; Jn 20:11-18)
Cast out 7 devils (Mk 16;10; Lk 8:2)
Reporting the Resurrection (Lk 24:10)

3.Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha.
References are:
Listening to Jesus ( Lk 10:38-42; Jn 11 – although the location is not named in Luke 1
Anointing Jesus feet & wiping them with her hair (Jn 11:2; Jn 12:3)
At raising of Lazarus (Jn chapter 11)

4. Mary the mother of James (the younger), Joseph (Joset) and Salome.
References here are:
At the foot of the cross (Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40)
At the closing of the tomb (Mt 27:61; Mk 15:47)
At the empty tomb (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1)
Reporting the Resurrection (Lk 24:10)

5. Mary the wife of Clopas
At the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25)
John calls this Mary the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and it can be assumed that she is the same Mary referred to in the other gospels as standing at the foot of the cross with Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary of Magdala. In this case James the younger, one of the Apostles is a cousin of Jesus (“the brother of the Lord”?). Also Clopas (Cleopas) is one of the two Jesus meets on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection (the other is not named but could be Mary, his wife).

Mary of Bethany is not Mary of Magdala. Bethany is a small village in Judea. Magdala is a small town in Galilee.

The sinful woman in Mt 26:6-23, Mark 14:3-9 and Luke 7:36-50 is not necessarily either Mary of Bethany or Mary of Magdala.

 

[DancesWithGnostics]

Good Mary-stuff, Mungo.

 

[Rita]

The magi went first to Jerusalem, they went to the obvious place for the King of the Jews to be born. They then travelled to Bethlehem ( Matthew's gospel ) This would have taken time. I have never believed they were their the same time as the shepherds. The nativity story acted out has always bugged me because it has been developed into something that does not stick to how it all unfolded. I don’t think it really impacts anything though, does not take anything away from Jesus birth and life, I just prefer to stick to how it unfolded in scripture.
Rita