Everything I am posting now is quoted from Wiki and other sources. I have not listed them in order since I have only the notes I took and am not able
to credit the work the the apropiate authors. I appologize for this to readers and them.
WHORE OF BABYLON
Her full title is given as "Babylon the Great, the Mother of HARLOTS and Abominations of the Earth
Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ μήτηρ τῶν πορνῶν καὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῆς γῆς;
transliterated Babylōn ē Megalē, ē mētēr tōn pornōn kai tōn bdelygmatōn tēs Gēs.)
Mary Magdalene's given name Μαρία (Maria) is usually regarded as a Latin form of Μαριὰμ (Mariam), which is the Greek variant used in
Septuagint for Miriam, the Hebrew name for Moses' sister. The name had become very popular during Jesus' time due to its connections to the ruling
Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties.
Luke 8:2 says that she was actually "called Magdalene." In Hebrew מגדל Migdal means "tower", "fortress"; in Aramaic, "Magdala" means "tower" or
"elevated, great, magnificent".
Mary Magdalene appears with more frequency than other women in the canonical Gospels and is shown as being a close follower of Jesus. Mary's presence
at the Crucifixion and Jesus' tomb, has been theorised as at least consistent with the role of grieving wife and widow. It has also been theorised
that certain passages indicate that Mary of Bethany was behaving as a Jewish wife, for example in waiting to be summoned when Jesus arrived at
Lazarus’ tomb.This would be resolved if Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were one and the same character
Mark 15:40, Matthew 27:56 and John 19:25 mention Mary Magdalene as a witness to crucifixion, along with various other women. Luke does not name any
witnesses, but mentions "women who had followed him from Galilee" standing at a distance.[Lk. 23:49] In listing witnesses who saw where Jesus was
buried by Joseph of Aramathea, Mark 15:47 and Matthew 27:61 both name only two people: Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary", who in Mark is "the mother
of James".
Luke 23:55 describes the witnesses merely as "the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee". John 19:39-42 mentions no other witness to Joseph's
burial of Jesus except for Joseph's assistant Nicodemus. However, John 20:1 then names Mary Magdalene in describing who discovered the tomb to be
empty. Mark 16:1 says she was accompanied by Salome and Mary the mother of James, while Matthew 28:1 omits Salome. Luke 24:10 says the group who found
the empty tomb consisted of "Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them".
The Gospel of John[11:1-45] [12:1-8] and the Gospel of Luke[10:38-42] also mention a "Mary of Bethany", who in some Christian traditions is regarded
the same person as Mary Magdalene. Mary of Bethany was the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Mary and Martha are among the most familiar sets of sisters
in the Bible. Both Luke and John describe them as friends of Jesus.
Luke's story, though only four verses long, has been a complex source of inspiration, interpretation, and debate for centuries. John's account, which
says the sisters had a brother named Lazarus, spans seventy verses. Though some earlier interpreters blended the person of Mary of Bethany with Mary
Magdalene and the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50,
Among the women who are specifically named in the New Testament of the Bible, Mary Magdalene’s name is one of the most frequently found. In Matthew
27:56, the author names three women in sequence: “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.”
In the Gospel of Mark, the author lists a group of women three times, and each time, Mary Magdalene’s name appears first. Finally, in the Gospel of
Luke, the author enumerates the women who went to the tomb of Jesus, writing that, “It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the
other women with them,” which once again places Mary Magdalene at the head of the list.
According to Carla Ricci, “The place she [Mary Magdalene] occupied in the list cannot be considered fortuitous,” because over and over Mary
Magdalene’s name is placed at the head of specifically named women, indicating her importance. The significance of this is further strengthened when
one examines the lists of the named apostles. In Luke, the author writes that Jesus “took Peter, John and James.” According to Ricci, because
Peter occupies the first position in the list, that place can be considered the position of highest importance. As a result, it can be argued that
Mary Magdalene must have held a very central position among the followers of Jesus, whether as disciple or in some other capacity.
It was because of this association of Mary as a prostitute that she became the patroness of "wayward women", and "Magdalene houses" became established
to help save women from prostitution.
Peter said to Mary, "Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which
you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them." Mary answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you."
edit on 28-1-2012 by casenately because: (no reason given)