How did Mary Magdalene meet Jesus?

In Christian tradition, Mary Magdalene was a fateful follower of Jesus and the first person to witness his resurrection. While the Bible details Magdalene’s role before and after Jesus’ crucifixion, their first meeting is blurry.

When we consider only the canonical Gospels, Mary Magdalene was one of the followers of Jesus who held to her faith even after Jesus was convicted as a false prophet and condemned to the cross. Magdalene witnessed the crucifixion and helped the Virgin Mary to tend to Jesus’ body after his death. She also helped to spread the word about Jesus’ resurrection, rallying his disciples after his death. It’s evident in the canonical Gospels that Magdalene held a prestigious position among Jesus’ worshippers, although these texts do not detail their relationship.

Other texts, such as Gnostic gospels, describe Magdalene as a student of Jesus who was privy to some specific knowledge that other disciples couldn’t access. These texts also paint Magdalene as a confidant to Jesus and even a companion. It’s important to underline that most Christians consider the Gnostic texts non-canonical, and the Church contests their historical accuracy. Whatever you may believe, the Gnostic gospels can offer an alternative retelling of early Christianity through books such as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Thomas. Still, what do canonical and non-canonical Christian texts have to say about the first encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene?

No one knows how Jesus and Mary Magdalene first met

The first mention of Mary Magdalene in the Holy Bible is in the Gospel of Luke, 8:1-3. Magdalene appears as one of the people following Jesus during his ministry after being freed from seven unnamed demons. The passage reaffirms Jesus’ ability to expel demons in the name of the Lord and shows how his miracles helped him amass a legion of followers. You can infer that Jesus met Magdalene when demons possessed her, but there’s no detailed account of their first encounter. The Holy Bible will only discuss Mary Magdelene again when describing Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

The Gnostic text doesn’t offer much more concerning Jesus and Magdalene’s first meeting. The Gospel of Mary focuses on Magdalene’s spiritual teaching and her place in the hierarchy of early Christianity. Yet, the fragments of the text that stood the test of time don’t go over the first time Jesus and Magdelene met. The same goes for other Gnostic texts, which describe Magdalene’s privileged position in relation to different disciples but only cover Jesus’ ministry.

Regardless if you look at the question from a place of fate or historical curiosity, there’s no definitive answer to where and when Jesus and Mary Magdalene met. Still, everyone can agree that Magdalene played a significant role in early Christianity, which is why she’s still so revered.