Caravaggio's Mary Magdalene and Martha.
In the Gospel of John he tells us that the Mary who annointed Jesus' head with oil ('nard') and bathed his feet with her tears drying them with her hair was actually the Mary in Martha and Mary whose brother was Lazarus.
The name "Magdalene" likely does not come from the town. This Mary and Martha were from "Bethany"- and Jesus had a seder meal at their house (a week before the "Last Supper")-with Lazarus after he raised him from the dead. The same sister of Lazarus is the same Mary who annointed Jesus with oil and intimately bathed his feet with her hair. Is this Mary "Magdalene?" Many have so surmised.
"Magdala" is the common name of several towns (its meaning is "tower"-and is sometimes referred to as "Migdal"-there was a Tower of Fish, Tower of the Flock, Water Tower [Migdal Mayim] etc. see also, Genesis 35:21) there is a town so attributed with that name sometime (over a century) after the death of Jesus, there are at least two others by that name. The name in Aramaic means "Tower" Mary Magdalene is possibly not an attribution of where she was from, as in "Mary from Magdala"- Mary "Magdalene" is likely a diminutive derrivative (a 'nickname') likely from the play on the terms Migdal Eder. The Migdal Eder means "Tower of the Flock" and is also used (get a concordance) with the term "daughter of Zion" in old testament prophesy. Was Jesus calling Mary his "Tower of the Flock, Daughter of Zion"-
It has been speculated that this Mary of Martha and Mary fame, who had the better role and chose the better path by being at Jesus' feet as opposed to being busy in the kitchen (Martha also served that passover supper in Bethany) chose the better role by being close to Jesus, listening to him, and being wed as it were to his every word.
Put it Together People.
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