To mark Good Friday, Melvyn Bragg sets out to unravel the many questions surrounding one of the Bible’s most vivid and, to some, controversial figures: Mary Magdalene.
In the gospel accounts, Mary Magdalene plays a key role in the Easter story. She is there at the cross when Jesus is crucified and she’s a key witness to the resurrection. So why, despite any reference to it in the Bible, is Mary Magdalene remembered primarily as the sinner or even prostitute whom Christ redeems?
Melvyn uncovers the real story behind Mary’s legendary status: from her vital role in the first centuries of Christianity to her portrayal in Jesus Christ Superstar and the Da Vinci Code.
