http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-14414-Columbus-Interfaith-Spirituality-Examiner~y2010m7d26-Spirituality-St-James-and-St-Mary-Magdalene

continued from my examiner column on St. James and St. Mary Magdalene . . .

There are some issues with all these biblical accounts and New Testament character portrayals because of language, translation and origin. These are important figures within scripture, carrying significant weight and devotion throughout history, but it is likely we have gotten at least some of the facts wrong about both St. James and St. Mary of Magdalene.

For instance, some thought Mary was from Magdala, an area on the Western shore of Galilee near Tiberias. Another account holds that the term is actually Migdal or ‘big/important’ in stature which refers to Mary as a pillar of the early church. There is also a Talmudic expression related to curling one's hair which might be worn by a woman of ill repute- which sounds similar if you are translating from oral tradition/heard language. Every position has its defenders and detractors, which is true of sacred literature, archeology, scholarly findings in general. Was it one woman; three women? It sure makes a difference if someone is a leader of the church vs. a prostitute.

There are implications to which version you believe. For instance the Aramaic word for ‘camel’ and ‘rope’ sound very similar in an oral culture. Jesus may have meant ‘it’s easier to pass a rope through a needle’ rather than ‘camel’ in Mark 10:25 where he says, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ NRSV. Having translated Spanish, French, German, Greek and Hebrew, you can see how easy it would be to have several variants in translating any word; even words like, 'and'/'kai' in Greek which has nearly a half page of potential meanings.

See the fascinating Bart Ehrman film/radio clip and transcript, Misquoting Scripture. The NPR article says, 'Scholar Bart Ehrman's new book explores how scribes — through both omission and intention — changed the Bible. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why is the result of years of reading the texts in their original languages. Ehrman says the modern Bible was shaped by mistakes and intentional alterations that were made by early scribes who copied the texts.'

There are many examples where punctuation or meaning can vary significantly enough to make it implausible to take a scripture literally. In any case, rather than damn the reputation of a key figure for lack of knowledge, why don’t we just say we don’t know and continue to explore the evidence; an ever-evolving quest of experts across many fields. It doesn’t diminish anything but our over-inflated egos and unfounded certitude about ultimate truth, the Truth behind the tales anyway. Instead of wink wink, nudge nudge- 'fallen woman', Mary Magdalene becomes a key leader of the apostles. Certainly discredits all those writings based on viewing her as a sinner and woman of the night- which, as you think about it is victimization by men, more than the sleaze factor of the woman. There is a lot more to unpack about each of the character portrayals. Historical biographies are always suspect- some more than others, sometimes due to the agenda of the editor/author; especially in the absence of adequate source materials.

Stained Glass artwork note: Right-hand panel depicts the Lamentation of Christ. Joseph of Arimathea, John the Evangelist, Mary, and Mary Magdalene kneel lamenting over the bent body of Christ. Heimhofer Family Chapel of the Freiburg Minster copies made by Fritz Geiges in 1895; original panes dating to 1517 have been attributed to Hans Baldung Grien.