Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute?

Question

I know tradition states that, but is it biblical?

Answer 1

No. Mary was from a place called Magdala, hence the title Mary Magdalene (like Jesus of Nazareth aka Jesus the Nazarene).

The most background we get about her is that she was at one point possessed by seven wicked spirits, which Jesus cast out. Logically she became one of his followers afterwards. The prostitute thing is Catholic tradition and is rather far-fetched.

Answer 2

No, one of the popes in like 500 or something got confused with all the women in the bible, and he some how came up with the Mary Magdalene being a prostitute, and you know how sometimes rumors just stick?

Answer 3

No. Jesus expelled 7 Demons out of Mary Magdalene. The Only other person who was a Harlot that is mentioned in connection with True Worship was Rahab.

Answer 4

whatever she was or how tradition or bible portrays her, one thing is certain. She was a wonderful woman and a human being. This particular aspect of Mary Magdalene is not captured neither by the society of that time, nor the bible.

In that way she is a very special woman. Society and scriptures tried portray a helpless woman in bad light. I wonder when will the society and scriptures learn to respect woman and her womanhood.

Remember a woman is: goddess, mother, sister, wife, daughter and most importantly its she who was responsible for the creation of all men. Learn to respect her.

Answer 5

Some say she was the reformed prostitute who was known to hang around with Jesus' followers. Some say she was a different person. I like the image of the reformed prostitute, because it makes the point that Jesus believed people really could change, and that it was good to accept them for who they are now, not what they have been in the past.

I should make clear, however, that I consider the entire story to be fiction. Not that it is irrelevant, because clearly it has been important in history for a very long time, and is still of critical importance to a majority of Americans. But that it is fiction. "Pilgrim's Progress" was fiction, too, as was "Uncle Tom's Cabin," but they nevertheless are valuable works of literature. They had profound effects on the people who read them and took them to heart. So has the Harry Potter series, come to think of it.

Answer 6

according to the bible, there was a prostitute whom Jesus aided. This woman was never called Mary Magdalene in the bible; Mary M is named in plenty of other stories in the bible, but not that one.

Somewhere between the sixth and eight centuries (I forget exactly), a theologian decided that unnamed woman was Mary Magdalene. Whether this was a convenience/assumption of the moment, a smear campaign against women in general, or a smear campaign against a woman whose position in Jesus' movement contradicted church politics remains a subject of debate.

Answer 7

Probably not. Nothing in scripture describes Mary Magdalene as a harlot or wicked woman.

Answer 8

No. It is thought she was a woman in business from the region or city of Magdala, magdalene was not her last name.
Magdala had much to do with trade in textile. I am sorry but I cannot recall where I read this. It was from a seminary textbook.

Answer 9

No, Jesus healed her...

Luke 8:2
[2] And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils

Answer 10

there's a story about a sinful woman that Jesus forgave, and tradition has tied that woman in with Mary Magdalene for some reason. there's no link in the bible, nor does it say how she was "sinful".