Mary Magdalene [Paperback]

Lynn Picknett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2003

Tradition and history have made of her "the other Mary." Even in the New Testament Mary Magdalene stands among women second only to Mary the Mother, albeit she has been reduced by the biblical Gospels to little more than a fallen woman redeemed by Jesus. In the Gnostic Gospels, however, Magdalene figures almost as significantly as Christ, who names her "the woman who knows all." The conflicting accounts of Mary Magdalene have sent best-selling author Lynn Picknett on a quest for the truth that has led her to the thirteenth-century cult of the Black Madonna, then back to Christianity's beginnings and earlier. Tracing Mary's name to Magdala in Egypt, Picknett learns that the term Magdal-eder means "tower of the flock," or Good Shepherd, a title also given to Jesus Christ. Based on her explorations into new scholarship on recently discovered Gnostic texts, Picknett finds a vital partnership between Jesus and Mary that synthesized Eastern and Egyptian mysticism and that promulgated gender equality, anointing rites, and sexual rituals. In that relationship, she discovers an alliance that Christ's Apostles and, later, the Catholic Church strove ardently to suppress. Picknett's revelations rarely fail to provoke at least a reconsideration of long-accepted church doctrine.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While conventional wisdom sees Mary Magdalene as a trollop-turned-saint, recent scholars and popular biographers (including evangelical funny lady Liz Curtis Higgs) have quite convincingly argued that there's no credible evidence that this close disciple of Jesus was ever a lady of the night. Revisionist history, though, takes a turn for the improbable with Mary Magdalene: Christianity's Hidden Goddess, Lynn Picknett's overly speculative account of Mary as the "secret" goddess of the New Testament and early church. Drawing on several Gnostic texts, Picknett offers both well-worn and new arguments about Mary, who Picknett claims Jesus designated as his true successor. Where some Gnostic texts suggest a sexual relationship between Mary and Jesus, Picknett sees full-blown sexual rituals as de rigueur in the esoteric early church, though they were later suppressed. And while some fanciful (and relatively late) church legends have Mary Magdalene fleeing to "France" after Jesus' resurrection, Picknett offers a detailed chapter claiming that this "French connection" was not legend but fact. This reformist take on the much-maligned Mary Magdalene is sometimes fascinating, but conjectural and prone to hasty theorizing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A daring glimpse into the possible life of Mary Magdalene . . . impressive and broad-ranging research raises some thought-provoking questions."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (December 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786713119
• ISBN-13: 978-0786713110
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars seek wisdom and trust not to your own understanding, February 1, 2005

By 

Gerald "book and music junkie" (El Cerrito, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Magdalene (Paperback)

As with most books that tackle alternative religious thinking, this book seems to be inciting two extreme responses: one condemning the book (the Institutionalized Christian perspective), and the other praising it (the alternative thinking" perspective). And both responses to this book are to be expected. After all, when new ideas are suggested that conflict with entrenched, assumed history, there will always be those who defend the institution and those that refute it. For the curious who have not yet picked up this book, just knowing that this book presents an argument strong enough to invoke the reactions you're reading here should let you know that there is something to this book that will show you there are other well documented perspectives out there than the one traditionally presented in the Western world and by traditional Christianity.

After having read many Gnostic texts (the book of Enoch, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, etc), as well as the biblical ones and other materials, I do believe that Lynn Pickett is on to something here. The institutional church has indeed on occasion rewritten factual history about ideas and biblical characters now assumed to be native to Christianity (See Pope Clement's letter regarding the Secret Gospel of Mark, for an explicit example of how New Testament history has been revised). Gnostic texts, historical works like the Slavonic Josephus, preserved mythological works, and the discoveries of modern archeology offer those of us who choose to not accept the dogma the opportunity to see things from the perspective of the political and religious climate that existed at the time of Yeshua (Jesus) through to the 4th century. As Lynn Picknett asserts, there is overwhelming evidence to support the idea that Jesus was as much influenced by the ancient Egyptian teachings as he was by the Jewish teachings (To see some of the Egyptian roots in Christianity, research the origins of Baptism, the word "Amen", the ankh and the cross, the introduction to the Lord's Prayer, etc).

Lynn Picknett does an excellent job at the beginning of this book of describing the means by which the marginalization of Mary of Magdala has had an adverse affect on the rights of women in society and shaped the social foundation of the society in which we live today. Picknett then draws from much of the latest information in biblical scholarship to develop a rather convincing alternative point of view of Mary of Magdala's historical role.

Yes, the last few chapters of the book are rife with awkward speculations and shaky ideas. And this book doesn't even BEGIN to tackle the historical origins of the secret societies that are mentioned in this book 'as needed.' But the depth of information proceeding the conclusion are more than enough to warrant a purchase and a read.

Die-hard, King-James-bible-toting, Jesus-loving traditionalist will probably be easily disturbed by the information presented in this book and give it a low rating. Understandable. I can discern that POV - especially if one is angry about the last few chapters. So a warning to new readers - be aware that books like this one are for those who are ready to accept that there is more to the truth than the selective religious history and long standing assumptions we are all spoonfed as children.

And remember, as long as you have faith in God, there are no questions or facts that can shake your faith. They will merely reshape it.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Theory --Little Support, January 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Mary Magdalene: Christianity's Hidden Goddess (Hardcover)

I selected this book to get a more in depth analysis of the latest theories about Mary Magdalene. The first chapter is a scathing indictment of the Catholic Church, both past and present. The remaining chapters are devoted to systematically destroying the very foundation and basis for the Catholic Church, in particular, and Christianity, in general. At least the Author makes no secret of her bias. While I found many aspects of the book interesting, there was little support for these theories and no logic for her conclusions. Ms. Picknett would quote a section of the Gnostic Gospel and then reach a wild conclusion that this section confirmed that Jesus was involved in sexual rituals, etc. No matter how many times I read the source quote I could not see how it supported her conclusion. You need to read this book with a critical eye because so many of the author's conclusions are pure speculation or wishful thinking on her part. I am planning on reading other books on Mary Magdalene to get a more balanced account of this biblical figure, and would recommend that those interested in learing more about Mary Magdalene do the same.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Controversial, but much researched, June 11, 2004

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mary Magdalene (Paperback)

Like many another author these days, Lynn Picknett is interested in Mary Magdalene. Who was this Mary and why are there conflicting views of what she might have been? While some see her as the unacknowledged bride of Christ, Picknett suggests MM was an Egyptian priestess schooled in the mystery religions of the time which involved the pracice of 'hieros gamus' or ritual sex. Picknett says MM might have been Jewish as there were plenty of Jews living in Egypt at the time JC is supposed to have lived and preached. So MM could have been both Jewish and a practioner of the Egyptian mystery religion. The New Testament indicates that the `Holy Family' moved to Egypt when JC was quite young, so he too may have become involved in the foreign religion.

Picknett uses a variety of sources to make the case that JC was an Egyptian magus, not unlike Simon Magus, and perhaps John the Baptist. The Egyptian religion was preoccupied with life and death unlike the Jewish religion of the time. According to Picknett, the Talmud suggests JC was an itinerant 'Egpytian' preacher leading people astray.

In TEMPLAR REVELATIONS, Picknett and her co-author Clive Prince, demonstrated a keen interest in John the Baptist, who was thought to be the `patron' of the Knights Templar. In MM she revisits and expands this theme and re-examines the possible connections between the KT and the Mandaeans of Southern Iraq who practice a Johnnite religion centered on Baptism.

At times while reading this book I thought Pickett stretched her material a bit thin to make a point. On the other hand, she raises some conflicting, disturbing and unresolved notions such as why does New Testament writing depict JC as both the advocate of the meek and mild (more feminine), and the hot tempered fellow who wrecked the Temple in Jerusalem and cursed the fig tree (more masculine)? Could it be that JC's followers combined the Johnnite message of LOVE with that of the militant JC after John died? Most disturbing of all, Picknett suggests the JC followers may have had a role in John's demise. Leonardo da Vinci apparently despised JC and revered John the Baptist. Pickett suggests Leonardo may have been aware of a rivalry between the two that cost John his life.