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The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail (Paperback)

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3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers an alternative view of Christianity for women. . . . It cannot be ignored." <br /> (Publishers Weekly )<br /><br />"Provocative and controversial--it will outrage some and give hope to others." <br /> (<!--StartFragment --Used

?Margaret Starbird is a seeker after truth. She seeks to recover the long-suppressed, and not infrequently emotionally opposed, feminine side of the Christian story. Hers is an exciting narrative probing regions of thought long neglected. Magdalen, the Great Mary, emerges with new power.? --Used


Review

"Offers an alternative view of Christianity for women. . . . It cannot be ignored."
(Publishers Weekly )

"Provocative and controversial--it will outrage some and give hope to others."
(Catholic Women's Network  )

"As Starbird says, 'No wonder icons of Mary weep!' "
(National Catholic Reporter )

“Margaret Starbird is a seeker after truth. She seeks to recover the long-suppressed, and not infrequently emotionally opposed, feminine side of the Christian story. Hers is an exciting narrative probing regions of thought long neglected. Magdalen, the Great Mary, emerges with new power.”
(John Shelby Spong, Episcopal bishop and author of Born of a Woman )

"This fascinating and courageous narrative takes a fresh look at the true meaning of the Holy Grail and the defeminization of the early church, and comes up with some shocking revelations that may change the way one perceives Christianity forever."
(Nexus )

"Margaret Starbird's work is of particular interest to me because it fuses the diverse fields of symbolism, mythology, art, heraldry, psychology, and gospel history. Her research opens doors for each of us to further explore the rich iconography of our own spiritual history."
(Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code )

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Margaret Starbird
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Customer Reviews

85 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (85 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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800 of 836 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful and Inspiring House of Stone, September 13, 1998
By A Customer
I am very impressed with Margaret Starbird's scholarly work in her book "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar". It tells the story of the lost Bride and provides strong evidence for the sacred marriage at the heart of Christianity, that of Jesus and Mary Magdalen.

It is significant that all four Gospels record the anointing of Jesus by a woman with an alabaster jar of aromatic nard. In middle-eastern liturgical practices surrounding the ancient rites of the "sacred marriage" the anointing of the sacrificed bridegroom/king was a sacred ceremony reserved to his bride. The Gospel narratives describe the pre-nuptial anointing of Jesus by the woman with the alabaster jar and contain other elements from this ancient ritual.

On seven of eight New Testament lists of the women who walked with Jesus, Mary Magdalen's name is mentioned first on the list. She was clearly "first lady" in the eyes of the early Christian community. Some early Church theologians identified the Magdalen as the model of "church" (ekklesia) whom Christ "loved so much, that He gave his life for her."

More compelling facts from Scripture and history are included in Margaret Starbird's work. She follows a trail of evidence that leads through Egypt, to the south of France, and into important historical events in Europe.

Most significant is the medieval legend of the Holy Grail (sangraal), which secretly celebrated Mary Magdalen as the Bride of Christ. The "sangraal" is the "sacred blood" -- the royal lineage of Jesus. Because the legend of the Holy Grail contained and preserved the truth about Mary Magdalen, it was ruthlessly suppressed by the Inquisition. In an effort to discount her significance, Mary Magdalen was labeled a prostitute, but she was really the "Beloved" -- the bride of Jesus.

Restoring the sacred union of Jesus and Mary Magdalen to the heart of our Christian story provides us with a model of holiness based on the sacred union of the masculine and the feminine. It affirms the true holiness and significance of women as PARTNERS in the future practice of our Roman Catholic tradition.

I have talked with Margaret Starbird. When she embarked on her research, her intent was to disprove the possibility of Jesus' marriage, but the facts led her in a surprising new direction that provides a wonderful healing message for us all.

The Woman With The Alabaster Jar provides the facts and history that will explain why women hold the key to many of the problems faced today by our Roman Catholic Church.

Father John Shuster, Roman Catholic Priest

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362 of 385 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good news for women...., December 20, 2003
In her beautiful book THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR Margaret Starbird lays out a compelling case for seeing Mary Magdalen as the `lost bride' of Jesus. Whether you believe the Jesus story was a historical event or is a myth, if you have an interest in the Grail and/or symbolism, you will want to read this book.

Apparently, many Europeans, especially in France (Provence) believe(d) the Magdalen escaped Jerusalem after her husband Jesus was executed. Eventually, she traveled to what is today Marseilles, where every year, the local people celebrate her arrival on the Magdalen's feast day. The `fathers' of orthodox Christianity were so appalled by the notion that Jesus might have had sex and produced a child let alone married the Magdalen who some how or another became linked with prostitution, that beginning in the 4th Century the church attempted to squelch the "heresy". By the Middle Ages, the church had instituted the Inquisition.

However, the harder the Inquisitors pressed "heretics" like the Cathars, the more clever they became at disguising their truth. Using European fairy tales, water marks on paper printed during the Middle Ages (and frequently found in bibles!!), and paintings of the Masters like Fra Angelico, Starbird shows how the message of the heretics was hidden in plain sight. She suggests that even the Tarot cards which appeared in Italy just after the "last" Cathar was hunted down in Spain, may have been a condensed heretical catechism.

Ever wonder why some of Botticelli's `Madonnas' are dressed in red when the Roman church instructed artists to depict the Madonna in blue and white? Did you know a branch of the US Army wears the insignia of the Magdalen on it's uniform, and celebrates a dance ball every year on the feast day of saint whose likeness to the Magdalen is uncanny? Do you know why the `Little Mermaid' is named Ariel, and Snow White "died" from a poison apple (went to sleep)? Did you know Cinderella may be related to the `Black Madonnas' of Europe including one venerated by Pope John Paul?

Starbird says she set out several years ago to refute the "heresy" she discovered in HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL by Baignent, et al. and discovered not only were these authors onto something there was a whole lot more to share. This is a wonderful, provocative book.

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239 of 253 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars keherrick's review, March 16, 2000
The author presents a chain of indirect proofs to support her belief that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalen. She states that this is a tenet of heresy widely believed in the Middle Ages; that fossils of the heresy can be found in numerous works of art and literature; that it was vehemently attacked by the hierarchy of the established Church of Rome and that it survived in spite of relentless persecution.

This book is a courageous exploration of an extremely delicate question. Mary Magdalen is called a penitent prostitute by the Church. The original story of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany by the woman with the alabaster jar may have been misinterpreted by the author of Luke's Gospel since the anointing was similar to the familiar ritual practice of a sacred priestess or temple "prostitute" in the Goddess clults of the Roman Empire.

Mrs. Starbird does an excellent job of researching european history, heraldry, the rituals of Freemasonry, medieval art, symovlism, psychology mythology, religion and the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures to discover that the meaning of the Holy Grail could be the lost bride of Jesus and the female child she carried within her.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars FOUND ALL HER HUGE ERRORS YET?
Starbird's entire premise rests on the idea that Jesus left a child behind and that the Romans would want to hunt down this child and kill him. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jeri Nevermind

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking book
I had already read other books dealing with the sacred feminine and Mary Magdalene, such as "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and "The Da Vinci Code" and I really enjoyed this book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Kathleen Rea

4.0 out of 5 stars Support for Being a Heretic
I always enjoy reading a book that challenges the tenets of traditional Christian doctrine. Even in grade school, I intuitively felt an urge to question it while my parents... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Moonstone Star White

3.0 out of 5 stars The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
She presents interesting research but her writing style is somewhat disjointed. This makes it difficult at times to follow her train of thoughts. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Sharon Wright

5.0 out of 5 stars Unsensational and lucid
According to the back cover of this book "Margaret Starbird's theological beliefs were profoundly shaken when she read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book that dared to suggest that... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Paul Dsouza

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
When Margaret Starbird read the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail she was infuriated by it and decided to do some of her own research to refute it. Read more
Published on October 8, 2007 by Wyvernfriend

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read
I really love that Ms. Starbird has done so much reasearch on Mary Magdalene. Some may overlook her in the bible, but I think she is one of the most important characters and... Read more
Published on August 24, 2007 by K. R. Vance

5.0 out of 5 stars Metaphorical Masterpiece
A beautiful expose on the sacred feminine. Also worth reading is Gardiner's 'Gnosis' and Acharya's 'Christ Conspiracy.'
Published on February 12, 2007 by P. Perry

5.0 out of 5 stars Mary is my homegirl
After reading The Goddess in the Gospels, I read The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, Starbird's first book on Mary Magdalene. Read more
Published on January 13, 2007 by M. Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars worth reading
"the woman w/ the alabaster jar" paints a story of who the real mary magdalen may have been. the author explains her research without trying to sell you her opinion. Read more
Published on January 3, 2007 by lisa, lover of books

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