Image Details
Collection of the Pierpont Morgan Library; photo by Art Resource, N.Y.
ON THE COVER: The resurrected Jesus—his halo a corona of light—reveals himself to Mary Magdalene, on this 16th-century embroidered book binding. The couple’s portrait is surrounded by instruments of Jesus’ Passion, including (clockwise, from left) the cock that crowed, hammers, the crown of thorns, nails, Jesus’ cloak, a ladder, a spear, a vinegar-soaked sponge on a stick, the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, the coins paid to Judas, a cup, the dice the soldiers played, pliers used to remove the nails, and scourges tied to the column on which Jesus was flayed.
In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is the first person the risen Jesus reveals himself to, and she is then the first to inform the others of the resurrection. A recent bestseller claims she was more than a witness to Jesus, however, she was also his wife. In “Did Jesus Marry?”, Birger A. Pearson investigates just how close their relationship was.
In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is the first person the risen Jesus reveals himself to, and she is then the first to inform the others of the resurrection. A recent bestseller claims she was more than a witness to Jesus, however, she was also his wife. In “Did Jesus Marry?”, Birger A. Pearson investigates just how close their relationship was.