Page "Mary Magdalene" Paragraph 15

The Gospel of John and the Gospel of Luke also mention a " Mary of Bethany ", who in some Christian traditions is regarded the same person as Mary Magdalene.

Mary of Bethany was the sister of Lazarus and Martha.

Mary and Martha are among the most familiar sets of sisters in the Bible.

Both Luke and John describe them as friends of Jesus.

Luke's story, though only four verses long, has been a complex source of inspiration, interpretation, and debate for centuries.

John's account, which says the sisters had a brother named Lazarus, spans seventy verses.

Though some earlier interpreters blended the person of Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalene and the sinful woman of Luke 7: 36-50, current scholars believe she was a different person .< ref >" Mary & Martha: Friends of Jesus.

" < http :// gbgm-umc. org / umw / jesusandwomen /></ ref >