Mary Magdalene Trivia

1. Hi, I'm Mary Magdalene. First of all, which New Testament character am I mainly associated with?

From Quiz Hi, Mary Magdalene Here

Answer: Jesus

The correct answer is Jesus, sometimes called Jesus of Nazareth and other times, Jesus Christ. His original Hebrew and Aramaic name is "Yeshua", while "Jesus" is the Greek and English version. I absolutely loved Jesus! He was my Lord, my Redeemer, my Savior, my healer, my Rabbi (Teacher), and my friend. After He delivered me from seven demons, I traveled with Him for about three years. I devoted my life to Him. I witnessed His trials, such as the one before Pilate, I witnessed them treating Him horribly, like spitting on Him, and I witnessed the terrible execution. My heart was broken! I know that Mary (His mother), Salome, Mary (the wife of Clopas), myself, and other women all wanted to scream, "Stop it! Leave Him alone!", but we felt hopeless. We couldn't stop it, so we just tried to comfort Him by being there, but we cried the whole time. I was devastated for three days, but then I found Him alive! Praise the Lord! John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus and he baptized Him. I perhaps met him, but I was never really with him. I heard that Elizabeth, John the Baptist's mother, and Anna the Prophetess were both good women. However, with all due respect, they were elderly when Jesus was a baby, so they were probably dead by the time He grew up. I don't think I ever met them.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: seven

Other than the man whose many demons gave their name as 'Legion' (Mark 5:9 and Luke 8:30), this is the greatest number of evil spirits cast out of anyone in the Bible.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: they ministered to Him

Considering the context and given that the subject is a group of women, a paraphrase of Strong's Lexicon gives the range of meaning of this word as: to serve as a servant or to act as a waitress at table; to cook food; to procure or donate food and other essentials of life; to take care of; to perform helpful or supportive tasks (especially menial tasks). Guess who washed Jesus' clothes?

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Demonic possession

Luke 8:2 mentions Jesus preaching throughout Jerusalem, accompanied by the Twelve as well as "...certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, who is called the Magdalene, from whom seven devils had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna and many others, who used to provide for them out of their means." Some have argued that the fact that Mary was afflicted with "seven devils" is indicative of a previously sinful and degraded life. Others have alleged that the "seven devils" were embodiments of the "Seven Deadly Sins". Still others have speculated that Mary, as a young woman, may have been sold out as a "bond slave" to pay off her family's debts (with women in these cases, providing sexual favors was often part of the deal) and that her "demonic possession" was a form of mental illness brought on by the trauma of this experience. Of these theories, the last has, at least, some historical and psychological merit; much of what was called "demonic possession" in Biblical times would today probably be recognized as either mental illness or, perhaps, epilepsy or Tourette's syndrome and the ordeal of being a "bond slave" could well have triggered mental illness. However there is no scriptural basis whatsoever to suppose that Mary was ever a bond slave or a prostitute, and it seems reasonable to suppose that the authors of the Gospels would have mentioned this had it been true. As for the first idea, demonic possession was, in Biblical times, considered a punishment from God either for one's own sins or the sins of one's fathers however, once again, the Gospel authors present no evidence on this point. As for the second theory, the concept of the "Seven Deadly Sins" (as opposed to the sins themselves) is not found in the Scriptures; it emerged during the patristic period and gained popularity in the Middle Ages. The best explanation is that Mary, quite simply, was either actually possessed by demons or suffered from a variety of mental, emotional, behavioral, and/or psychological disorders , whose nature may have appeared to suggest demonic possession to people of that time.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: from Galilee

This group of many women who provided for and ministered to Jesus and His disciples appears to have formed in the first year of Jesus' public ministry, in Galilee. The group is specifically mentioned in the texts cited below. We may assume that only the most prominent, or best known, are mentioned by name. Mary Magdalene is almost always (but not always) mentioned first. Also named are Mary the mother of James the lesser, Joanna the wife of Chusa (Herod's steward), Susanna, Salome, and Mary the wife of Clopas. Matthew 27:55-56 cites Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses (or Joseph), and the mother of Zebedee's sons (the apostolic brothers James and John). Mark 15:41 cites Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. Luke 8:2-3 cites Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chusa, and Susanna. Luke 24:10 (in the context of Luke 23:55ff) cites Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. John 19:25 cites Mary Jesus' mother and (last) Mary Magdalene. The intervening reference to Jesus' mother's sister (and?) Mary the wife of Clopas is unclear: this may be either one person or two people. The text definitely refers to Mary's sister, but it seems very odd that her name would also be Mary. The more natural literal reading of the text would indicate that only one person is referred to, in which case a very reasonable interpretation would be to assume that Mary the wife of Clopas was Mary's sister-in-law rather than her sibling. Eugene Peterson, in 'The Message', offers a very neat solution (it is, after all, a paraphrase) in referring to Mary the wife of Clopas as Jesus' aunt, without specifying the exact nature of the familial relationship.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: In Galilee, along the Sea of Galilee

Magdala, now known as el-Mejdel, was a fishing village between Capharnum and Tiberias whose primary industry was salted, pickled fish (the name Magdala means "tower" or "fortress"; it came to be called "Madgala of the Fishes" to distinguish it from another town of the same name, no longer extant). In the New Testament, Jesus came here after the miracle of the loaves and fishes. It was a wealthy village in Biblical times (Mary Magdalene is believed, by some scholars, to have been of independent means), but is said to have enjoyed an unsavory reputation, which may partly account for the persistent image of Mary Magdalene as a sinner or prostitute.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: standing next to or near to the Cross

John 10:25 says, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." (NKJV text) Note: 'by the Cross' is open to some latitude in interpretation. It may mean anything from right at the Cross to some little distance away, but still relatively near. The natural reading, however, is for a distance as close as one would understand in 'by the fountain' in English.

From Quiz Hi, Mary Magdalene Here

Answer: Martha

Luke 8:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Ministering Women: "Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." Mark 15:40-41 "There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the the Less and Joses, and Salome. When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem." Ceduh's notes and opinions: Salome was Zebedee's wife and the mother of James and John. Mary, the mother of James and Joseph is often considered to be the wife of Clopas or Alphaeus, but it's also possible that she was Christ's own mother; therefore the mother of His brothers, James and Joseph. Regardless of whether Christ's brothers were His mother's biological children or not, the fact that Mary, the mother of James was called a woman who followed Jesus rather than His mother, it probably indicates that she was separate from His mother. James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, the names of His brothers, were all very common names then. Martha and her sister Mary probably stayed in Bethany most of the time, but Mary Magdalene was constantly on the move, traveling with Jesus and the disciples.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: sitting opposite the tomb

By now it was late, and women all over Jerusalem were preparing for the Sabbath: all meals until the close of the Sabbath at nightfall (after sunset) on Saturday had to be prepared in advance. No artificial lights could be used on the Friday evening or night, so everything had to be in place while they could still see what they were doing. Nevertheless, the two Marys would not leave Jesus' body until he is laid to rest, and until they knew where to find His body on Sunday morning.

From Quiz Hi, Mary Magdalene Here

Answer: After the Sabbath

Mark 16:1, NASB: "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him." The Jewish Sabbath technically begins Friday at sunset and ends Saturday at sunset. We bought the spices after the Sabbath, on Saturday night, and then we went to His tomb on early Sunday morning, with the intention to actually anoint Him. We couldn't purchase anything on the Sabbath, because that would violate it. Palm Sunday celebrates the day that Jesus rode to Jerusalem on a donkey. He wasn't dead at that point, so there was no need for burial spices.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: just before dawn on Sunday morning

In summary, the women set out for the tomb in the predawn twilight, and arrived just after sunrise. John 20:1 reports Mary Magdalene as going 'early, while it was still dark', and Matthew 28:1 is unequivocal in the Greek: it was very late on the Sabbath (which included Saturday night; therefore, before dawn) when they went to (ie 'departed for', not 'came to', as some translations have it) the tomb. Mark 16:2 records their arrival after sunrise; Luke 24:1 has it 'very early in the morning' (Greek 'orthros': 'at daybreak'). *Technically, the Sabbath lasted from sunset on Friday until nightfall (after sunset) on Saturday; the religious practice was, however, to treat the whole of Saturday night as if it were included in the Sabbath.

From Quiz Hi, Mary Magdalene Here

Answer: Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was a Catholic priest who lived from 1225-1274. He gave me the title "The Apostle to the Apostles" based upon my conversation with the risen Lord in John 20. An apostle is one who is sent out on a mission. Jesus told me to go find the disciples or apostles (Peter, John, etc.) and tell them that He was resurrected and that He would be ascending to His Father. Although Jesus might have implied the concept, He didn't use the words "Apostle to the Apostles". "Jesus is the answer" is a popular Christian expression and Ceduh couldn't help but include it as a choice. Andrae Crouch also has a song titled "Jesus is the Answer".

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: Who will roll the stone away for us?

The fact that Mark records this question as concerning them is a clear indication that even a group of women (and there were probably at least five*) who were accustomed to daily manual labour were doubtful that they would be able to move the stone. Obviously, this was not a stone with any kind of power steering! *Luke 24:10 names three women and also refers to others in the plural form.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: The descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

Pentecost, the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit (also called Whitsuntide or Whitsunday), is considered to be the birthday of the Church. The account of this event in the Acts of the Apostles describes Mary, the mother of Jesus, as being present in the upper room with the apostles, but does not mention Mary Magdalene (who, indeed, is never mentioned in the scriptures again after the Gospel of John). El Greco's depiction of this scene, however, shows a veiled woman (almost certainly Mary Magdalene) to the right of the Virgin Mary.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: Jesus who was crucified

The angel knew that the women are seeking Jesus' dead body: Jesus who had been executed by crucifixion. Since the women came bearing ointments for the dead, which they had prepared after seeing His body laid to rest on the Sabbath Eve (Luke 23:56), it is clear that they expected to find Jesus' dead body.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: He is not here; for He is risen

Christians through the ages have greeted one another with the ringing affirmation of faith, "He is risen!", echoing this angel's announcement on an Easter Sunday morning, and usually receive the response, "He is risen indeed!" Christians have not only the Bible but their own faith experience, both of Jesus Himself and the experience of their daily lives, to confirm the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Disciple

The Roman Catholic Church's identification of Mary Magdalene with the repentant sinner in the Gospel of Luke seems to have begun with Pope St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century and persisted well into the twentieth. In 1969, the church calendar was revised to distinguish Mary Magdalene both from the repentant prostitute and from Mary of Bethany. Her current designation in the church calendar is "disciple" (the church's calendar also now recognizes certain saints as "husband" and "wife", these states being considered as blessed as "virgin", "confessor", "martyr", "widow", "religious", etc.)

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

The angel invited them to examine the site where Jesus' body lay, and to satisfy themselves that the astounding news just given, that Jesus had risen from the dead, was really true.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Myrrh bearer, and of Apostolic zeal.

The Eastern Church has traditionally held Mary Magdalene to be "equal to the Apostles". According to Byzantine legend, she appeared before Pontius Pilate to plead for the life of Christ. After the Resurrection, she went to Caesar himself to proclaim that Christ had risen from the dead. Caesar is said to have mocked her, stating that a man could no more rise from the dead than an egg could turn from white to red. Mary then picked up an egg from the table, which immediately turned red in her hand. This legend has led to the exchanging of red-colored Easter eggs in the Eastern Church, and Byzantine icons of Mary Magdalene depict her holding an egg, instead of the usual vial of ointment. On May 4, the Eastern Church celebrates the transfer of Mary's relics, which were in the Monastery church of St. Lazarus in Constantinople; they were eventually transferred to Rome and entombed in the Lateran Church. Some, however, are enshrined in the basilica of St. Maximum in Marseilles.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: Peter

The implication here is that the angel was passing on the Lord Jesus' instructions, and that Jesus was very aware of how Peter must have been feeling since he had denied the Lord. Jesus wanted Peter, of all of the disciples, to be reassured as soon as possible that all of what Jesus had promised had come to pass.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: fear and great joy

They returned with fear or trepidation, an awed respect at the monumental events in which they found themselves engaged - and with great joy, because Jesus, whom they had believed was dead, had come back from the dead and risen into new life.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Provence

This legend supposes that the Magdalene was the sister of Lazarus and Martha. In one version of the story, the three of them set off to evangelize France; in another, they are set adrift by their persecutors in a boat with no oars or rudders and are guided miraculously to Aix en Provence. There, Mary is alleged to have converted the king and queen of Gaul and evangelized the Franks, thus becoming the apostle of France. Lazarus became the first bishop of Marseille, and Martha (believe it or not) conquered and subdued a dragon, which had been laying waste to the countryside (a far cry from the drudgery of the kitchen!). Mary eventually ended as a hermitess living in a cave in the Maritime Alps, which is charmingly named La Sainte-Baume (The Holy Fragrance) in her honor; a sweet odor is believed to perpetually hover about the place. This legend has, of course, no historical basis, though its emphasis on Mary as an evangelist is certainly interesting. Historically, Mary is generally believed by scholars to have traveled with St. John the Evangelist to Ephesus, along with Mary, the mother of Jesus (whom Christ had left in the care of John from the cross).

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: they ran

Can you imagine NOT running when you have this kind of great, wonderful, world-repairing news? How soon can I tell them; how fast can I get there? Your feet would run of themselves, and take you with them! "Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning." - Psalm 30:5b, NKJV

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Perfumers

As mentioned above, Mary Magdalene has been wrongly identified with the nameless woman who anointed Christ with ointment; she has also been confused with the sister of Lazarus and Martha, who anointed Christ at Bethany. However, the Gospels do mention her bringing myrrh and other spices to anoint Jesus' body at the tomb, so her patronage of those who make and/or sell perfumes and colognes is rather apt. In art, her symbol is a vial or jar of fragrant ointment. The patron of laundresses is St. Veronica who, according to a pious medieval legend, wiped Christ's face with her veil during the Passion, after which she found the image of His face imprinted upon it. The patron of undertakers is St. Joseph of Arimathea, who had Christ's body interred in his own sepulcher, which had been hewn out of rock. There is, believe it or not, a patron saint of prostitutes (or, more appropriately, "fallen women"): St Afra, a 4th century native of Augsburg. Afra was a prostitute until her conversion to Christianity, upon which she renounced her old life and ultimately was martyred for her faith.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid

In Mark 16:8 it tells how the women were too overawed to say anything of their experience to anyone. However, in verse 10 we see that it was Mary Magdalene who first mastered her awe and fear, and who went to tell the disciples. However, the disciples did not at first believe her (was she perhaps still a little breathless and trembling?) From John 20:1-2, and verse 11, it appears that Mary Magdalene alone followed Peter and John back to the tomb when they did go down to see for themselves. Once again, Mary demonstrated a stronger faith than most - but then, she was lighter by the weight of seven demons, and had some reason to believe in Jesus' power!

From Quiz Mary Magdalene

Answer: Paris, France

L'Eglise de Sainte Marie Madeleine, usually referred to simply as La Madeleine, is on the Rue Royale near the Place de la Concorde (Maxim's famous restaurant is to the left). The magnificent Romanesque structure, which bears a striking (and probably not coincidental) resemblance to the Parthenon and echoes the architecture of the Palais Bourbon across the Seine, has a fascinating history. Work on it began in 1764, however problems with the design led to its beng torn down soon after. Work was resumed in 1777, but was interrupted by the Revolution. In 1806, Napoleon ordered it to be transformed into a "Temple de Gloire" to commemorate the glory of the French army, but this plan was abandoned after the Arch de Triomphe was built for this purpose. At one point it was a railway station, but it was rededicated as a church in 1842. The church, which hosts several weekly concerts, boasts a celebrated pipe organ built by Aristide Cavaille-Coll in the latter 19th century.

From Quiz Mary Magdalene in the Bible

Answer: she flung her arms around Him, or tried to

John 20:17 reads, "Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"" (NKJV) 'Do not cling to me' is a pretty good translation under the circumstances. The Greek word is 'aptou' which means, according to Strong, 'to fasten one's self to, adhere to, cling to,' i.e. to hold, hug or embrace. It was also used of sexual intercourse, and, as Jesus was probably intending it here in the negative sense, of not touching or handling something or someone holy or consecrated. Some provocative speculators have emphasized the theoretically possible sexual application of the word, but this is demonstrably not the case here: * The substance of what Jesus gave as the reasons she should not touch Him relates to a state of consecration, a holy purpose yet to be fulfilled. * The situation was emotionally rather than sexually charged. 'Rabboni', Mary calls Jesus - my much loved, much respected Teacher (not 'lover', notice!) - you're back from the dead! Of course she was going to hug Him! But the idea that she wanted to have sex with Him at this particular moment is ludicrous in the light of common sense.

This is category 21652

= Top 5% Rated Quiz, Top 10% Rated Quiz, Top 20% Rated Quiz, A Well Rated Quiz
= added recently, = Editor's Pick = FunTrivia Editor = Gold Member
Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.