Throughout history, Mary Magdalene has been both revered and reviled, a woman who has taken on many forms-witch, whore, the incarnation of the eternal feminine, the devoted companion (and perhaps even the wife) of Jesus. In this new biography, biblical scholar Chilton offers an authoritative portrait of this fascinating woman. Through interpretations of ancient texts, he shows that Mary played a central role in Jesus'. He traces the evolving images of Mary Magdalene and the legends surrounding her, and explains why, despite her prominence, the Gospels actually say so little about her. In a look at the Church's attitudes toward women, he investigates Christian misogyny in the ancient world, including the suppression of women priests who patterned their activities on Mary's; explores the impact of Gnostic ambivalence toward women on its depictions of Mary; and shows that these traditions still influence modern portrayals of her.--From publisher description.