Author:
Hooper, Richard J
Virtually all ancient Gospels describe Mary Magdalene as an important disciple of Jesus and a woman of great faith and devotion. The Canonical Gospels represent her as the first disciple to experience the risen "Jesus," and the first disciple to be commissioned as an apostle to the apostles. The "Gnostic" Gospels - including that of Mary herself - further portray her as Jesus' most advanced "student," his most spiritually worthy "disciple," and as a teacher and leader in her own "right." "