Lived: First century AD, approximately 3 BC – 63 AD
Mary came from Magdala, a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee—about 120 miles north of modern-day Jerusalem in Israel. In her time, the Roman Empire was at its peak, and concrete had just been invented, changing construction forever. The famous Roman historian Pliny the Elder was born during her lifetime, and gladiator fights were the biggest entertainment in the empire.
Jesus healed Mary of seven demons (Luke 8:2), transforming her life completely. She responded by becoming one of his most devoted followers, using her own money to support his ministry. She wasn’t part of the twelve disciples, but she was mentioned more often than most of them in the Gospel accounts.
Her greatest distinction? She was present at the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection. While others fled, she stayed. And she became the first person Jesus appeared to after rising from the dead—the first to carry the news that changed the world.