flourished 1st century, Palestine; feast day July 22
Follower of Jesus and the first person to see the resurrected Christ.
According to Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons. She accompanied him in Galilee, and she witnessed his Crucifixion and burial. On Easter morning she went with two other women to anoint the corpse, but the tomb was empty. Christ later appeared to her and instructed her to tell the Apostle s that he was ascending to God. Popular tradition has long associated her with the repentant prostitute who anointed Christ's feet.