Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§13.6 For Whom Did Jesus Intend His Message?
demons had been exorcised (presumably by Jesus). The tradition recalls her as
the leader of a group of women 221 who observed Jesus' crucifixion 'from afar'
(Mark 15.40 pars.) in contrast to the male disciples who had fled, who wished to
anoint his body (Mark 15.47-16.1 pars.), who were first to see the empty tomb
(Mark 16.2-8; Luke 24.22-23) and Jesus risen from the dead (Matt. 28.8-10), 222
and who informed the other disciples (Luke 24.10, 23). 223 Of particular interest
is the report in Mark 15.41 that 'when he was in Galilee' these women 'used to
follow (ekolouthoun) and to take care of (diekonoun) him'. 224 Mark adds that
there were 'many other women who went up with him to Jerusalem'. Mary of
Magdala is also mentioned first in another group of women (Luke 8.2), including
Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, 225 and (the otherwise unknown)
Susanna, who with many others 'used to take care of (diekonoun) 7 Jesus (and his
disciples) 'out of their possessions/means ' (hyparchonta)' (8.3). 226 Such
uncontrived detail indicates good tradition; Luke evidently had access here to
first-hand recollections. 227 The implication that Jesus moved around Galilee on
his preaching mission with quite a substantial entourage, including 'many
women', need not be discounted; the larger the number of followers, the larger
the network of family relations and contacts in the villages visited.
Another Mary, 228 with her sister Martha, of Bethany, is named by both
Luke (10.38-42) and John (11.1-12.11), the double tradition again attesting its
historical value. The account of Mary's attentiveness to Jesus' teaching evidently
made a great impression on Luke, as, evidently, on Jesus himself (Luke 10.39,
42). In some contrast, in John it is Martha who is given the more impressive role
(John 11.20-27). The Fourth Evangelist also emphasises that Mary and Martha
(with their brother) were among Jesus' closest intimates (11.5, 11, 35).
Other women who leave a substantial mark in the tradition of Jesus' mission
include the woman with the haemorrhage (Mark 5.21-43 pars.), 229 the Syro-
221. The other women mentioned are Mary the mother of James (the younger) and
Joses/Joseph, Salome (Mark), and the mother of James and John (Matthew).
222. The Fourth Evangelist gives Mary of Magdala even more prominence as the sole
recipient of the first resurrection appearance (John 20.11-18).
223. See further below, §18.3(1).
224. The Jesus Seminar had few doubts as to the historical value of these reminiscences
(Funk, Acts of Jesus 158, 292-93).
225. See above, chapter 9 n. 339. Luke includes her in his list of women who went to the
tomb (24.10).
226. The pattern of religious teachers being sponsored by well-to-do women, a repeated
feature in Christianity's history, is thus given its dominical precedent.
227. Byrskog suggests that these women were eye-witnesses and informants in the formation
and transmission of the Jesus tradition (Story as History 73-82).
228. For fuller details on the various Marys in the Gospel tradition see ABD 4.579-82.
229. The tradition recalls Jesus reacting to the woman's unexpected touch (Mark 5.30),
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