How many women were at the crucifixion?

[Elisabeth51]

Ok, I have always wondered this, but never asked—This from John chapter 19:
“25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.”

Is that three women or four? Two Mary’s as sisters, not impossible, one of my sisters and I have the same middle name, but I’ve always wondered if this was three or four women. The way it is read sometimes I think there are three women, but the list looks like four.

 

[marty1818]

The Ignatius Study Bible says as a footnote for this passage:

Possibly “Salome”, the mother of the apostles James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mt 27:56;Mk 15:40)

 

[NHInsider]

Ok, I have always wondered this, but never asked—This from John chapter 19:
“25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.”

Is that three women or four? Two Mary’s as sisters, not impossible, one of my sisters and I have the same middle name, but I’ve always wondered if this was three or four women. The way it is read sometimes I think there are three women, but the list looks like four.

Unfortunately the answer is “we don’t know.”

 

[Elisabeth51]

Unfortunately the answer is “we don’t know.”

That’s an answer I’ll take it, sometimes that is the answer–not knowing.

 

[stephe1987]

I think it’s four.

 

[Prieldedi]

Ok, I have always wondered this, but never asked—This from John chapter 19:
“25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.”

Is that three women or four? Two Mary’s as sisters, not impossible, one of my sisters and I have the same middle name, but I’ve always wondered if this was three or four women. The way it is read sometimes I think there are three women, but the list looks like four.

That’s Three.

1. The Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus (“his mother”)
2. Mary of Cleophas is “his mother’s sister”. Here applies the same argument as that of the “brothers and sisters of the Lord”. Mary of Cleophas is not a blood sister of the Virgin Mary, she is a “relative” (cousin?). To some, like the Orthodox, Cleophas (also known as Alpheus) is St. Joseph’s brother, so that would make both Marys in-laws.
3. Mary Magdalene.

But if you take the other gospels there were more. From the Gospels of Matthew and Mark we know there is a fourth woman:

“Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” (Matthew 27:56)

The mother of Zebedee’s sons is Salome. She would be the fourth. The Virgin Mary is not mentioned by Matthew but we know she was there. Mary the mother of James and Joseph is Mary of Cleophas, “his mother’s sister” from John’s gospel. Matthew also calls her “the other Mary” in Mat. 27:61 and Mat. 28:1.

Now Mark’s Gospel:

“There were also some women watching from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joset, and Salome,” (Mark 15:40)

Like Matthew, Mark lists the same women also not mentioning the Virgin Mary. Mary of Cleophas’ son, Joseph, is listed as Joset, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons is identified by name: Salome.

Finally, Luke doesn’t identify any of the women:

“Only those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, especially the women who had followed him from Galilee; they witnessed all this.” (Luke 23:49)

 

[patrick457]

Ok, I have always wondered this, but never asked—This from John chapter 19:
“25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.”

Is that three women or four? Two Mary’s as sisters, not impossible, one of my sisters and I have the same middle name, but I’ve always wondered if this was three or four women. The way it is read sometimes I think there are three women, but the list looks like four.

We don’t know for sure. Many read it as referring to three women, though the Syrian tradition as exemplified by the Peshitta and Tatian’s Diatessaron understands it as four women: “His mother and the sister of His mother and Mary of Clopas and Mary of Magdala.”