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The appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena. Mary Magdalene sees the risen Jesus alone. Source: Alex Bakharev / Public Domain.

Was Mary Magdalene Destined To Be the First Pope?

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New evidence has recently been uncovered and it implies that Mary Magdalene was the likely successor of Jesus. The importance of Mary Magdalene has always been accepted because she was the principal disciple at the tomb in all of the four gospels and not the male apostles. But there was ambiguity between the various gospels about what actually happened at the tomb. This was where Mary Magdalene and the other women saw either men or angels in white shining garments.

However, the final version with John’s gospel was resolute enough for an investigator to pose a very challenging question as follows: How could Mary Magdalene look into the tomb and see two angels sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain while Peter could only see linen clothes? (John 20:6-14) Those two completely different views of what Mary Magdalene and Peter saw suggest that they had looked into two separate rooms.

Where the body of Jesus had laid Peter could only see linen clothes. (Romolo Tavani / Adobe Stock)

Where the body of Jesus had laid Peter could only see linen clothes. (Romolo Tavani / Adobe Stock)

There was however a readymade answer to the puzzle and strangely, it was outlined openly in the gospel. This was where it stated that the veil of the temple or tabernacle was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. Was it possible that the gospel writers had used the two roomed tabernacle as an image motif for the tomb to relate the events that happened from the death of Jesus until his resurrection?

The gospels were written some thirty to seventy years after the resurrection and so the writers were describing the events decades removed from the original setting. They also had the unenviable task of trying to explain the mystical concept of the resurrection.

The tabernacle was an ideal forum to relate the events and the new evidence suggests that it was designed for that purpose. This may be why a tabernacle adorns the altars of Christian churches. Furthermore, those tabernacles hold the hosts which symbolize the body of Christ.

The original tabernacle was a tent erected by Moses on the journey to the Promised Land. This tent was divided into two rooms by a veil. One room was God’s exclusive chamber and it symbolized heaven. It housed the Ark of the Covenant together with two angels who were sitting at either end of the Lord’s seat. Only the high priest could access this divine inner chamber. In contrast, the regular priests were restricted to officiate in the outer chamber of the tent which symbolized earth.

The original tabernacle was a tent erected by Moses. (Fæ / Public Domain)

The original tabernacle was a tent erected by Moses. (Fæ / Public Domain)

Telling of the events through the lens of the tabernacle brought the blurred picture into focus and it had revolutionary consequences for Mary Magdalene. John’s gospel indicated that she was able to look into God’s heavenly chamber because she saw the two angels sitting at either end of where the head and feet of the body of Jesus had lain. This implied that the gospel writer afforded Mary Magdalene the same status as the traditional high priest. Yes, the status of the high priest, because only they had access into God’s heavenly chamber.

In contrast, Peter only saw linen clothes, and this implied that he was restricted to the outer earthly chamber, thus indicating that he was a regular priest. If this explanation with the tabernacle could be substantiated, it would make a compelling case to deem Mary Magdalene was the chosen successor of Jesus.

The Evidence About the Tabernacle Was in the New Testament

The statement about the veil of the temple or tabernacle being split in two at the death of Jesus was not the only evidence to introduce that holy sanctuary. In Chapter 9 of the Book of Hebrews it clearly indicated that Jesus was in the tabernacle after his death. It even outlined how he entered heaven.

One of the references was as follows: “He entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12) It stated that Jesus entered into the holy place, which was the outer room of the tabernacle. The reference referred to Jesus having obtained eternal redemption for us and that was only achieved when he died.

Fragment of a fourth-century text of the apocryphal Dialogue of the Savior, in which Mary Magdalene is a central figure. (Mladifilozof / Public Domain)

Fragment of a fourth-century text of the apocryphal Dialogue of the Savior, in which Mary Magdalene is a central figure. (Mladifilozof / Public Domain)

It also stated that “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figure of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” (Hebrews 9:24) It is telling us that Christ entered into heaven itself and that was God’s holy of holies inner room of the tabernacle. It clarified the situation with God’s inner chamber in the next verse where it stated that the high priest entered it every year. But it was the part where it stated that Christ had not entered the holy places made with hands but into heaven itself, which shone a light on a magnificent knowledge that had slumbered secretly in the tabernacle.

The Heavenly Orbits Were Overlaid on the Tabernacle Dimensions

The position about the tabernacle as an image for the tomb was prompted after I had made a tantalizing discovery about its design features. While studying its construction details I detected something odd where three of the four numerical weights of the gold and silver treasures to decorate the tabernacle had the same numerical values as the lunar month, two solar years, and five lunar years.

Because they were listed as gold and silver weights the notion of a treasure trail was beckoning. It led me to examine the dimensions of the tabernacle to see if there were more of the planetary orbits to be detected. It was a sensational exercise because I found that the designers of the tabernacle had proportioned the structure, so that its various dimensions in the biblical units of square cubits had the same numerical values as the orbits of the seven planets together with several unusual time periods.

The cosmic data in the dimensions of the tabernacle transfigured the hardware structure of boards and curtains into a metaphysical heaven on earth. This would account for the statement in the Book of Hebrews that Jesus had not entered the holy places made of hands, because the tabernacle was designed with the cosmic configuration of a planetarium. The tabernacle therefore was an ideal abstract forum for the gospel writers to relate the paranormal events at the tomb on a higher metaphysical plane.

Mary Magdalene and the Purification Ritual at the Tabernacle

The Book of Hebrews was setting the agenda with the tabernacle and there was more evidence to follow where it stated: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens shall be purified with these.” (Hebrews 9:23) The main patterns of things in the heavens were the regular orbits of the planets but it was puzzling as to how they could be purified.

On further investigation of the celestial data in the dimensions of the tabernacle I found a possible answer. I detected a relationship between the orbits of the planets and the other time periods. It began where the orbit of Mercury had a ratio with seven and fourteen years and Venus had a ratio with eight years.

Two of those periods with seven and eight years were outlined in 4Q319 of the Dead Sea Scrolls as conjunctions. Those conjunctions were spectacular because Mercury actually crosses the face of the sun in irregular intervals of seven years while Venus does the same in intervals of eight years.

The picture developed further when I found that the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn also had long term conjunctions. It was therefore astonishing to find that the equivalent numerical values of those conjunctions had also been factored into the tabernacle structure.

The validity of the unusual data was confirmed when I found that recordings of several of those conjunctions had been written on Babylonian tablets dating back to the 4th century BC. The conjunctions were called ‘goal years’ possibly because they were quite rare.

Planet conjunctions have goal years, where light overcomes darkness. (Stas1995 / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Planet conjunctions have goal years, where light overcomes darkness. (Stas1995 / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Those conjunctions opened a door into a secret Hebrew purification ritual, which could be explained with the concept of light overcoming darkness. The planets follow their regular orbits around the sun through the dark abyss of the night sky until eventually they reached their goal years.

With Mercury it was normally after seven years when a conjunction was formed where it crossed the face of the sun. The conjunction of Venus, crossing the face of the sun, was normally eight years.
These spectacles were obviously seen by the Hebrews as a cosmic display of light overcoming darkness. Because Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn cannot cross the face of the sun from our standpoint here on Earth, their goal years had to be deducted through theoretical calculations.

Try to visualize the scene when the high priest approached the tabernacle at the rising of the sun once a year on the Day of Atonement. The earthly manifestation of the heavenly spectacle would have happened when he pulled back the entrance curtain and dividing veil of the tabernacle. It would have been a dazzling display as the rays of the rising sun reflected on the golden tabernacle walls, the gold plated Ark of the Covenant, table, incense altar, and women’s looking glasses like an instant flash of lightning.

The earthly manifestation of the heavenly spectacle would have been a dazzling display. (tomertu / Adobe Stock)

The earthly manifestation of the heavenly spectacle would have been a dazzling display. (tomertu / Adobe Stock)

The planets in the darkness of the tabernacle would have been purified by the dazzling display of light. This scene was aptly symbolized in the Book of Revelation as a war in heaven where Satan and the dark angels were cast down to earth. The evidence suggested that those dark angels or demons were portrayed as the seven planets in the tabernacle in this staged purification ritual of light overcoming darkness.

The evidence indicates that the high priest’s role was to enable the purification ritual and cast out the seven demons as depicted by the planets. Who was the only person in the New Testament who was identified by this high priests role? It was Mary Magdalene because it stated in the gospels “Out of whom went seven demons.” (Luke 8:1-3)

It indicated that Mary Magdalene had already acquired the status of high priestess when she went to the tomb because the seven demons had been exorcised. She was present at the tomb in all of the four gospels to view what was akin to the transfiguration with the dazzling display of the rising sun. Her high priestess status explains why Jesus gave her the mission of telling the apostles of his resurrection.

The exorcism of Mary Magdalene. (Aavindraa / Public Domain)

The exorcism of Mary Magdalene. (Aavindraa / Public Domain)

Conclusion

It was revolutionary where the gospel writers had covertly deemed Mary Magdalene to be the successor of Jesus. However, even though the message was hidden in plain sight, the cryptic presentation was not understood and so Mary Magdalene never got her due recognition.

There was worse to follow where she was wrongly judged to have been a prostitute by Pope Gregory in the 5th century AD. Despite the Vatican correcting the injustice in 1969, that image of a harlot still lingers. In 2016, Pope Frances upgraded Mary Magdalene’s Memorial Day to a Feast Day on par with the apostles.

Following these arguments, it is the opinion of this writer that it is time the religious authorities followed in the radical footsteps of Jesus and the gospel writers and announce Mary Magdalene as the successor of Christ and also recognize her as the first Pope.

Top image: The appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena. Mary Magdalene sees the risen Jesus alone. Source: Alex Bakharev / Public Domain.

By Michael Hearns

I have written up the research findings in a book entitled, Mary Magdalene – The First Pope.
[Online] Available at: www.sevenbiblewonders.com.

 

Comments

To be pedantic, she couldn’t be a pope, because ‘pope’ means ‘father’!

However, this is interesting in relation to the fact that Jesus instructed his followers not to call anyone ‘father’ except for God himself

If you look at your own example (John 20:6-14), Mary Magdalene did not enter the tomb, only looked inside. Peter was the one to enter this inner sanctum; your argument falls apart right there.

The only place Mary Magdalene held such an exalted position among the apostles is in some of the gnostic writings which is where I believe you got these ideas. As such, you can hardly expect mainstream Christianity to take this idea seriously even if you believe it yourself.

Gary Moran's picture

Sorry, have to call you on that one, whether she was the pope or his wife, it would not make all Christians be Catholics. I have not heard of any religion that does not have off-shoots or groups that split from the main core of beliefs to establish branches or new groups. Many of those are in direct opposition to the originals in many ways. 

mhearns's picture

Gary, The importance of the discovery was that the new evidence indicates that Mary Magdalene was the successor of Jesus. It follows on that she sjould be recognised as the first Pope. This would have major implications for the Catholic Church because it would pave the way for the ordiunation of women to the priesthood. It is quite possible that if Mary Magdalene was given her true recognition at the beginning of christianity there still would be only one Christian church. Michael (author)    

Gary Moran's picture

I don’t think Baptists had Popes, even in those days.  

Michael Hearns's picture

Michael

Michael Hearns is from Ireland and he has been involved for many years conducting independent research on some of the cryptic puzzles and unsolved mysteries in the Bible. Many of those puzzles involved numbers and time periods. Michael is the... Read More

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