In researching the historical context of the Gospel of Mary of Magdala, I found that the work, referred to as only the Gospel of Mary, is regarded by some not to be of Mary Magdalene at all. I recall that during our discussion, someone brought up the fact that there are many Marys associated with Jesus’s life. It’s true that most scholars regard the Mary referred to in the Gospel to be Mary Magdalene, supported by passages that seem to equate to sections of the Gospel of Philip that explicitly refer to her. Still, my attention was caught by the idea that despite the fact that we have been referring to it with her name and her character and portrayal in the other Gospels was so central to our discussions. The runner up possibility for the central character is Mary the mother of Jesus. The phrase that especially caught my interest in regards to this theory is the verse in which Peter addresses her saying “Sister, we know that the savior loved you more than all other women.” Jesus is not commonly recognized to have had any wife or even sister. Is is possible that he could have loved Mary of Magdala “more than all other women” in the eyes of the apostles, but this line referring to his mother, whom he is indicated to respect and obey in other portions of scripture such as the story of the wedding in Canaan, would make a lot of sense. It’s an interesting idea, but Peter referring to Mary as “sister” in this verse and other places in the text may be a form of address more appropriate for Mary of Magdala. In addition, Mary the mother of Jesus is highly regarded among many Christian denominations as a symbol of purity and sinlessness. This image is in stark contrast to the common depiction of Mary Magdalene as a former prostitute or having been possessed by seven demons. It bears consideration that the reception of the Gospel by the church, and even the teachings of Mary by the apostles within the text, may have been different had they been regarded as coming from the “virgin” Mary. Both women are praised for their holiness and acknowledged as important to Jesus and the spread of his teachings, but are in many ways almost foils to each other. The true meaning of the Gospel of Mary hinges on which Mary’s teachings are really recorded.