Scriptural accounts have been embellished through the centuries

Published: June 25, 2005

By Sister Susan McCarthy, RDC

Historical writer, Thomas Cahill, in his book “Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before And After Jesus” has written a chapter on “Paul’s Jesus.” In his description of Paul’s conversion experience Cahill says, “This pharisee, riding his horse hard toward Damascus …had been knocked from his mount by — what?”

This story of Paul falling from a horse is quite well known in Christian folklore. The scene has even been painted by some of the world’s greatest artists, Michelangelo and Caravaggio among them. Though it takes nothing away from this life-changing event in Paul’s life, the truth is that there is no mention of a horse in the Scripture stories of Paul’s encounter with the Jesus he was persecuting. (Acts 9:3-6; 22:3-21; 26:9-18)

Another well-known Bible story whose facts are not fully authenticated in Scripture is that of the three Wise Men found in the infancy narrative of Matthew’s Gospel. (2:1-12) On the feast of the Epiphany we sing, “We Three Kings of Orient Are” but Matthew in his Gospel says only “… Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” (2:1-2)

Later, they found the child with Mary. “They prostrated themselves and did him homage … and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (2:12) Scripture scholars tell us that the Magi were a caste of Wise Men, variously associated with interpretation of dreams. In the Gospel they appeared as astrologers/astronomers who observed the stars for signs of a major event.

They became “kings” through the influence of several Scripture passages: Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 49:7; 60:10. It seems that they became three kings as a result of the presentation of the three gifts. Eventually in the Western Church, the Magi were even given names: Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior.

Fortunately, as in the case of Paul’s horse, the name and number of these visitors to the infant Jesus is not so important. What is important, and what Matthew stresses in his Gospel, is that these men, these gentiles, were much more welcoming to the Christ child then the Jewish leaders who were not hospitable and should have been expecting him. A more serious distortion of Scripture occurs with the name and character of Mary of Magdala.

Through confusion with several other Marys, Mary Magdalene has come to be seen as a loose, promiscuous woman, and in some cases a prostitute. There is no support for this in the Bible. This is what we know to be true in the Scripture: A woman who was a sinner bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears, dried his feet with her hair, kissed his feet and then anointed them. (Luke 7:38)

In the following chapter in Luke’s Gospel (8:2) Mary Magdalene had seven demons driven from her. In John’s Gospel, Mary of Bethany (the sister of Martha and Lazarus) anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. (John 12:3) What has happened, it seems, is that Mary Magdalene has been confused with the sinner whose sins were assumed to be sexual sins and as well with Mary of Bethany.

In a homily in 591 A.D., Pope Gregory the Great identified these three persons as the same person. Unfortunately, this incorrect identification has continued through the centuries (even among some people until this very day!)

This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic June 25, 2005. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.