Mary Magdalene Unveiled

Mary Magdalene Unveiled: Hidden Sources Restore her Broken Image by Annine van der Meer was first published in Dutch in 2021 and translated by the author into English in 2023, and was edited by our very own David Lorimer. It is useful, but not necessary, to have a copy of The Gospel of the Beloved Companion, translated by Jehanne de Quillan alongside Mary Magdalene Unveiled.

In 2010, a beautiful, ancient, and historical document was released to the world in English translation. It was thought to have come to Roman Gaul, now the Languedoc region of Southwest France sometime during the first half of the first century AD. Originally written in Greek, it was then translated into Occitan in the early years of the twelfth century AD and guarded to this day safely by the families and community into whose possession it came. De Quillan, who is one of that community, painstakingly took years to translate word for word this exquisite codex, keeping it pure to the original. For the reader’s convenience, she also offers modern punctuation to complement the original, which was unpunctuated as was the custom at that time.

Since publication, one of the questions raised is that no one outside of de Quillan’s community has laid eyes upon the original text, causing some skepticism in academia about its validity. De Quillan holds her ground in protecting this valuable source, suggesting that readers decide for themselves – which van der Meer takes up in Mary Magdalene Unveiled.

Van der Meer, an adept scholar of the feminine Wisdom traditions, offers her fascinating and personal interpretation of the Gospel of the Beloved Companion. She incorporates her knowledge of religious and women’s studies to validate indisputable and publicly available facts surrounding her belief in the authenticity of this ancient text.

Mary Magdalene Unveiled clarifies a great deal. Some of the questions van der Meer addresses include: Why are there so many Marys in the Bible? What does the Migdalah mean? How does one make sense of the Canonical Gospels versus the Apocryphal Gospels? Was God masculine or feminine? Were Yeshua (Jesus) and Mary Magdalene married, and did they have children?

Van der Meer shows the reader that it was Miryam, commonly known as Mary Magdalene, who was the beloved disciple – or companion as de Quillan translates – and uses the name Miryam throughout the book. She also investigates Miryam as both a concept and a construct.

Van der Meer carefully follows the text of The Gospel of the Beloved Companion along with The Gospel of the Beloved Disciple, which is most commonly attributed to John and other, ancient male, disciples as well. Van der Meer offers convincing evidence that The Gospel of John was redacted from Miryam’s original manuscript and earlier text. Van der Meer goes further to detail the deliberate twisting of language in the Canonical Bible to suit the needs of the leaders at the time. She explores how patriarchs reduced and redacted valuable leadership roles held by women that led to the corruption of the feminine, Wisdom traditions.

One of the most despicable of these corruptions was the public shaming of Miryam by transforming her into a prostitute, a role society has long demeaned and condemned. Efforts were successful to denigrate and persecute her name, and to deny her relationship as wife to Jesus. Paradoxically, one must ask why in France, Miryam is recognized both as a saint and as a resident, where she ended her life and where her remains lie, contrary to popular belief. There is also the general uncertainty that she ever existed at all.

Van der Meer takes the reader page-by-page through the labyrinthian journey of The Gospel of the Beloved Companion, bringing them into Miryam’s own words and truths as she witnessed them, and guides the reader up into the upper boughs of The Tree of Life then right back down to its mirrored roots. Van der Meer also places the Gospel of the Beloved Companion in context with the Holy Spirit as Sophia or Wisdom, originally a feminine principle but that was usurped from her original title to the masculine rule of law.

This gender reversal was already under way during the lifetimes of Yeshua and Miryam, solidifying patriarchy in the third and fourth centuries AD. The role of women as spiritual leaders as well as healers was reduced and eroded into a male dominated society and religion right across the Mediterranean and European western world. Female leadership became illegal, as highlighted in Occitanie during the Middle Ages when women became the focus of persecution. Any history associated with women’s past and extensive knowledge of the natural world became heretical and punishable by death. Van der Meer is devoted to shifting this masculine imbalance back to its original, cosmic feminine source. Written practically and in well-organised chapters and headings, the book serves also as a reference while being extremely interesting and informative. With that, Mary Magdalene Unveiled is a critical book that very firmly places Miryam, identified with Wisdom at the top of the impenetrable tower where her light remains a shining beacon, for those wishing to participate in the Migdala’s wonderful, illuminating living consciousness.