The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECTION XXXIV.

LUKE Chap. VIII. Ver. 1, 2, 3.

Certain women that followed Christ.

LUKE again is the warrant for the order. In the former story he had spoken of one woman that had found healing and mercy with Christ, and he speaks here of divers, and among them Mary Magdalen. Now that she was Mary the sister of Lazarus, let but these two arguments be weighed, not to insist upon more. The first is this: If Mary Magdalen were not Mary the sister of Lararus, then Mary the sister of Lazarus gave no attendance at Christs death, nor had any thing to do about his buriall [or at least is not mentioned as an agent at either] which is a thing so incredible to conceive, that it needs not much discourse to set forth the incredibility of it. There is mention of Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Salom, Mark. 15. 40. and Joanna, Luk. 24. 10. but not a word of Mary the sister of Lazarus. She had twice annointed Christ in the compass of that very week, she had ever been as neer and as zealous a woman disciple as any that followed him, and her residence was at Bethany hard by Jerusalem, and what is now become of her in these two great occasions of attending upon Christs death and imbalming? Had she left Christ, and neglected her attendance on him, at this time above all others? or have the Evangelists, whilst they mention the other that attended, left her out? It is so unreasonable to believe either of these, that even necessity inforceth us to conclude, that when they name Mary Magdalen, they mean Mary the sister of Lazarus. And Secondly take this Argument of Baronius, which hath more weight in it then at first sight it doth seem to have, who in his Annals ad Annum Christi 32, goes about to prove this thing that we assert, and he shews how it also was the opinion of the Fathers, and those in former times. His words are these: We say upon the testimony of John the Evangelist nay of Christ himself, that it plainly appears, that Mary the sister of Lazarus, and Mary Magda∣len was but one and the same person. For when in Bethany the same sister of Lazarus annointed the feet of Jesus, and Judas did thereupon take offence, Jesus himself checking the boldness of the furious Disciple, said, Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial: Now that she that brought the oyntment to the sepulcher for the annointing of the body of Jesus, was Mary Magdalen, is affirmed by Mark, and that she with Mary the Mother of James and Salome did that office. When therefore neither in him, nor in any other of the Evangelists there is any mention of Mary the Sister of Lazarus, who was foretold by our Saviour that she should do that office, it may easily be known that both these Maries were but one and the same. At Joh, 12. 7. we shall shew that that speech must be construed to such a sense, as he hath put on it, save only that following the vulgar Latin, he reads sine ut servet, which indeed makes his sense the fuller, but though not so read, yet will that sense be full enough.

It is to be objected indeed, that Mary was called Magdalen, from the place Magdala, of which there is mention Matth. 15. 29. and in Tal. Jerus. in Maazaroth. fol 50. col. 3. in This passage, R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simeon ben Jochai. He had two inclosures, one in Magdala, the other in Tiberias, &c. And in Beracoth fol. 13. col. 1. there is mention of one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 R. Juda of Magdala: now Magdala being in Galilee [as some seat it] or over against Galilee beyond Jordan [as others,] it was so very far distant from Bethany, that Mary the sister of Lazarus, whose Town was Bethany, could not possibly be called Magdalen from Magdala. To which we may first give Baronius his answer, who also mentioneth this objection; That though she were of Bethany by original, and the native seat of her fathers house, yet might she also be of Magdala by marriage, or some

occasional residence otherwise. And in the second place, we may adduce what the Talmudicks speak of one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mary Magdalen, or Megaddala, for the word is of doubtful pointing, whom they character for a notorious strumpet in those times that Jesus of Nazareth lived. Alphez. in Gittin. fol. 605. Some man finds a fly in his cup, and takes her out and will not drink, and this was the temper of Papus the son of Judah, who locked the door upon his wife whensoever he went out. The glossaries R. Solamon and Nissim, upon this passage comment thus: Papus the son of Judah, was husband 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to Mary Magdala, and whensoever he went forth he locked the door upon his wife, lest she should speak with any man, which was a usage unfitting, and hereupon there arose discord between them, and she plaid the whore against him. Now they construe the latter word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as signifying one that broided or plated her hair, which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Peter blames in wo∣men, 1 Pet. 3. 3. Tal. Babyl, Venet. in Sanhedr. per. 7. is speaking of one that inticed to Idolatry, and how he was brought to the Sanhedrin and stoned. And thus, say they, they did to Ben Saida in Lydda, and hanged him on the Passeover eve. Ben Saida was the son of Pandira. [They call our Saviour blasphemously by this name Ben Saida.] And a little after. His mother was Saida. His mother was Mary Magdalen, Mary the platter of womens hair. vid etiam Schab. fol. 104. And in Chagigah fol. 4. The Angel of death said to his messenger, Go fetch me 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mary the broider of womens hair; He went and fetched Mary Magdala, or Mary the broider of hair for young men. Now whether the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be read Magdela or Magdila, a Participle in Hiphil, which is most pro∣per, and so warranted by Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and Kelim per. 15.] or Megaddela in Piel: either of them in a Greek dress, especially the former, come so near the sound of the word in hand, that we may very well construe Mary Magdalen in this Talmudick construction for a woman of common infamy, and that hath this nick-name of Magdila from her lasci∣vious dress and carriage. Observe Lukes expression, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Mary which was called Magdalen: which manner of phrase is rarely used when persons are named after their Country.