BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Scandalous Women in the Bible

Mary Magdalene, Jezebel, Rahab, Lilith. Today, each is considered one of the most scandalous women in the Bible. Are these so-condemned salacious women misrepresented? Have they been misunderstood? In this Bible History Daily feature, examine the lives of four women in the Bible who are more than they seem. Explore the Biblical and historical texts and traditions that shaped how these women are commonly viewed today.


Mary magdalene, a bad woman of the Bible

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? Photo: Private Collection/Bridgeman Art Library/Courtesy of IAP Fine Art.

Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute who repented or simply an influential female follower of Jesus? Mary from Magdala has popularly been saddled with an unfavorable reputation, but how did this notion come about? In From Saint to Sinner, Birger A. Pearson examines how Mary Magdalene’s notoriety emerged in the early Christian tradition. Pearson writes that later interpreters of the Gospels attempted to diminish her “by identifying her with other women mentioned in the Gospels, most notably the unnamed sinful woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with ointment and whose sins he forgives (Luke 7:36–50) and the unnamed woman taken in adultery (John 7:53–8:11).”

Read From Saint to Sinner by Birger A. Pearson as it originally appeared in Bible Review.


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Jezebel, a bad woman of the Bible

Who was Jezebel? Image: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, UK/Bridgeman Art Library.

Who Was Jezebel? How Bad Was She?

Who was Jezebel? For over 2,000 years, Jezebel, Israel’s most accursed queen, has been condemned as a murderer, a temptress and an enemy of God. Who was Jezebel, really? Was she really that bad? In How Bad Was Jezebel? Janet Howe Gaines rereads the Biblical narrative from the vantage point of the Phoenician wife of King Ahab. As Gaines writes, “To attain a more positive assessment of Jezebel’s troubled reign and a deeper understanding of her role, we must evaluate the motives of the Biblical authors who condemn the queen.”
Read Janet Howe Gaines’s article How Bad Was Jezebel? as it originally appeared in Bible Review.


Rahab the Harlot, a bad woman of the Bible

Rahab the Harlot or just the inkeeper? Image: CCI/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY.

Rahab the Harlot?

As described in the Book of Joshua, Rahab (a heroine nonetheless known as “Rahab the Harlot”) assisted two Israelite spies in escaping down the city wall of Jericho. Was Rahab a Biblical prostitute? While the Biblical text identifies her as a zônāh, a prostitute (Joshua 2:1), Josephus reports that she kept an inn. Anthony J. Frendo critically examines the textual evidence.

Read about Anthony J. Frendo’s conclusions on Rahab the Harlot.


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Lilith, a bad woman of the Bible

Who is Lilith? Courtesy of Richard Callner, Latham, NY.

Who Is Lilith?

Fertile mother, wilderness demon, sly seductress—the resilient character Lilith has been recast in many roles. Who is Lilith? As Janet Howe Gaines writes, “In most manifestations of her myth, Lilith represents chaos, seduction and ungodliness. Yet, in her every guise, Lilith has cast a spell on humankind.” Follow Lilith’s journey from Babylonian mythology, through the Bible, to medieval lore and modern literature in Lilith by Janet Howe Gaines.

Read Lilith by Janet Howe Gaines as the article originally appeared in Bible Review.


The Bible History Daily feature “Scandalous Women in the Bible” was originally published on April 28, 2014.


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8 Responses

  1. Samuel H Bess says:

    Once again, Lilith is a mythical character not in the Cannon. Do not connect her to the Bible. Biblical Archeology is often guilty of liberal constructs to push their scholarship and
    unfaithful support to the Bible as the only source for truth and life.

  2. Nita Hammersmith says:

    Mary Magdalene, was a woman possessed with seven demons! She heard about Jesus and went to see Him. He cured her of all her demons and for that she gave her time and monies to spread the good News of the Gospel, and to take care of him and those working with him. So was Joanna and other women Jesus cured.

    1. Kathryn says:

      Well said Nita! Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute as so many believe. In 591 Pope Gregory the Great, gave a homily mixing up his Marys’ hence Mary Magdalene was branded as a prostitute. Artists then depicted her as a prostitute. This error was corrected by the Vatican in 1969. In 2016 Mary was ‘Sainted’ and has a Saints Feast Day in July. She was also named the ‘Apostle to the Apostles’. There is very little truly known about Mary; even her place of birth is questionable, or where she went to after the crucifixion. Everyone seems to speculate, and this leads to incorrect information and confusion. Until reliable historians and archaeologists find out further information, we can only depend on what we read in the Bible.

      With regard to the King James Bible it was published quite late on, and it depends on which ‘saved’ bible they used for translation. However, I agree with Daniel’s second comment / paragraph.

  3. Daniel says:

    Well, in the King James version of the Bible, Lilith is described as an owl, however in other versions the description is somewhat different. In the Jewish Midrash Lilith is the first woman and wife of Adam.

    Mary Magdalene of course was not described as a prostitute until Pope Gregory in 591 AD who accidentally or otherwise confused her with repentant sinner who washed Jesus’ feet.

  4. Rob Palmer says:

    The hard illustration with Mary Magdalene portrays a hard, coarse face of a less attractive woman. What if Mary was simply a very attractive sexually liberated woman without the hard face? Would that disappoint a lot of people? I would prefer to remember her that way. A recent book by Londoner Laurence Gardner reveals lineage charts from Mary going down to Charlemagne and his Carolingian lineage, which has many descendants to this day; must they all accept a hard image of their ancestor?

  5. D Kennedy says:

    The owl, as a symbol of wisdom, was also the mascot of Athena, the patroness of Athens, and goddess of wisdom, among other things.

    While Lilith (in connection with the Babylonian wise men) is mentioned once, in Isaiah, the version we know from the Talmud is part of a common Near Eastern folklore.

    A modern example is the movie “Fatal Attraction.” While the conflict here is superficiailly between the Michael Douglas and Glenn Close characters, the real conflict is between the Glenn Close and Anne Archer characters. Michael Douglas merely looks in charge.

  6. Ryan says:

    Lillith (see Isaiah) was a Babylonian character represented by an owl, because Babylonians thought of the owl as “wise/wisdom.” Isaiah mentions Lilith one time, and is condemning the “Babylonian wise men (their wisdom has ceased, they are cruel men, without knowledge).”

    America even uses the same image (see the $1 bill) for “wisdom,” which comes from the ancient Canaanites.

  7. janicel11 says:

    There was no Lillith in the Bible. lillith meant owl in the bible, and so any apocryphal books that mention ‘her’ are making up a myth from ancient pagan stories

Write a Reply or Comment

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8 Responses

  1. Samuel H Bess says:

    Once again, Lilith is a mythical character not in the Cannon. Do not connect her to the Bible. Biblical Archeology is often guilty of liberal constructs to push their scholarship and
    unfaithful support to the Bible as the only source for truth and life.

  2. Nita Hammersmith says:

    Mary Magdalene, was a woman possessed with seven demons! She heard about Jesus and went to see Him. He cured her of all her demons and for that she gave her time and monies to spread the good News of the Gospel, and to take care of him and those working with him. So was Joanna and other women Jesus cured.

    1. Kathryn says:

      Well said Nita! Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute as so many believe. In 591 Pope Gregory the Great, gave a homily mixing up his Marys’ hence Mary Magdalene was branded as a prostitute. Artists then depicted her as a prostitute. This error was corrected by the Vatican in 1969. In 2016 Mary was ‘Sainted’ and has a Saints Feast Day in July. She was also named the ‘Apostle to the Apostles’. There is very little truly known about Mary; even her place of birth is questionable, or where she went to after the crucifixion. Everyone seems to speculate, and this leads to incorrect information and confusion. Until reliable historians and archaeologists find out further information, we can only depend on what we read in the Bible.

      With regard to the King James Bible it was published quite late on, and it depends on which ‘saved’ bible they used for translation. However, I agree with Daniel’s second comment / paragraph.

  3. Daniel says:

    Well, in the King James version of the Bible, Lilith is described as an owl, however in other versions the description is somewhat different. In the Jewish Midrash Lilith is the first woman and wife of Adam.

    Mary Magdalene of course was not described as a prostitute until Pope Gregory in 591 AD who accidentally or otherwise confused her with repentant sinner who washed Jesus’ feet.

  4. Rob Palmer says:

    The hard illustration with Mary Magdalene portrays a hard, coarse face of a less attractive woman. What if Mary was simply a very attractive sexually liberated woman without the hard face? Would that disappoint a lot of people? I would prefer to remember her that way. A recent book by Londoner Laurence Gardner reveals lineage charts from Mary going down to Charlemagne and his Carolingian lineage, which has many descendants to this day; must they all accept a hard image of their ancestor?

  5. D Kennedy says:

    The owl, as a symbol of wisdom, was also the mascot of Athena, the patroness of Athens, and goddess of wisdom, among other things.

    While Lilith (in connection with the Babylonian wise men) is mentioned once, in Isaiah, the version we know from the Talmud is part of a common Near Eastern folklore.

    A modern example is the movie “Fatal Attraction.” While the conflict here is superficiailly between the Michael Douglas and Glenn Close characters, the real conflict is between the Glenn Close and Anne Archer characters. Michael Douglas merely looks in charge.

  6. Ryan says:

    Lillith (see Isaiah) was a Babylonian character represented by an owl, because Babylonians thought of the owl as “wise/wisdom.” Isaiah mentions Lilith one time, and is condemning the “Babylonian wise men (their wisdom has ceased, they are cruel men, without knowledge).”

    America even uses the same image (see the $1 bill) for “wisdom,” which comes from the ancient Canaanites.

  7. janicel11 says:

    There was no Lillith in the Bible. lillith meant owl in the bible, and so any apocryphal books that mention ‘her’ are making up a myth from ancient pagan stories

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