Source: “The Woman With The Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen And The Holy Grail”, By Margaret Starbird, 1993.
The Blood Royal And The Vine.wav
This podcast explores the provocative theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalen, emphasizing her identity as Mary of Bethany and a daughter of the tribe of Benjamin, suggesting a secret dynastic marriage for political and messianic purposes. The text proposes that Mary Magdalen, referred to as "Magdal-eder" or "Tower of the Flock," was the literal "Sangraal"—the vessel carrying Jesus's royal bloodline—and fled to Egypt and then France after his crucifixion with their unborn child, Sarah. This hidden royal lineage is then linked to the Merovingian monarchs of France, with symbols like the fleur-de-lis and the golden bee suggesting a conscious effort to honor their maternal descent. The document further asserts that Jesus's crucifixion was for sedition as a political figure, rather than blasphemy, forcing his family into secrecy, and that the Black Madonnas in European shrines may symbolize this hidden lineage.
Topic 1: The Identity and Significance of Mary Magdalen Mary Magdalen is presented as a figure of central importance, far beyond what is commonly understood. The Fourth Gospel identifies the woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany as Mary, sister of Lazarus, and the text suggests that Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalen were one and the same person. This unified identity is crucial to the theories presented. The epithet "Magdalen" is proposed to be more than a reference to a Galilean town; it is suggested to be an allusion to "Magdal-eder," meaning "tower of the flock" or "watchtower of the flock" from the Hebrew prophet Micah. This interpretation implies a deep symbolic significance, relating her to the prophesied restoration of Zion and the return of dominion to the "daughter of Jerusalem." If she was indeed the wife of the Messiah, "Magdalen" would equate to "Mary the Great" or "Mary the Elevated," highlighting her elevated status. The canonical Gospels themselves indicate her special precedence within the community of believers, as she was the first person to see and speak to Jesus on Easter Sunday, and her name appears first in six out of seven lists of women accompanying Jesus, even before Mary, the mother of Jesus. This positioning suggests her status as the "First Lady" of the early Christian community. Furthermore, Gnostic Gospels found at Nag Hammadi confirm her role as an intimate companion or "consort" of Jesus, a relationship that reportedly aroused jealousy among the Apostles.
Topic 2: The Secret Dynastic Marriage of Jesus and Mary of Bethany A core premise of the source is the suspicion that Jesus had a secret dynastic marriage with Mary of Bethany. She is believed to be a daughter of the tribe of Benjamin, whose ancestral lands surrounded Jerusalem. Such a marriage between Jesus, a messianic Son of David, and a royal Benjamite daughter would have been perceived as politically and spiritually potent, a source of healing and hope for Israel during its occupation by Rome. This union would have held particular appeal for the fundamentalist Zealot faction of the Jewish nation, symbolizing the intertwining destinies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, historically close allies. The secrecy of this marriage is attributed to the need to protect the royal bloodline from the Romans and the Herodian tetrarchs. After Jesus's crucifixion, safeguarding his wife and family would have been a sacred duty for those few who knew their true identities, leading to deliberate obscuring or eradication of references to the marriage in subsequent texts.
Topic 3: The Sangraal (Holy Grail) as the Royal Bloodline The traditional understanding of the Sangraal, or Holy Grail, as a literal chalice is challenged and reinterpreted. Instead, the source proposes that the Sangraal was not a physical cup but rather the royal bloodline of Israel, specifically the direct descendants of Jesus. In this context, Mary Magdalen herself is identified as the "vessel" or "chalice" that contained this royal bloodline, particularly after conceiving a child with Jesus. She is seen as the bearer of the hope of Israel, embodying the promises of the Millennium. This symbolic redefinition shifts the focus from a mystical object to the tangible continuation of a sacred lineage through the physical person of Mary Magdalen and her offspring. This understanding connects directly to ancient legends of the Sangraal, where Joseph of Arimathea is often cited as its custodian, here interpreted as the custodian of the royal bloodline.
Topic 4: Jesus as a Political Figure and His Zealot Connections The source strongly argues for understanding Jesus as a significant political figure rather than solely a religious one. It suggests that the charges leading to his crucifixion were primarily sedition, not merely blasphemy. This interpretation aligns with the fact that crucifixion was a Roman punishment reserved for insurrectionists, not a Jewish form of execution for blasphemy. Evidence for Jesus's political leanings and connections to the Zealot faction is presented: several of his Apostles, such as Judas Iscariot (associated with the radical Sicarii, or "Sons of the Dagger") and Simon the Cananean (whose name's root word is "Zealot"), were known militant extremists. The "marriage of Cana," where water was turned into wine, is even reinterpreted as a symbolic "marriage of the Zealots," signifying new messianic hope. Jesus's actions, like overturning the money changers' tables in the Temple, are presented as a radical challenge to the collaborating religious establishment and Roman authority, sparking popular movements that threatened provincial stability. His public acclaim as "King of the Jews" was viewed by Roman and Jewish authorities as an acute political threat, leading to his execution to prevent further rebellion.
Topic 5: The Metaphor of the "Vine" and the Transplanting of the Davidic Line The biblical metaphor of the "vine" is extensively used to symbolize the chosen people of God and, more specifically, the royal Davidic line of Judah. Passages from Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel describe the vine as God's cherished plant, sometimes depicting it as feminine ("Thy wife is like a fruitful vine") or lamenting its uprooting and loss of a royal branch, referring to the deposed Davidic princes. This metaphor provides a prophetic framework for understanding the need to protect and transplant the royal bloodline of Jesus. The Zealot fundamentalist friends of Jesus would have been familiar with prophecies of the "vine" being transplanted, as had happened when Israel was taken to Babylon. Thus, following Jesus's crucifixion, the preservation of his family—the living embodiment of the Davidic vine—would have been a desperate and top priority for his loyal followers to ensure the continuation of the messianic lineage.
Topic 6: The Flight of Mary Magdalen and Her Child to Egypt and France After Jesus's crucifixion, Mary Magdalen is believed to have fled Jerusalem, likely pregnant, due to the extreme danger posed to Jesus's wife and potential heir. Her disappearance from canonical New Testament accounts after the Ascension, while her presence is prominent in Gnostic Gospels, supports the idea of a secret departure. Egypt, particularly Alexandria with its established Jewish communities, is presented as the most probable initial place of asylum, given its traditional role as a refuge for Jews threatened in Israel. Years later, it is suggested that Mary Magdalen, accompanied by Joseph of Arimathea, Martha, and Lazarus, sought an even safer haven on the coast of France. This journey is recounted in Old French legends, providing a narrative for the hidden royal family's survival and relocation away from the immediate threat in Israel. The ultimate destination in France served as a place where the royal bloodline could be secretly preserved for generations.
Topic 7: Supporting Evidence from Ancient Scrolls and Communities The source highlights the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls (found at Qumran) and the Gnostic Gospels (found at Nag Hammadi) in providing alternative perspectives on early Christianity and Jesus's context. The Qumran community, authors of many Dead Sea Scrolls, was radically anti-Roman, anti-establishment, apocalyptic, and messianist, strongly expecting the restoration of the Davidic line. Their beliefs, including the denunciation of the corrupted Temple cult, resonate with aspects of Jesus's ministry. The discovery of these scrolls, especially those predating existing copies of canonical Gospels by centuries, offers invaluable information on the roots of the Christian movement and supports the idea of Jesus as a Davidic Messiah challenging Roman authority. Similarly, the Gnostic Gospels, such as the Gospel of Philip, explicitly describe Mary Magdalen as an "intimate companion" or "consort" of Jesus, providing direct textual support for the close relationship alluded to in the theory of a secret marriage. These ancient texts survived purges by the orthodox church, offering alternative historical and theological insights.
Topic 8: The Festival of Saint Sarah the Egyptian and Symbolic "Blackness" A "fossil of truth" is found in the annual festival in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France, honoring Saint Sarah the Egyptian, also known as Sara Kali or the "Black Queen." This medieval festival celebrates a "young, dark-skinned girl-child" who accompanied Mary Magdalen, Martha, and Lazarus to France. The source proposes that this "Egyptian" child, whose name Sarah means "queen" or "princess" in Hebrew, was in fact the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalen, born in Egypt. Her "blackness" is interpreted symbolically, not literally. It is linked to the biblical description of the Davidic princes as "blacker than soot" and "unrecognized on the streets" in Lamentations. This symbolic "blackness" also connects to the "hidden state" of Mary Magdalen and her child, unrecognized and repudiated by the orthodox church in its efforts to deny the legitimate bloodline and promote doctrines of Jesus's divinity and celibacy. The festival thus becomes a hidden veneration of this "Black Princess," a descendant of the royal Davidic line.
Topic 9: The Merovingian Connection to the Royal Bloodline A significant claim is that the royal bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalen ultimately flowed into the Merovingian monarchs of France. The very name "Merovingian" is suggested to be a linguistic fossil, phonetically breaking down into "mer" and "vin" (Mary and the vine), alluding to the "vine of Mary" or "vine of the Mother." Further evidence is drawn from Merovingian symbolism: their royal emblem, the fleur-de-lis (iris), interpreted not as the Trinity but as an ancient masculine symbol for Israel and the Davidic bloodline. Their family totem, the golden bee, is also seen as highly symbolic. Bees are matriarchal, recognizing the queen, and were an Egyptian symbol for royalty. The choice of the bee totem is interpreted as a conscious decision by the Merovingians to reflect their descent through the female line from the royal house of David (and Jesus), thereby honoring Mary Magdalen and her daughter, Sarah. This connection suggests a long-guarded secret genealogy among related European families.
Topic 10: Black Madonnas and the Hidden Mary in European Art and Legend The widespread presence and immense popularity of shrines to the Black Madonna throughout Western Europe are seen as further evidence of the hidden Mary Magdalen and her bloodline. These dark-skinned mother and child images are interpreted as symbolic representations of Mary Magdalen and her daughter, the "Sangraal," who were secretly brought to safety in France by Joseph of Arimathea. The "blackness" of these Madonnas is not a literal depiction but a symbolic reference to the "Black Bride" from the Song of Songs and to the "hidden" or "exiled" status of Mary Magdalen, the "Lost Bride" who was scorned and repudiated by the orthodox church. This imagery is believed to be a poetic echo of the Davidic princes whose appearance became "blacker than soot" due to their deposed status. The practice of black vestments used by the Crusader Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Marian feast days is also cited as a possible symbolic reference to this "other Mary," whose true identity as an exiled queen was secretly guarded for centuries.