Source: “The Woman With The Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen And The Holy Grail”, By Margaret Starbird, 1993.
This podcast explores the enduring mystery of the Holy Grail, proposing that its traditional interpretation as a chalice might obscure a deeper meaning: the "Sangraal" as "royal blood." It delves into medieval legends linking Mary Magdalen and Joseph of Arimathea to the Grail's arrival in France, suggesting that Magdalen, potentially as Jesus's wife, carried his Davidic bloodline. The text also critiques the Roman Catholic Church's suppression of Grail legends, arguing they represent an alternative version of early Christianity that challenged orthodox doctrines. Furthermore, it posits that Mary Magdalen, often mischaracterized as a prostitute, was in fact Mary of Bethany and possibly the "Sister-Bride" figure from ancient mythologies, highlighting how her portrayal in art and literature evolved to reflect a profound, even marital, connection with Jesus.
Topic 1: The Holy Grail Legends The Holy Grail is presented as one of the most sacred Christian relics, often described as the chalice from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. Later legends also assert that it was the vessel that contained the blood of Christ. According to these myths, the Grail was tragically lost and remains hidden, leading to a wounded king and a desolate kingdom. The legends promise that finding this sacred vessel will heal the king and restore well-being. The search for the Grail is a widely known and sorrowed-over quest in Christendom. Various European legends attribute its transport to Western Europe, either by Joseph of Arimathea, who supposedly brought two cruets of Jesus's blood and sweat to Glastonbury, England, along with a blooming hawthorn staff, or by Mary Magdalen, who is said to have brought the "Sangraal" to the southern coast of France. Regardless of the specific origin, the core message of the lore is that the Grail is holy, worth searching for, currently lost or hidden, and possesses the power to heal a wasteland if discovered. It is universally considered a Christian relic, made holy by Jesus's touch, making it the most sacred and elusive artifact in Western civilization.
Topic 2: The Roman Catholic Church's Relationship with the Grail The Roman Catholic Church has consistently shown a lack of enthusiasm for the Holy Grail and its associated legends. This stance is suggested to stem from the possibility that the Grail mystery and its followers represent an alternative form of Christianity. In this "other" Christianity, the priesthood's authority is believed to derive directly from Jesus himself, bypassing the sanction of the established Church. Such an alternative would naturally be considered anathema and heresy by the orthodox church, which explains its efforts to suppress the Holy Grail narratives and their adherents.
Topic 3: Alternative vs. Orthodox Christianity Heresy is defined not by a lack of truth, but by divergence from the official doctrines of the orthodox church. From its earliest days, Christianity was not a monolithic entity but comprised several parallel versions, each with distinct beliefs and interpretations of the Gospel message. Over centuries, the message of Jesus became institutionalized, leading to the gradual development of doctrines that did not always align with the faith of the early Jewish Christians in first-century Palestine. The official version, known as the "Faith of Our Fathers," emerged from church councils in the third and fourth centuries A.D. These councils, often influenced by Roman emperors or political factions, voted on and articulated core doctrines such as the nature of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, and the virginity of Mary. They also determined which Jewish scriptures and early Christian gospels and epistles would be included in the official Bible canon. A key criterion for inclusion was that a writing must be the authentic work of an Apostle of Jesus, though modern scholarship casts doubt on whether any of the four Gospels were actually written by Apostles or if their writers even knew the historical Jesus. Evidence also suggests that portions of the Gospels may have been deleted, added, or censored over time, challenging the notion of the existing canon as the sole version of divine scripture.
Topic 4: The Alternative Interpretation of "Sangraal" as "Blood Royal" While "Sangraal" is often linked to "gradates," meaning "cup," "platter," or "basin" in the Provencal language, a highly provocative and enlightening alternative derivation exists. By breaking the Old French word "sangraal" after the 'g', it becomes "sang raal," which translates to "blood royal." This reinterpretation dramatically shifts the understanding of the Grail legend: instead of a physical vessel, the story suggests Mary Magdalen brought "blood royal" to the Mediterranean coast of France. This leads to the profound question of whether the "royal blood" could have been carried in an "earthen vessel" referring metaphorically to a woman. The text explores the idea that Mary Magdalen might have been the wife of Jesus and carried a child of his to Provence, thus literally bearing the Sangraal, the royal bloodline of Israel, which traces back to King David.
Topic 5: The Identity and Intimacy of Mary Magdalen The source presents strong evidence suggesting that Mary Magdalen is the same person as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary of Bethany is depicted as someone who sat at Jesus's feet, absorbing his teachings, and later anointed him with nard. Mary Magdalen, mentioned in other Gospels, is described as having been healed by Jesus of seven demons, present at the foot of the cross, and the first to arrive at the tomb on Easter morning, where she encountered the risen Jesus and called him "Rabboni," indicating a deep affection and intimacy. The Western church has a long-standing tradition supporting the idea of only one cherished friend of Jesus named Mary. The biblical Song of Solomon, often interpreted as an allegory of God's love for his people, was popular in the Middle Ages, with figures like Saint Bernard of Clairvaux equating the bride of the song symbolically with the church and the soul, and identifying this "Bride" prototype with Mary of Bethany. Bernard also repeatedly suggested that Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalen were the same person. This association was broadly accepted, and Pope Saint Gregory I explicitly proclaimed them to be the same in the sixth century, equating Mary Magdalen with the "sinner" from Luke's Gospel and Mary of Bethany.
Topic 6: Mary Magdalen and the "Sacred Prostitute" Stigma Despite the widespread stigma, the sources clarify that nowhere in the Gospels is Mary Magdalen explicitly stated to have been a prostitute, though Mark and Luke mention her healing from seven demons. The text suggests that the anointing of Jesus by a woman with an alabaster jar at Bethany may have been misinterpreted by Luke's Gospel author. This anointing ritual, it is proposed, was similar to practices of "sacred priestesses" or "temple prostitutes" (hierodulae) in ancient Goddess cults, a term often misunderstood by modern translators. These consecrated women were highly esteemed in the classical world, acting as invokers of love, ecstasy, and fertility, with their importance dating back to the Neolithic period when God was honored as feminine. Sexuality in the ancient world was considered sacred, a gift from the goddess of love. Even in Jewish history, such priestesses were sometimes part of ritual worship in the Temple of Jerusalem, despite some prophets deploring the influence of the Great Goddess Ashera.
Topic 7: The Sacred Marriage and Anointing Rituals The anointing of Jesus by the woman with the alabaster jar is presented as a ritual familiar to citizens of the Roman Empire due to the cultic practices of their love goddesses. Jesus's statement that the woman anointed him for burial would have been profoundly understood by early Christians, as anointing for burial was a key part of the cult rituals of dying/rising sun and fertility gods across the Mediterranean. Furthermore, in more ancient times, the anointing of a sacred king was the exclusive privilege of a royal bride. For millennia, this act was part of an actual marriage rite performed by a daughter of the royal house, which conferred kingship upon her consort. This practice persisted in many regions where societies were often matrilineal, with property and position passed through the mother. The anointing in the Gospels, particularly by Mary of Bethany in the Gospel of John, is reminiscent of love poetry connected with the "Sacred Marriage" rites, celebrating the union of a local god and goddess. The true meaning of the anointing at Bethany may have been this "Sacred Marriage of the sacrificed king," a mythological concept readily understood by the Hellenized Christian communities of the Roman Empire.
Topic 8: Mary Magdalen as the Lost Bride of Christian Tradition Mary Magdalen is strongly identified with the "Lost Bride" of Christian tradition, a figure whose presence lies just beneath the surface of more ancient myths. There is a very old tradition in the Western church that equates Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalen, and medieval art further links this woman to the Sister-Bride of ancient mythologies. The concept of the Sister-Bride is crucial: she was not merely the spouse of the sun god, but his intimate friend, partner, mirror image, or "other half," a feminine alter ego or "twin sister." Their relationship transcended physical passion, embodying a deep spiritual intimacy and kinship, essential for the Bridegroom's completeness. Early Christians readily identified Mary Magdalen with the "dark Sister-Bride" in the Song of Songs. Art from the twelfth century began depicting Mary Magdalen as Jesus's partner, drawing on the mythology of Venus/Aphrodite and other love goddesses associated with fertility and marriage. This shift is believed to be linked to the "heresy of the Holy Grail" spreading, causing Mary Magdalen to be depicted not as a repentant sinner, but as Jesus's beloved.
Topic 9: Suppressed Narrative of Mary Magdalen and the Alternative Church The source strongly suggests that the traditional narrative of Jesus and Mary Magdalen was deliberately suppressed. The "heresy of the Holy Grail," which posits an alternative version of Christianity and potentially Mary Magdalen as Jesus's wife and bearer of his royal bloodline, was actively forced underground, particularly through the ruthless tortures of the Inquisition. The text implies that the elevation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to a preeminent status in the thirteenth century, which she did not enjoy in the Gospels, was a deliberate act of suppression aimed at the intimacy previously depicted between Mary Magdalen and Jesus. This historical suppression means that evidence of the "alternative church" or "Church of the Holy Grail" must be sought in "fossils and symbols" found in European art, literature, and even within the New Testament Gospels themselves.
Topic 10: Continuities with Ancient Pagan Mythologies The source highlights significant parallels between the Christian narrative surrounding Mary Magdalen and older pagan mythologies. For instance, medieval and Renaissance paintings often show Magdalen at the foot of the cross and kissing Jesus's feet after his removal, actions that resonate with the mythologies of pagan sun/fertility gods like Osiris, Dumuzi, and Adonis, who were slain and resurrected. In these older myths, the bereaved widow (Isis, Inanna, Aphrodite) lamented over her beloved's corpse. Egyptian mythology, for example, describes Isis, the Sister-Bride of Osiris, conceiving his son posthumously after praying over his mutilated body. The consistent theme is the Bride lamenting the death of the sacrificed god. Striking similarities have been noted between lines in the cultic worship poetry of Isis and Canticles, as well as between the erotic imagery of Canticles and ancient love poetry from Babylon, Sumer, and Canaan, discovered on cuneiform tablets. This suggests that the Christian narrative, particularly concerning the "Lost Bride," rests just below the surface of these more ancient myths, reflecting enduring archetypal patterns of the sacred couple.