UPDATED (25 September 2023) – see after the video following
Biblical scholar Elizabeth Schrader argues that the centrality of Mary Magdalene has been erased in the version of John’s Gospel that we now read by the simple scribal mechanism of changing iota (ι) to theta (θ) – Mary (Μαρία) becomes (Μαρθα). Lazarus, living in the South with his sister Mary, now gains a sister (drawn from Luke 10 in the North, where the two sisters have no brother!)
Mary Magdalene (“the tower”) now no longer makes the central Christological declaration:
Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.
John 11:27
and so Mary Magdalene is less of a danger to those focused on Peter (“the rock”) who makes his similar declaration in Matthew’s Gospel.
Do take time to watch this lecture:
Thank you to Rev. Dr Janet Crawford who pointed me to this research.
UPDATE: I appreciate receiving a reply from Elizabeth giving permission to share the following
Resources are available at the bottom of the page of this link
Two are not open access, but the HTR paper has an Open Access version at this link
Dr. Ally Kateusz has a helpful slideshow available to view at this link
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