Lost for more than fifteen hundred years, the Gospel of Mary is the only existing early Christian gospel written in the name of a woman. Karen L. King tells the story of the recovery of this remarkable gospel and offers a new translation.



Lost for more than fifteen hundred years, the Gospel of Mary is the only existing early Christian gospel written in the name of a woman. Unlike the controversial Jesus’ Wife fragment, the Gospel of Mary does not claim Jesus was married, but it does depict Mary as a disciple. What’s more, she is a leader among the disciples—one to whom Jesus’ male disciples turned for wisdom and advice. The apostle Peter even specifically asks Mary to interpret the words of Jesus.