Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus ( John 11:1). Mary "of- James-and-of- Joses-the-mother" ( Matthew 27:56). The insistence of both Matthew and Luke to trace Jesus lineage through Joseph is to demonstrate the dominance of legislation over nature. Since Jesus' human genes came from Mary, Jesus was a Jew only by law but not by descent. a close relative) of Elizabeth, who was a Levite of the daughters of Aaron ( Luke 1:36). Contrary to common perception, this Mary was not Jewish but Levite, since she was συγγενης ( suggenes), shared-stock (i.e. Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus ( Matthew 1:16), who actually appears to have been called Miriam ( Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:27). Here are the women named Mary in the Bible - we'll have a closer look at these characters further below: The first and archetypal Miriam of the Bible is the sister of Aaron ( Israel's priestly tradition) and Moses (Israel's legal tradition). But before we get going, note that the English name Mary is a transliteration of the Latin and Greek name Maria, which in turn is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Miriam. We'll have a look at these separate characters below (and discover that they might not be all that separate). He has written book for everyone, not matter their beliefs, because it is essentially the story of a mother.At first glance there appear to be quite a few women named Mary in the Bible. Tóibín has written a book not only for Catholics, or Christians, though a little knowledge of the life of Jesus and his miracles would help. Two of them seem to be Peter and Paul, who coerce her into using certain adjectives to describe her feelings after the crucifixion and death of her son, her only child, setting the groundwork for the gospels yet to be written. She is uncomfortable with her “fame.” She is wary and disdainful of the men who surround her and protect her and take care of her. I don’t mean this in a negative, tawdry way, Tóibín’s elegant writing and the subject matter elevate the book far beyond the petty and pointless things we are subjected to in contemporary media, but there are definitely parallels. Tóibín’s perspective is interesting, especially in this celebrity culture we live in, for at times the way he describes Mary’s thoughts on the people around her, how they treat her and stare at her, for they know whom she is the mother of, reminds one of celebrity culture strangers watching you and treating you differently because of who you are and the subjects’ resentment at being the object one another’s gaze. Written in the first person, you read about the ramifications of Jesus’ actions on the people of Cana, their thoughts about his deeds and how they act and treat him, and Mary, as a result. It is forceful with an impact that lingers for a while. The prose is not fanciful, but neither is it simple. He presents Mary’s introspection regarding the changes she sees in her son and how his actions affect her views on him, referencing raising Lazarus from the dead, turning water into wine etc., and, inevitably, the brutal crucifixion. Tóibín imagines her thoughts, letting us into her mind to portray the stories behind the miracles from the vantage point of a mother. Older now, and surrounded and supported by Jesus’ followers, Mary is disdainful of men, finding them foolish and cruel. Tóibín, an Irishman raised Catholic, not only has the respect for Mary that one might have for their own mother, but also for who she is in terms of religion, and, arguably history – the ultimate, most famous mother of all. He is present on every page, in her every move and thought, but his name is never mentioned.Ĭatholic groups and the Vatican have nothing to worry about. It is years since Jesus’ death and Mary questions everything. Like a shroud of deceit, Colm Tóibín begins his new book. 
This novel is not the truth, whatever that may be, but it is a fascinating tale. If you consider the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as one, since they basically tell the same story with variations, here is the other. They say there are two sides to every story, and then there’s the truth.
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