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Salome (disciple)

The early Christian Gospel of Thomas found at Nag Hammadi mentions among the "disciples" of Jesus (the Greek expression "apostles" does not appear) two women, Salome (Hebrew, "shalom", "peace") and Mary Magdalene (referred to simply as "Mary"). Mainstream Christian writers withhold the name "disciple" from Salome, and translate her position merely as a "follower". Among the women present at the Crucifixion, according to Mark 15:21 - 41, were Mary Magdalene, Mary, euphemistically characterized by the author of Mark as the mother of James and Joses, and Salome.

Afterwards, very early on Sunday morning, the same three, the two Marys and Salome, went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body with spices. When they arrived, the stone had been rolled away. A youth dressed in white in the tomb told them Jesus had risen and asked the women to tell Jesus' disciples that he would meet them in Galilee. The women ran away from the tomb, frightened and did not tell anyone what had happened. (Mark 16:1-8)

The suppressed Secret Gospel of Mark, that was referred to and quoted in a private letter of Clement of Alexandria not meant for public eyes, reveals that a further mention of Salome has been cut out of the canonical Mark at 10.46. Clement quotes the passage in his letter: "Then he came into Jericho. And the sister of the young man whom Jesus loved was there with his mother and Salome, but Jesus would not receive them." The lines complete a well-known lacuna in Mark as the authorized text has existed.

In the early but non-canonic Gospel of the Egyptians (early 2nd century), Salome appears again as a disciple of Jesus. She asks him how long death would hold sway, and he says to her, "So long as women bring forth, for I come to end the works of the female." To this Salome replies, "Then I have done well in not bringing forth." It would appear from this text that there was an early tradition that Salome the disciple was childless, and apparently unmarried.

In the Gospel of Thomas there is a reference to Jesus sharing Salome's couch at the meal, and of Salome's esoteric questioning. 'Who are you sir,' she asks him, 'that you have taken your place on my couch and eaten from my table?' And Jesus says, "I am he who is from the One, and the things that belong to the Father have been given to me." Salome replies, "But I am your disciple", and Jesus answers, "When the disciple is united he will be filled with light, but if he is divided he will be filled with darkness."

Even non-Christian writers in the 2nd century were aware that some tradition existed of secret teachings passed down from Salome the disciple, to sects such as the Carpocratians, the followers of the Carpocrates who got hold of an unauthorized copy of the Secret Gospel of Mark in Alexandria mentioned in Clement's private letter and who claimed to derive some of their gnostic tenets from Salome, it would appear. A 2nd-century Greek, Celsus, wrote a True Discourse attacking the Christian sects as a threat to the Roman state. At the time he was writing, c. AD 178, the variety of Christian sects was still extremely broad. His treatise is lost, but quotes survive in the attack written somewhat later by Origen, Contra Celsum ("Against Celsus"): "While some of the Christians proclaim [that] they have the same god as do the Jews, others insist that there is another god higher than the creator-god and opposed to him. And some Christians teach that the Son came from this higher god. Still others admit of a third god - those, that is to say, who call themselves gnostics - and still others, though calling themselves Christians, want to live according to the laws of the Jews. I could also mention those who call themselves Simonians after Simon, and those naming themselves Helenians after Helen, his consort. There are Christian sects named after Marcellina, Harpocratian Christians who trace themselves to Salome, and some who follow Mariamne and others who follow Martha, and still others who call themselves Marcionites after their leader, Marcion."

In the early Christian texts there are several other references to "Salome". A Salome appears in the infancy gospel attached to the name of James the Just, the Protevangelion of James, ch. XIV:

"14 And the midwife went out from the cave, and Salome met her. 15 And the midwife said to her, "Salome, Salome, I will tell you a most surprising thing, which I saw. 16 A virgin has brought forth, which is a thing contrary to nature." 17 To which Salome replied, "As the Lord my God lives, unless I receive particular proof of this matter, I will not believe that a virgin has brought forth."
18 Then Salome went in, and the midwife said, "Mary, show yourself, for a great controversy has arisen about you." 19 And Salome tested her with her finger. 20 But her hand was withered, and she groaned bitterly, 21 and said, "Woe to me, because of my iniquity! For I have tempted the living God, and my hand is ready to drop off."

That Salome is the first, after the midwife, to bear witness to the Miraculous Birth and to recognize Jesus as the Christ, are circumstances that tend to connect her with Salome the disciple.

Sometimes Salome is said to be the sister of the Virgin Mary. Salome is the name a developing tradition after the 2nd century gave to the wife of Zebedee and thus mother of the apostles John and James the Greater, without any textual authority in the New Testament.

An apocryphal Coptic Book of the Resurrection of Christ , attributed to the apostle Bartholomew, names the women who went to the tomb. Among them were: Mary Magdalene; Mary the mother of James , whom Jesus delivered out of the hand of Satan; Mary who ministered to him; Martha her sister; Joanna (perhaps also Susanna) who renounced the marriage bed; and "Salome who tempted him".

A distinct traditional Salome is the beautiful and corrupt daughter of Herodias (not actually named in Mark 6:22) and step-daughter of Herod Antipas the tetrarch, who revenged herself on John the Baptist by demanding his severed head. She is the only Salome who survives into medieval folklore. She has a separate entry at Salomé.

See also

Last updated: 06-02-2005 17:09:26
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