As Christmas approaches, our thoughts turn to the stories of Jesus’s birth and one character above all others, that is to Mary, Jesus’s mother. This young unmarried woman, no more than a girl, has just heard that she will become pregnant and give birth to God’s son. She sings a mighty song, sometimes called theContinue reading “Mary’s song of deliverance”
Author Archives: leavingbethany
I’m calling on the God of Martha
This month’s blog is a little different from usual. If you are a regular reader, you will be familiar with my creative interviews of Biblical women of the New Testament by my fictional Roman journalist, Aemilia Metella. Or my discussions on various aspects relating to Biblical women. But this month I decided to try somethingContinue reading “I’m calling on the God of Martha“
Who were the women who anointed Jesus?
The Bible stories of the women who anointed Jesus’s feet have intrigued me for a long time. Wondering who they were and why they performed such a public display of their devotion to Jesus, and in the process opened themselves up to misinterpretation, censure and ridicule. All four gospels tell the story, with slight variations,Continue reading “Who were the women who anointed Jesus?”
An Interview with Salome
Aemilia Metella interviews the woman trapped in adultery who was taken to Jesus Tiberias is a new city lying on the shores of Lake Galilee. Its layout and buildings resemble nearly every other Roman town I have visited. This should not be surprising, as it was founded by Herod Antipas and dedicated to his friend,Continue reading “An Interview with Salome”
Reclaiming Mary Magdalene
Ask most people to name one of Jesus’s female disciples or followers, and they will probably say Mary Magdalene, and if you probe a little further, they will say, “wasn’t she a prostitute?” In my May 2022 blog, I talked about the Bible’s “bad girls”, those to whom history has not been kind. https://leavingbethany.com/2022/05/04/taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-bad-girls-of-the-bible/ WhenContinue reading “Reclaiming Mary Magdalene”
Aemilia Metella interviews Mary Magdalene
My guide led me through the narrow congested streets of Jerusalem. He led me to a backstreet and a building with a staircase at the side. I followed him up the steps and into a room which was much larger than I imagined. Several people moved around, some talking, others praying and a group laughingContinue reading “Aemilia Metella interviews Mary Magdalene”
Taking a fresh look at the bad girls of the Bible
It’s taken me a while to get around to the theme of this month’s blog, and I have debated with myself even about the title. Second-guessing myself whether I should even discuss the historical sexualisation of female Biblical characters. Who are the bad girls referred to in the title? These are the women who historyContinue reading “Taking a fresh look at the bad girls of the Bible”
The women who saw and told
The credible witnesses to Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection Imagine you have witnessed a crime, and you have to make a statement to the police to say what you saw or heard. You need to be truthful and tell the whole truth and not add any details which did not occur. In a court, a credibleContinue reading “The women who saw and told”
Amelia Metella Interviews Photine
Aemilia Metella Interviews the Samaritan woman who debated theology with Jesus “You are not going to Samaria, are you? It’s full of uneducated and foolish people.” A friend said this when he heard I intended to travel to Samaria to interview a woman called Photine. I wanted to speak with her because I heard sheContinue reading “Amelia Metella Interviews Photine”
Phoebe, A Friend of Paul, Part 2
This is the third of my three blogs about an amazing church leader called Phoebe. It’s easy to get tied up in thoughts that Paul and the early church were against women leaders, speakers and missionaries. This is blatantly not true, and a close reading of Paul’s letters and the book of Acts in theContinue reading “Phoebe, A Friend of Paul, Part 2”
Leaving Bethany 