Carlos Solis
In visual arts and film—such as the 2018 movie “Mary Magdalene,” starring Rooney Mara—she is often shown as a young woman in clothes that emphasize a slender figure.
Professor Joan Taylor, who studies the origins of Christianity and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College London, has speculated about how Mary Magdalene probably looked. Taylor says Mary was likely an “ordinary woman” with “nothing remarkable” about her appearance.
The film ‘Mary Magdalene’ starring Rooney Mara
Face and Skin
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Professor Taylor said Mary would have had an Eastern Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance, which suggests she likely had olive-toned skin.
In 2017, researchers from Versailles University (France) created a reconstruction of Mary Magdalene based on relics that may have belonged to her: a skull and a strand of hair.
This reconstruction depicts a striking woman with a sharp nose, high cheekbones, and a round face. She is shown wearing a white headscarf. However, the identification of the remains as belonging to Mary Magdalene has not been confirmed.
Philippe Charlier, who led the reconstruction, admitted in an interview with National Geographic: “We are not at all sure that this is the actual skull of Mary Magdalene.”
Height
According to Professor Taylor, Mary may have been significantly shorter than most modern women. In her book, she explained that the average height for women at that time was around 4 feet 10 inches (147 cm), while for men it was about 5 feet 5 inches (166 cm).
Age
Unfortunately, Mary’s age remains a mystery—there are no mentions of it in the Bible.
“We are not told anything about Mary Magdalene’s age; the texts provide absolutely nothing that would lead us to imagine Mary as young or beautiful, although we can do so at our own discretion,” Professor Taylor said.
Hairstyle
Mary likely had long, dark hair, but she probably wore it braided and gathered.
“Braiding hair is one of the most practical ways to style long hair, as it can be easily secured with nets and pins. A Jewish or Nabataean woman might have covered her head with a scarf made from fabrics, small colored patches of which have been found on both sides of the Dead Sea,” the expert noted.
Clothing
Professor Taylor believes that Mary likely wore a long, brightly colored tunic. Archaeologists have found fragments of textiles from Mary Magdalene’s era in caves and other sites around the Dead Sea.
As Taylor suggested, Mary “wore a long tunic tied under the bust, and a cloak, likely in a bright color (red, green, yellow), as well as a headscarf.” She would cover her head with a shawl when she needed to appear more modest.
Footwear
It’s not surprising if Mary wore sandals. At that time, sandals had thick leather soles and straps on top, with a strap around the heel for a snug fit, Professor Taylor explained.
Accessories and Jewelry
Wealthy women of that era wore brooches, earrings, and other jewelry. However, Mary likely had no accessories at all.
In her book on clothing from that time, Professor Taylor wrote: “It is unlikely that a disciple of Jesus, such as Mary, wore much jewelry, considering the early Christian attitude toward adornments.”
According to the researcher, Mary and other female disciples dressed without much concern for appearance, “especially considering that they were on the road with Jesus.” Thus, they would have looked like women of modest means.
