MARIA (VARIOUS BIBLICAL WOMEN). — The name M. occurs in the Old and New Testaments.
1. Sister of Moses, firstborn of Amram and Iochabed (Ex. 6, 20; Num. 26, 59; I Par. 6, 3). She watched over her little brother, exposed on the waters of the Nile, and cleverly managed to have his mother appointed as his nurse by Pharaoh’s daughter (Ex. 2, 4-10). At the crossing of the Red Sea, M. was 90 years old (Ex. 7, 7), and, as a prophetess under divine inspiration, led the dances and songs of joy and thanksgiving to Jahweh (Ex. 15, 20 ff.; Mi. 6, 4; cf. Num. 12, 2). In the desert, at Haseroth, she murmured with Aaron against the authority of Moses, as though they too were not prophets, jealous of the influence that Sephora had over Moses; M. perhaps called her, out of contempt, a chusite. Jahweh punished M. with leprosy, but healed her through Moses’ immediate intercession; nevertheless, she had to remain outside the camp for 7 days (Num. 12, 1-15). She died at Cades shortly after the Hebrews’ arrival and was buried there (Num. 20, 1).
2. Woman of the tribe of Judah (I Par. 4, 17); but the text is uncertain. The Septuagint translates Μερών; some think that it refers to a man (cf. W. Gesenius-F. Buhl, Hebr. und Aram. Handwörterbuch, 17th ed., Berlin 1949, p. 462).
3. Sister of Lazarus, always at Bethania, in an attitude of quiet contemplation at Jesus’ feet (Lc. 10, 39-42), or of grateful love at the supper after her brother’s resurrection (Io. 11, 1-33), when she anointed the Lord’s head and feet (Io. 12, 1-8; Mt. 26, 6-13; Mc. 14, 3-9). From Jesus she received praise for having chosen “the better part,” the only thing truly necessary (Lc. 10, 42), and for having anticipated in the anointing the burial preparation of his most sacred body, defending her against Judas’s mercenary displeasure (Io. 12, 8; Mt. 26, 6-13; Mc. 14, 6-9). She therefore appears clearly distinct from M. of Magdala and from the unnamed sinful woman who anointed the Lord in Galilee, about a year earlier (Lc. 7, 36-50); V. MADDALENA.
4. Wife of Cleophas (Io. 19, 25), mother of James the Less and Joseph (Mt. 27, 55; Mc. 15, 40-47; Lc. 24, 10), cousins of the Lord (Mc. 6, 3 etc.). She is at Calvary with the Mother of Jesus (Io. 19, 25); she remains there after the Lord’s death and witnesses the burial (Mt. 27, 56-61; Mc. 15, 40-47). On the morning after the Sabbath she goes to the tomb to anoint the Lord, and on her return shares with the other pious women the privilege of seeing the Risen One (Mt. 28, 1-9; Mc. 16, 1; Lc. 24, 10). It is difficult to determine the exact degree of M.’s relationship to the Madonna; in Io. 19, 25, “sister,” among the Jews, has a broader meaning. Modern scholars regard her as the sister of St. Joseph (J. Vosté, A. Durand, J. Lebreton, F. Prat) or his sister-in-law (P. Dausch, D. Buzy). For Cleophas-Alpheus (Mt. 10, 3), V. respective entries.
5. Mother of the evangelist John Mark, to whose house St. Peter went immediately after being miraculously freed from prison (Act. 12, 12).
6. Christian woman of Rome, to whom St. Paul sends his greetings, recalling her zealous activity on behalf of those faithful (Rom. 16, 6). — See table XII.