She is one of the most significant women in the Bible. 

But what did Mary Magdalene really look like? 

In Western art and film, such as the 2018 movie ‘Mary Magdalene’ featuring Rooney Mara, she is often portrayed as young and beautiful, dressed in clothing that highlights her attractive figure.

But in art of the East, Mary is harder spot, since she looks like other women – heavily veiled. 

Recently, Professor Joan Taylor, an expert in Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College London, has shared insights into what Mary Magdalene might have actually looked like as a historical figure.

According to the expert, Mary was an ‘everywoman’, who was rather ‘indistinguishable’. 

Writing in her book, Dress in Mediterranean Antiquity, Professor Taylor said: ‘There is nothing distinctive about her.’

Here’s exactly what Mary Magdalene looked like – and why the 2018 film got it so wrong.

She is one of the most significant women in the Bible. But what did Mary Magdalene really look like? Pictured: an AI depiction of Mary Magdalene

In Western art and film, like the 2018 film ‘Mary Magdalene’ with Rooney Mara (pictured), she is shown as young and beautiful, donning garments that emphasize her figure.

Face and skin tone

Mary would have been a woman of eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, Professor Taylor explained to the Daily Mail. 

This means she likely had olive–brown skin, and dark features. 

In 2017, scientists from the University of Versailes created a facial reconstruction of Mary Magdalene, based on her supposed relics – a dry skull and a lock of hair – found in Provence. 

Their reconstruction shows a pretty woman with a pointed nose, high cheekbones, and a round face, wearing a white scarf on her head. 

However, it’s important to note that the remains are yet to be confirmed as belonging to Mary Magadalene. 

Speaking to National Geographic, Philippe Charlier, who performed the reconstruction, said: ‘We are absolutely not sure that this is the true skull of Mary Magdalene. But it was very important to get it out of anonymity.’

Height

In 2017, scientists from the University of Versailes created a facial reconstruction of Mary Magdalene, based on her supposed relics – a dry skull and a lock of hair – found in Provence. Their reconstruction shows a pretty woman with a pointed nose, high cheekbones, and a round face, wearing a white scarf on her head

According to Professor Taylor, Mary was probably much shorter than most women today. 

Writing in her book, she explained: ‘The average height for a woman was 147 cm, or 4 feet 8 inches, with the average for men being 166 cm, or 5 feet 5 inches.’

Age

Unfortunately, Mary’s age remains a complete mystery – with no mentions of it whatsover in the bible. 

‘We are not told anything about Mary Magdalene’s age, and there is absolutely nothing in our texts that would require us to imagine Mary as young, or as beautiful, though we may choose to do so,’ Professor Taylor said. 

However it’s unlikely that she was a child, according to the expert.  

She added: ‘Since Luke 8.1–3 indicates that she was a woman with resources that could be used for supporting Jesus’s work, we should think not think of her as a minor.’

Hairstyle

Mary’s hair was long and dark, although she probably wore it braided and bound up. Pictured: hair found in Provence that may have belonged to Mary Magdalene

‘Plaiting/braiding is one of the most convenient ways of dealing with long hair, as it makes it particularly easy to secure with a net and pins,’ Professor Taylor said. Pictured: AI image of Mary Magdalene

Mary’s hair was long and dark, although she probably wore it braided and bound up.

‘Plaiting/braiding is one of the most convenient ways of dealing with long hair, as it makes it particularly easy to secure with a net and pins,’ Professor Taylor said. 

‘A Judaean or Nabataean woman may have worn a bun–wrapper scarf since small coloured cloths have been found on either side of the Dead Sea.’

Clothes

Mary probably wore a long, brightly coloured tunic, according to Professor Taylor.  

Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said: ‘There are pieces of textiles found in caves and sites around the Dead Sea that preserve clothing from around Mary’s time. 

‘We know then that she would have worn a long tunic tied under the bustline and a mantle, probably brightly coloured (red, green, yellow).

‘She would likely have worn a headscarf and additionally covered her head with a mantle when needing to be more modest’.

In the 2018 film, Mary Magdalene, Mary (played by Rooney Mara) is depicted wearing tight–fitting beige clothes

Shoes 

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Mary wore sandals on her feet. 

‘Sandals were invariably made according to the soleae type, with the sole composed of thick leather and the upper parts much like thongs but with a heel strap, and they were tightened at the toe for a close fit,’ Professor Taylor explained. 

Accessories and jewellery

Wealthy women at the time would have worn brooches, earrings and other jewellery. 

However, Mary probably didn’t have any accessories, according to Professor Taylor. 

Writing in her book, she explained: ‘It is unlikely that a disciple of Jesus like Mary would have worn much, given the early Christian discourse against jewellery.

‘Overall, we need to see Mary and the other women disciples as dressing without much regard to looking well turned out, especially given that they were on the road with Jesus: their appearance would have been as poor women.’