Church of Mary Magdalene
Church of Mary Magdalene
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Markale, Jean. The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Château. Translated by Jon Graham. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2004.
The Church of Mary Magdalene explores the role of the sacred feminine in early Christian Church history. Jean Markale undertakes an extensive examination of the religious anomalies and lost treasure of the Church of Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Château that looks at the connection between the Templars, Cathars, and other enigmatic groups in the history of this church and the surrounding area.
Positing that Mary Magdalene was the high priestess who anointed Jesus into his priesthood in accordance with ancient religious traditions, the small church of Rennes-le-Château, in a remote village in southern France, may be of central importance. Locals believe that the church holds the key to the proof of Mary Magdalene's marriage to Jesus and the bloodline they founded. In 1885, the village of Rennes-le-Château welcomed a new priest, Abbe Saunière, for its church dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. Abbe Saunière ordered very strange restoration work for the church, and it is thought that he discovered something during this renovation that made him a very rich man. Possible identifications of his discovery range from the gold pillaged from Delphi in Roman times; the treasure brought out of Jerusalem by the Templars (who had a strong presence in this area); and the missing Cathar treasure, spirited out of Montsegur mere days before the fall of that fortress.
Yet even more curious and compelling is this church's ambiguous portrayal of Mary Magdalene. Markale explains that the unusual depictions of Mary in the church hint at an even more archaic role performed by Mary that could shake the very foundations of the Christian Church if it were fully understood: that of the high priestess who anoints the priest king into his spiritual duties.
Jean Markale (1928-2008), was a poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, who spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He was a former specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne and author of more than 40 books, including Merlin, Women of the Celts, and King of the Celts.
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