This is the greatest story ever. But do women play a bigger role in this epic story than we’ve been led to believe? Theologians Helen Bond and Joan Taylor believed so. In the provocative documentary, Jesus’ Women Disciples: New Evidence, they travel from Rome to Israel to reveal the extent to which women are involved in the legend of Jesus. Their discoveries could change the history and practice of Christianity.
Women play a small role in the widely accepted story of Jesus. They were not represented in the Twelve. They are often portrayed as prostitutes or opaque bystanders. Few of the most intense religious iconography capture them as equals to men in strength and size.
In a warehouse on the outskirts of Jerusalem, researchers first tried to piece together physical evidence for the existence of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ leading followers and the first witness to his resurrection. Where did she come from? Does it have more significance in the story of Jesus than the Gospels suggest?
In northern Israel, they were looking for traces of Joanna, wife of Herod’s steward, vaguely portrayed in Luke as an important disciple. She was a wealthy woman who lived among the critics of Jesus. So how did she become one of his staunchest followers?
The hosts also toured the ancient catacombs, where recent renovations have uncovered some frescoes that could further redefine history.
Bond and Taylor are very personable, kind and curious hosts. They respect Jesus’ teachings, even as they try to delve into the truth behind the official accounts of his life. At each stop along the way, they delved into various chapters of the Gospel to find evidence that women played as important a role as men in the founding of Christianity.
At its most basic level, Jesus’ Female Disciple: New Evidence is a riveting detective story that unfolds in a variety of exotic and historical settings. More broadly, their findings challenge our understanding of ideologies that have fascinated billions of people for centuries.
Directed by: Anna Cox