Added Ending

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:9-15)

Apparently, in 591 AD Pope Gregory said Mary Magdalene was the woman who Simon the Pharisee described as "a sinner" in Luke's Gospel. Gregory also said that the seven demons cast out of Mary Magdalene by Jesus were the seven deadly sins. By implication, she was a prostitute.   

But she wasn’t a prostitute!  Much has been said and written about Magdalene.   Much is incorrect.  

These passages from Mark were not written by Mark.  They were part of two extra endings perhaps added in the late second or early first century.  Mark was written around 70 AD.  Consequently, we have no way to decipher the meaning of the seven demons.  

Perhaps the anonymous author was purposefully demeaning Magdalene and tried to lessen her importance by having the eleven at table not believe her.  After all, she was just a woman they likely would have concluded.  

Moreover, the author might have been displeased that Jesus appeared first to Magdalene and not a man.  Such is patriarchy.  The passage reads: “She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”  

Perhaps they would have believed a man.  Then again, they didn't believe men either: "...two of them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either."  I guess we will never know.

What we do know, however, is Jesus' curing of Mary's demonic possession was not written by Mark.  

Deacon David Pierce