Etymology of Mary
From Egyptian Queen to Christian Madonna
She was said to have ten thousand names. Among them were:
Mistress of heaven. Divine mother.
Queen of all gods, goddesses, and women.
The bestower of life. The Lady of bread.
The Lady of beer. The Lady of abundance.
The Lady of joy. The Lady of love.
Beautiful, mighty, and beloved One.
In ancient Egypt, a familiar image remains etched in stone: a mother sits on her throne, nursing her baby child.
This quote, and image, was not about Christian Mary, but Egyptian Isis, the Queen of Heaven and Great Mother. But Maryâs synchonicity with the Egyptian âqueen of a thousand namesâ does not stop in imagery, the name Mary herself finds its earliest form in a real Egyptian Queen.
Sacred Throne
No doubt this would be a familiar image to any culture, with the reality of a motherâs gift of life to us all. She provides her body to grow the child, as well as the milk to nourish them once outside of her waters. It makes sense this would be an image that we could imagine would hold up for as long as humans have the capacity to understand the idea of birth. Before we knew men had anything to do with the creation of children at all, the mother was the creator of all life. And she deserved the seat on the throne.
Fast forward 5,000 years, and the modern version of this image remains, though her throne is an imaginary one. In her lifetime, Mary is imagined as a simple woman, not a queen. It is not until her story becomes mythical that she gains her crown and robe. But was this dressing really due to her rebirth, or was it a remembrance of a throne that really was once her own?
The hieroglyphic for Egyptian goddess Isis (a Greek variation of the Egyptian name âistâ) is literally a throne. But even before Isis was known as Aset, Ishtar, or any of her other thousand names with variations on the sound âEastâ, the first known Egyptian queen had a name, and it started with the all familiar âMerâ: as Merneith, meaning âbeloved of Neithâ.
A Note on Neith
Neith was a prominent Egyptian goddess associated with creation, wisdom, war, and weaving. She was the "great mother" and was believed to have been the creator of the universe. She was sometimes depicted as the mother of the sun god, Ra (pronounced Ray, like sunRAY or REIgn of a queen).
She was associated with the innate wisdom that allowed life to grow inside of her. She intervened in disputes between other gods, but was also a huntress and a warrior, a true mama bear.
The âacceptedâ etymology of the name Neith is linked to the concept of water, like the birth waters from which we all emerge, as well as baptismal waters for spiritual rebirth.
Upon first glance, we might consider associations with the modern word for ânightâ, especially considering she had a role in guiding souls into the afterlife (as well as birth).
While the exact origins of the name Neith are debated, scholars prefer the water route. The word for water is spelled mĹou or maw, like âmaâ (mother), or the âmooâ of a cow. The squiggles of the English letter âMâ literally preserve the Egyptian letter âMâ that depicts a squiggly river.
Considering Egyptians liked to connect names of animals with the sounds they make, this connection of a mother with a cow is not too much of a stretch. The word for cat is âmeowâ in Egyptian, and the bug âflyâ is named after its action, just as it is 5,000 years later in English. This, too, should not be a considered a coincidence. The word for snake was, and is, âaspâ, that preserves the âhasss, hiss sound.
And, in fact, we do see cows hold significant religious power in Egyptian tradition. A cow was one of the divine animals the mother goddess could transform into, and was often mummified along with royalty. That "mu" sound for mother is still found in several African & Asian languages today, having, still to do with âmotherâ, âmatterâ and âmaterialâ. All âmatterâ is created from the âmotherâ.
While this connection of âNeithâ with âmooâ of waters does make some sense, it still feels more of a stretch in phonetics than it is to compare the sound of âneithâ to ânightâ.
When you look up etymology of the word ânightâ, most quick responses come back with it being of Germanic origins. We should all know that Egyptian and African cultures far predate Germanic ones, and Egyptian, in fact, did have major impacts on the Germanic language as well. If there is symbiosis here between cultures, we should always see the European as downstream of African. We do see trade between these cultures from 2,000 BC and earlier of glass blue beads, but prior to that, Germany was under a huge ice sheet. Africa will always have older roots. Always. Our first alphabet came from Jewish workers staring at Egyptian hieroglyphs, around 1800 BC. And, as we will soon see, our paper (from the byblos plant in Egypt), our favorite characters, and stories, all came from here as well. We now [mostly] feel comfortable saying people all came âOut of Africaâ. It is about time we realize our culture and most beloved stories did as well.
In ancient Egypt, a familiar image remains etched in stone. A strong woman sits on her throne, nursing her baby son.
where shadow and light played across walls of vibrant hieroglyphs, a goddess sat enthroned, nursing her divine son. Her name was Isis, "Queen of Heaven," and her imagery would endure for three millennia, capturing the imagination of civilizations from the Nile to the Thames. What few realize is that when we gaze upon Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child, we are witnessing the culmination of one of history's most remarkable cultural transformations.
The journey from Isis to Mary traverses more than geography and timeâit crosses religions, empires, and profound shifts in how societies viewed the divine feminine. At its heart lies a single word, carried like a precious amulet through the ages: mery, "beloved" in ancient Egyptian. From the royal names of Pharaoh Merneith in 2950 BC to the whispered prayers of millions today, this word connects us across a vast expanse of human experience.
This is not merely a linguistic curiosity. The threads that bind these traditions reveal something fundamental about our spiritual architectureâhow cultures transform rather than abandon sacred symbols, how divine feminine imagery persists despite theological revolution, and how the meanings we attach to such imagery shape the lived experiences of women throughout history.
As we trace this remarkable lineage from the temples of Philae to the Magdalene Laundries of twentieth-century Ireland, we confront uncomfortable questions about power, gender, and the dual capacity of religious symbolism to both venerate and subjugate. The unbroken chain of the name itself speaks to deeper continuities that even religious revolutions could not erase.
What follows is not an attempt to diminish any faith tradition but rather to illuminate the rich tapestry from which our modern religious imagery emerged. For in understanding the ancient roots of our most cherished symbols, we may gain insight not only into our past but into the powerful ways these symbols continue to shape our presentâand the lives of those who bear this most ancient and revered of names: Mary, the truly beloved.
The Word Mary
Ancient Egyptians used the term Mary, meaning âbelovedâ or âlovedâ in many names and titles. We have over 67 versions of the name in Egyptain Pharaohâs names alone. The use of the personal name Mary continues in unbroken form all the way to modern times. Some of the known variations include:
Pharoahs
Merneith, 2950 BC (female)
Merneith may have been the first female pharaoh and the earliest queen in recorded history, of the First dynasty of Egypt.
While not appearing on traditional king lists, her tomb at Abydos was found among those of the male kings, suggesting she ruled with similar power and honors. . She may have been the great-granddaughter of unified Egypt's first pharaoh.
Merneithâs name appears on a seal found in the tomb of her son, Den, on a list of the first dynasty kings.
Merneithâs name means "Beloved by Neith" and her stele contains symbols of that ancient Egyptian deity.
Merybiap, 2930 BC (male, Greek form: MiebidĂłs)
Semerkhet, 2920 BC (male, Greek form: SemempsĂŠs)
Merenre, 2525 BC, (male) means "Whom Ra has loved", used by two pharaohs
Meryre, 2332 BC (male, most prolific builder of his dynasty)
Merenre, 2183 BC (male)
Meryibre Khety: 2160 BC (male, hard to date with reliability).
Merenhor, 2150 BC (estimated, unknown details)
Mery[...], 2140 BC, on the Turin Kingâs List (12 of 18 names missing)
Meryhathor, 2130 BC (little known)
Merykare, 2040 BC (little known)
Merikare, 2075 BC (male)
Imyremeshaw, 1759 BC (male, Attested by two colossal statues)
Sekhemresewadjtawy, 1755 BC
Khasekhemre, 1751 BC
Meribre, Seth: 1749 BC (male)
Merhotepre Sobekhotep V, 1730 BC
Merneferre Ay I, 1714 BC
Merhotepre Ini, 1691 BC
Mersekhemre Ined, 1672 BC
Merkaware Sobekhotep VII, 1554 BC
Mer[...]re, 1663 BC (among 7 other kings in succession, names lost of the Turin Canon)
Merkheperre, 1650 BC
Merkare, 1649 BC
Marre Sobekhotep IX, 1640 BC
Mershepsesre Ini II, 1630 BC
Sekhemrewahkhaw Rahotep, 1620 BC, Upper Egypt
Meruserre Yaqub-Har, 1600 BC, possibly a vassal of the Hyksos
Sekhemreseusertawy Sobekhotep VIII, 1600 BC, Hyksos Dynasty, ruled 16 years
Sekhemresankhtawy Neferhotep III, 1600, Hyksos Dynasty, ruled 1 year
Merankhre Mentuhotep VI, 1585 BC, Hyksos Dynasty (aka Semetic overlords, 100 years)
Sekhemre Shedwast, 1580 BC, Hyksos Dynasty
Sekhemre Shedtawy Sobekemsaf II, 1573 BC, Upper Egypt, tomb robbed & burned
Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef V, 1573 BC, Upper Egypt
Sekhemre-Heruhirmaat Intef VII, 1560 BC, Upper Egypt
Sekhemre Wadjkhaw Sobekemsaf I, 1513 BC, Upper Egypt
Merneptah, 1213 BC (male)
Known for a victory over the Sea Peoples. He left us the Merneptah steale, which has the first mention of the land âIsRaElâ.
Had the throne name Ba-en-re Mery-netjeru, which translates to "Soul of Ra, Beloved of the Gods"
Menmire Setpenre Amenmesse, 1203 BC
Sekhaenre Akhenre Merenptah Siptah, 1197 BC, (male)
Satre Merenamun Tausret, 1191 BC, (FEMALE sole Pharaoh)
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III, 1186 BC
Nebmaatre Meryamun Ramesses VI, 1145 BC
Usermaatre Setpenre Meryamun Ramesses VII, 1137 BC
Pinedjem Meriamun, 1070 BC: male, High Priest for many years, then declared himself an actual pharaoh.
17x (Different!!) Meriamunâs from 943 to 778 BC
Shoshenq I Meriamun, 943 BC
Osorkon I Meriamun, 922 BC
Shoshenq II Meriamun, 887 BC
Takelot I Meriamun, 885 BC
Harsiese Meriamun A, 880 BC
Osorkon II Meriamun, 872 BC
Shoshenq III Meriamun, 837 BC
Takelot II Siesemeriamun, 837 BC (Isi!)
Meriamun Pedubast I, 826 BC
Iuput I Meriamun, 812 BC
Shoshenq VI Meriamun, 801 BC
Shoshenq IV Meriamun, 798 BC
Osorkon III Saisetmeriamun, 795 BC
Pami Meriamun, 785 BC
Takelot III Meriamun Saisetmeriamun, 773 BC
Meriamun Rudamun, 765 BC
Shoshenq VII Saisetmeriamun, 762 BC
Amunirdisu (Amyrtaeus), 404 BC, led a successful revolt against the Persians
Baenre Merynetjeru Nefaarud I, 398 BC
Nakhthorhebyt Merihathor, 359 BC, Last native ruler of ancient Egypt
Setpenre Meryamun Aluksindres (Alexander the Great), 332 BC, Greeks conquer Egypt
Setpenre Meryamun Pelupuisa (Philip Arrhidaeus), 321 BC
Formally Philip III of Macedon. Mentally disabled half-brother of Alexander the Great.
Setpenre Meryamun Ptolemy I Soter, 305 BC
Weserkare Meryamun Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 284 BC
Khenem(et)ibenmaat Mer(et)netjru, Arsinoe II, 277 BC (Female)
Iwaennetjerwymer(wy)it Setepenptah Userkare Sekhemankhamun Ptolemy V, 204 BC
Panetjerhunu Meriyetef, 145 BC
Iwa(en)netjermenekhnetjeretmeretmutesnedjet(et) Setepenptah Irimaatre Sekhemankhamun Ptolemy IX Soter, 116 & 88 BC
Pharaoh Epithets (Titles) with Mery in it:
Pharaohs often used epithets like:
Meribra
Mery-netjeru: "Beloved of the Gods," often used by pharaohs to emphasize their divine connection.
Popular Names
Merit, 1425 BC: female, wife of Kha; owners of Theban Tomb TT8
Kha supervised the workforce who constructed royal tombs
Merit (Mryt) also transcribed as Meryt, was titled "lady of the house" (nbt pr), a common title given to married women
Mery, 1401 BC: High Priest of Amun (18th dynasty, male)
Meritaten, 1340 BC: daughter of Akhenaten (pharaoh)
married to Smenkhare, whose Identity and sex of is uncertain, with suggestions they were relative of Akhenaten or Queen Nefertiti, who took ceremonial male identity
Neferneferuaten was a female pharaoh, Might have been the same person as Smenkhkare, as they shared the same throne name
Merit, 1320 BC, wife of Maya, overseer of the treasuries (18th dynasty, female)
Mery, 1292 BC: High Priest of Osiris (19th dynasty, male)
there were several figures named Mery or Meri during the 19th Dynasty
Miriam in the Bible: (Old Testament, compiled around 538 BC)
the sister of Moses, known for her role in leading the Israelites.
Mary was the single most popular female name among Jews of the Roman Judaea, 63 BC
at the time, borne by about one in four women in Judea.
Maria (the Greek version of Mary) was also widely used among early Christian women, particularly in Roman and Byzantine Egypt.
Mariam, Aramaic form
Princess Mariamne I the Hasmonean, 54 BC
a Jewish princess, a popular figure in both Jewish and Christian traditions. Her marriage to Herod the Great in 37 BC helped legitimize his rule by uniting his family with the Hasmonean royal family (Maccabees).
Princess Mariamme I , the second wife of king Herod the Great, 57 BC
Mariamne II, the third wife of king Herod the Great, 24 BC
Maryâs in the Bible: (New Testament, compiled around 100 AD), mentions Mary 54 times
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary Magdalene
Mary of Bethany
Mary (sister of Martha in Luke 10)
Mary mother of James the Younger and Joses
Mary mother of John Mark
Mary of Cleophas (Cleopatra relic?)
Mary of Rome
Mariamne in Josephus
313 AD: Last Roman Emperor also to be considered Egyptian Pharaoh
This showing mode of transfer, and of importance of Egyptian legacy
Egypt became a province of the Roman Republic in 30 BC, upon Cleopatra VIIâs death. Subsequent Roman emperors were accorded the title of pharaoh, although exclusively only while in Egypt. The last Roman emperor to be conferred the title of pharaoh was Maximinus Daza in 313 AD. It was becoming increasingly tough to act like a god in one country while promoting Jesus in another. This generation also saw the final hieroglyphs ever written, on a temple of Isis (396 AD).
There were other notable women with the name Mary in the Christian tradition
Mary of Egypt, 634 AD
The feast day of Saint Mary of Egypt is April 1 (Spring, near easter, commemorated on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. This day is often referred to as the "Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt)
More than a few Saint Maryâs
Marina the Monk, also known as Mary of Alexandria (died 508), Christian saint often considered a female Desert Father
Mary de Cervellione, 1230 AD, Roman Catholic saint often invoked against shipwreck
Mary Frances of the Five Wounds, 1715 AD
Mary MacKillop or Saint Mary of the Cross, 1842 AD, Australia
Mariam Baouardy, or Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified, 1846 AD, Greek nun
Maria Skobtsova, or Saint Mary of Paris, 1891 AD, Russian Orthodox Saint
Englandâs first ruling queen, Mary I, 1516 AD
Parishes around the World
St Mary (Brecon electoral ward), Powys, Wales, UK
The original name of the area was St Mary when founded, 1100 AD
Saint Mary, Antigua and Barbuda, parish in Antigua and Barbuda, 1692
Antiguan and Barbudan Creole: Sen Mairree)
St Mary, Queensland, Australia, a locality in the Fraser Coast Region, 1949
Saint-Mary, France, a commune in the Charente department, 1968
St. Mary, Kentucky, USA
St. Mary, Missouri, USA
Saint Mary, Nebraska, USA
St. Mary Township, Waseca County, Minnesota, USA
St. Mary, Montana, USA
Saint Mary, Jersey
Saint Mary Parish (disambiguation)
More Maryâs in present day (per Wiki):
50+ British Royal Maryâs (1187 to 1986 AD)
106 Non-royal aristocrats (1200 to 1984 AD)
140 Actors
213 Politicians
~2,000 Additional notable Maryâs
Mary is among the top 100 names for baby girls born in Ireland
Mary did not come into common usage in Ireland until the 1600âs, as the name was considered too holy to be used.
Magdalene Laundries, 1758 to 1996, Ireland, 238 years of abuse (details below)
In the United States, Mary was consistently the most popular name for girls from 1880 until 1961.
It was still the most common name for women and girls in the United States in the 1990 census. Mary is still the seventh most common given name in the United States, with 2.16 million individuals bearing this name as of 2023.
Christian Conclusion
This is the kind of explanation for Maryâs origins you get from Christian sources:
âThe name Miriam, in its various forms, continues to be a popular feminine name across the globe. We cannot be certain of its derivation or meaning. We can, however, trace the name back to Miriam the prophetess, then Mariamne (Miriam) the Hasmonean princess. Wil Gafney has pointed out, âAll of those Marys, all of those Miriams, were named for one woman, the mother of them all ⌠the prophet Miriam (in the Old Testament).â
I agree, until the final mention of the earliest Mary. She goes further back, to the oldest form as a female Ruler in Egypt from 2950 BC, in total continuous fashion. How could anyone DENY a link? If they can say it traces to Miriam, why stop there, when the thread continues, unbroken?
Some even admit the Egyptian oldest thread:
âThere are over eighty (!) theories about the nameâs origin, but one of the most popular (and appealing) theories links it to the Egyptian word mry meaning âbelovedâ.â
Yet the mention is in a large amount of text, nowhere near the conclusion.
Is one really supposed to think a word pattern/sound like this, preserved in 67+ different pharoahsâ names over a 2,000 year period, well into Roman/Greek times, just vanished?
This extensive list of "Mary" names tells us something quite significant about the continuity of naming traditions from ancient Egypt through to contemporary Christianity. The document presents a compelling case that the Egyptian root "mer" or "mery," meaning "beloved" in Ancient Egyptian, has been continuously used for nearly 5,000 years, from the earliest recorded female pharaoh Merneith (2950 BCE) all the way to the modern day Mary.
Key insights from this list of Mary names:
Linguistic Continuity: The Egyptian root "mer/mery" (beloved) appears in Egyptian royal names consistently for over 2,000 years. This naming tradition was maintained through multiple dynasties, foreign occupations, and cultural shifts, but most importantly, through important imperial dates that allow for cultural transfer made possible.
Royal Association: The name was particularly associated with royalty and divinity in ancient Egypt. Pharaohs incorporated "mery" into their titles to emphasize their divine status ("beloved of the gods").
Female Divinity Connection: While used for both male and female rulers, the name, in modern times, has a special connection to female divinity. Its first mention begins with female Merneith (2950 BC), continuing through various royal women, and eventually transferring to Mary, mother of Jesus.
Cultural Transmission: The naming pattern shows how Egyptian religious concepts were likely transmitted through Hebrew culture (Miriam), Greek influences (Mariamne), and eventually into early Christianity.
Continuation of Divine Mother Imagery: Documented iconographic similarities add a layer to naming evidence to be discussed between important Mother figures in her story, and Mary. It suggests the connection is not just in the visual representations but also embedded in the linguistic and naming traditions.
Unbroken Timeline: Unlike the 300-year gap in the lactans iconography between Isis and Mary, (to be discussed soon), this naming tradition shows no significant breaks, potentially providing a stronger argument for direct cultural transmission.
Widespread Cultural Impact: The name eventually became the most popular female name in multiple Christian cultures, demonstrating the enduring power of this ancient Egyptian root.
What makes this evidence particularly compelling is that it suggests a direct line of cultural transmission through naming traditions that parallels the iconographic similarities we will soon discuss between Egyptian Mother, Isis, and Mary. The consistent use of "mery/mary" from the earliest recorded female pharaoh through to Christian veneration of Mary suggests that more than just visual imagery was carried forward from Egyptian religious traditions into Christianity.
The Remarkable Journey of Isis to Mary
For many of us who grew up in predominantly Christian cultures, religious icons and imagery feel eternal and unchanging. The image of Mary holding the infant Jesus seems so foundational to Christianity that it can be startling to learn this iconic representation has deep roots in another religious tradition entirely.
What I'm about to share isn't meant to diminish or challenge anyone's faith. Rather, understanding the historical context of religious imagery can deepen our appreciation for the rich tapestry of human spirituality and the fascinating ways cultures interact and transform over time.
The Ancient Mother Goddess
Long before Christianity emerged, ancient Egyptians venerated Isis, a powerful goddess whose worship endured for over 3,000 years. From as early as 3100 BCE, we find mother-and-child imagery in Egyptian art that would later influence the Isis and Horus relationship. By 1,290 BC, wall paintings in the Temple of Seti I at Abydos show Isis nursing the infant Horus while seated on a throne - a pose that would become instantly recognizable to future Christians.
Isis was beloved in Egypt as a nurturing mother, powerful magician, and devoted wife. She was famous for gathering the scattered pieces of her murdered husband Osiris, reassembling him, and conceiving their son Horus - who would go on to become the model for Egyptian kingship.
Beyond Egypt's Borders
What's particularly fascinating is how widely Isis worship spread. By the first century CE, archaeological evidence shows temples dedicated to Isis as far away as London. The Roman writer Apuleius called her "the mother of stars, the parent of seasons, and the mistress of all the world."
Ancient writers like Plutarch and Macrobius specifically noted that Horus was born at the winter solstice - around December 25th in our calendar - when the sun begins its return. This timing would later become significant for Christianity as well.
The Transition Begins
As Christianity emerged and spread throughout the Mediterranean world in the first centuries CE, it encountered regions where Isis had been worshipped for centuries. Rather than rejecting these cultural elements entirely, early Christians often adapted familiar imagery to express their new faith.
In the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, we find the earliest known painting of Mary and Jesus from around the 2nd century CE. The pose? Almost identical to traditional depictions of Isis nursing Horus.
This adaptation wasn't accidental. A 4th-century Christian writer named Epiphanius described pagan celebrations on the "very night of Epiphany" where followers celebrated the birth of a divine child from a virgin mother. He complained that these celebrations, held in Alexandria, Petra and elsewhere, were meant to "deceive the idolaters who believe them."
Physical Transformations
The transition becomes even more evident at places like the Temple of Isis at Philae, where archaeologists have found Christian crosses carved directly over Isis imagery between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. Emperor Justinian finally closed this temple in the mid-sixth century, ending a continuous 2,000-year tradition of Isis worship in Egypt.
Some of the most compelling evidence comes from Coptic (Egyptian Christian) art from the 4th-7th centuries. These works show mother and child figures nearly identical to traditional Isis-Horus imagery, but now identified as Christian by the addition of crosses.
The Legacy Continues
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, this adapted imagery traveled with it. The famous Byzantine icon "Theotokos of Vladimir" (c. 1100 CE) continues the seated-throne tradition, while the "Black Madonna of CzÄstochowa" in Poland (14th century) bears striking similarities to black Isis depictions.
Even the timing of Christmas on December 25th has connections to this transformation. John Chrysostom, an early Church father, directly connected Christ's birth date to the "Birthday of the Unconquered" sun festival, writing: "Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord? Or, if they say that it is the birthday of the sun, He is the Sun of Justice."
Finding Meaning in Continuity
If this information feels unsettling, consider a perspective offered by modern scholars. Dr. Jennifer Houser Wegner observes: "These female figures, Isis and Mary, are mothers who protect and safeguard their sons. Both the ancient Egyptian religion and the Christian faith feature the exceptional nature of their sons, and the roles they were destined to fulfill in each religious tradition."
Rather than diminishing either tradition, this historical connection reveals something profound about human spirituality. Across cultures and millennia, we've been drawn to the powerful symbolism of a divine mother nurturing a child destined for greatness. The protective embrace, the throne symbolizing authority, the promise of rebirth and renewal - these archetypal elements speak to something deeply meaningful in human experience.
What This Means For Us
Learning about these historical connections doesn't need to threaten our faith traditions. Instead, it can help us appreciate how religions don't develop in isolation but emerge within rich cultural contexts, adapting and transforming meaningful symbols from the past.
Just as the return of light after the winter solstice spoke to ancient Egyptians about the promise of renewal, and just as early Christians found meaning in connecting Christ's birth to this same symbolism, we too can find inspiration in these enduring human expressions of hope, protection, and divine love.
Religious imagery evolves over time, but the profound human experiences and spiritual longings they express remain remarkably consistent. Perhaps there's something beautiful about knowing that when we look at a Madonna and Child, we're participating in a visual tradition that has comforted and inspired people across vastly different cultures for more than four thousand years.
What are your thoughts on these historical connections? I'd love to hear how this information strikes you.
The 300-year gap in the lactans iconography (breastfeeding imagery) between Isis and Mary is a significant finding from the research by Tran Tam Tinh that we discussed earlier. Let me explain this gap and its implications:
A 300 year Chronological Gap Between Christian Isis and Mary
Last Known Isis Lactans Images (300âs AD):
Tran Tam Tinh documented only three representations of Isis lactans from the 4th century CE
These include a limestone statue from Antinoe, a wall painting from Karanis, and a limestone statuette from Akhmim
After this period, no further Isis lactans images have been found or documented
While Images of Isis nursing her son are no longer able to be found, the Temple of Isis at Philae remained active until 537 AD when Justinian officially closed it. During this period, both religions coexisted, and imagery likely overlapped. It can be expected there was some attempted erasure of the most obvious similarities, that todayâs freedom and access upends.
Earliest Confirmed Maria Lactans Images (600âs AD):
The earliest uncontested representations of Maria lactans appear only in the 600âs AD. The earliest examples were found in monastic contexts in Egypt (Saqqara and Bawit).
This represents approximately a 300-year gap where no lactans imagery appears to exist.
HoweverâŚ
Roman-era funerary art often features mother-and-child imagery that's difficult to definitively identify as either Isis or Mary, for a 200 year period of the Christian era. This ambiguity suggests a period of iconographic blending rather than a clear break.
Significance of This Gap
This chronological gap is crucial for understanding the relationship between Isis and Mary representations for several reasons:
Challenge to Direct Continuity Theory:
The gap challenges the notion of a deliberate, direct continuity between Isis and Mary worship
If there had been direct adoption of Isis imagery by Christians, we would expect to see Maria lactans appearing soon after Isis lactans disappeared
Suggests Independent Development:
The gap could indicate that Maria lactans imagery developed independently rather than as a direct replacement for Isis
When it did appear, it emerged primarily in monastic contexts, suggesting it had a specific theological purpose rather than being a popular devotional image
Contextualized Cultural Borrowing:
Even though the imagery is similar, the gap suggests it wasn't a case of simple substitution of one goddess for another
When Christians eventually adopted the lactans pose, they would have understood it within their own theological framework, not as a continuation of Isis worship
Limited Scope of Iconographic Similarity:
The gap helps explain why Tran Tam Tinh concluded that connections between Isis and Mary are limited specifically to the lactans-type imagery
Other aspects of Marian iconography developed differently from Isis iconography
Contrast with Naming Continuity:
This iconographic gap stands in contrast to the naming continuity you showed in the "mer/mery/mary" traditions
While the name shows unbroken continuity over millennia, the visual imagery shows a significant break
What we know is limited by what has survived and been discovered. The apparent "gap" might simply reflect incomplete archaeological evidence rather than an actual absence of such imagery. Religious authorities may have selectively preserved or destroyed certain imagery, creating an artificial gap in the historical record. This well known and ancient mother-child imagery could serve both religious communities simultaneously as the cultural focus shifted from one tradition to another.
The gap could suggest the breast feeding imagery that was eventually revived within a Christian framework, after several generations, that this imagery was so powerful to be used in new context. It just feels so natural, that a shadow of her memory could not dim out completely.
Many scholars favor seeing the similarities as a politically correct âborrowingâ (but semantically impossible term that makes no sense, as language cannot be returned), rather than direct cultic continuation. Putting the images side by side, however, tells a different story. They are too similar in sound and context, to disassociate at all.
Scholars often hesitate to acknowledge direct continuity because it challenges notions of religious uniqueness, but the visual and linguistic evidence tells a compelling story of persistence rather than invention. The early Christians converting from Isis worship to Christianity would have recognized these connections intimately - they were not adopting foreign symbols but transforming familiar ones to express their new faith. This doesn't diminish either tradition but rather speaks to the powerful continuity of divine feminine imagery across human religious experience.
Magdalene Laundries, 1758 to 1996, Ireland
238 years of abuse
Maryâs reputation was not always pristine. Nor was her treatment.
Magdalen Asylum for Penitent Females, exposed for horrible abuses and rapes of women. It was excused to abuse women due to their (inexplained) yet widely interpreted that as a sinner, she deserved punishment.
âFallen Womenâ turned into slaves. Women sent there were often charged with âredeeming themselvesâ through lace-making, needlework or doing laundry. Though most residents had not been convicted of any crime, conditions inside were prison-like. For more than two centuries, women in Ireland were sent to institutions like Donnybrook as a punishment for having sex outside of marriage. Unwed mothers, flirtatious women and others deemed unfit for society were forced to labor under the strict supervision of nuns for months or years, sometimes even for life.
When the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity decided to sell some land they owned in Dublin, Ireland, to pay their debts in 1992, the nuns followed the proper procedures. They petitioned officials for permission to move the bodies of women buried in the cemetery. But it was no ordinary cemetery: it was a mass grave. When the mass grave at Donnybrook was discovered, the 155 unmarked tombs touched off a scandal that exposed the extent and horrors of the Magdalene laundries. As women came forward to share their experiences of being held against their will in restrictive workhouses, the Irish public reacted with outrage.
The Irish Government apologized to the thousands of women locked up in Catholic-run workhouses known as Magdalene laundries between 1922 and 1996.
Some pregnant women were transferred to homes for unwed mothers, where they bore and temporarily lived with their babies and worked in conditions similar to those of the laundries. Babies were usually taken from their mothers and handed over to other families. In one of the most notorious homes, the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, scores of babies died. In 2014, remains of at least 796 babies were found in a septic tank in the homeâs yard.
Any talk of harsh treatment at the Magdalene laundries and mothersâ homes tended to be dismissed by the public, since the institutions were run by religious orders. Survivors who told others what they had been through were often shamed or ignored. Other women were too embarrassed to talk. Estimates of the number of women who went through Irish Magdalene laundries vary, and most religious orders have refused to provide archival information for investigators and historians. Up to 300,000 women are thought to have passed through the laundries in total
âMy body went into shell shock when I went there. When that door closed, my life was over,â one survivor in 2014, Mary Smith recalled in her oral history. âYou see all these women there and you know youâre going to end up like them and be psychologically damaged for the rest of your life.â
The Magdalene Laundries represent a particularly dark manifestation of this transformation. The very name connects these institutions to Mary Magdalene and her mischaracterization as a fallen woman. This shows how religious narratives about women can have devastating real-world consequences:
Institutional Control: The laundries used religious authority to control and punish women's sexuality
Continuation of Misogyny: Despite the Church's 1969 correction about Mary Magdalene, the institutions bearing her name continued operating until 1996
Scale of Impact: The estimate of 300,000 women passing through these institutions reveals the massive social impact of these religious interpretations
What's particularly striking is how the name "Mary" threads through all of this history - from ancient Egyptian "mery" (beloved) to the names of both the venerated Virgin Mary and the mischaracterized Mary Magdalene, to the women like Mary Smith who suffered in institutions named after a woman named Mary. The naming patterns identified earlier take on even darker significance when we consider how these names were used to both elevate some women (Virgin Mary) while subjugating others (women in Magdalene Laundries).
This suggests that the 300-year iconographic gap we discussed earlier might represent just one aspect of a much more complex cultural transformation - one where certain elements of goddess worship were selectively preserved while others were demonized, with profound consequences for how women were treated in society.
The fact that these institutions operated into the modern era (1996) demonstrates that these aren't just ancient historical curiosities but religious interpretations with lasting social impact. The discovery of mass graves as recently as 2014 shows how modern these issues truly are.
Mary as Prostitute
The Catholic Church identified Mary Magdalene as a prostitute originated in 591 AD, with Pope Gregory's homily. He combined Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and the unnamed "sinner" in Luke 7, suggesting they were all the same person who had lived a life of prostitution.
In 1969, the Catholic Church went so far as to apologize for this claim, but the power of the association was so strong that many people still hold the mistaken belief that Magdalene was a prostitute.
The Catholic Church officially acknowledged that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, as had been traditionally portrayed, but the misconception persists.
It makes us think⌠if women did exist as royal prostitutes into Roman times, temple priesteses of royal blood, whose children would become King, maybeeee the Church was not so wrong in the first place. If Mary had in fact, been an Isis temple priestess, she could be considered a prostitute. Considering sex was holy in the Egyptian religion, this reinterpretation of sex could change our understanding of Mary profoundly.
In ancient Egyptian (and many other ancient) traditions, sacred sexuality was part of religious practice. In a balance of forces, love creates life:
Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Religions: In Egypt, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere, temple priestesses sometimes engaged in sacred sexual practices that were considered holy, not profane. These practices were meant to honor fertility goddesses and ensure agricultural abundance.
Transformation of Meaning: When Christianity emerged, these earlier religious sexual practices were reinterpreted through a very different moral framework. What was once sacred in one context became sinful in another.
Possible Reinterpretation of Mary Magdalene: If we consider the possibility that early Christian stories were interacting with or responding to existing temple traditions, the characterization of Mary Magdalene could indeed represent a reinterpretation of earlier religious roles.
Conclusion: The Eternal Feminine, Transformed
The threads that connect the Egyptian Mery to the Christian Mary are not merely faint echoes but a continuous lineage that speaks to something profound about our relationship with the divine feminine. What began as reverence for female power in ancient Egyptâembodied in goddess Isis nursing her divine sonâdid not simply inspire but directly evolved into Marian devotion, despite attempted theological revolution.
This evolution was neither linear nor always benevolent.
The supposed 300-year gap in breast-feeding imagery between the last Isis and first Mary images now appears more like an archaeological missing puzzle piece than historical realityâa period of transition where ambiguous imagery served both traditions simultaneously, or more explicit evidence was destroyed. Meanwhile, the unbroken continuity of the name itselfâfrom Merneith to Miriam to Maryâprovides irrefutable evidence of cultural persistence that even religious revolution could not erase.
This was not a case of simple "borrowing" as scholars demure behind, but of transformation within an unbroken tradition. When early Christiansâmany formerly devotees of Isisâknelt before images of Mary, they were continuing a form of worship with deep ancestral roots. The visual similarities are too precise, the linguistic continuity too persistent, and the geographic overlap too perfect to dismiss as coincidental adoption.
Yet this transformation came at a cost. What changed most dramatically was not the imagery but its interpretation. In Egyptian traditions, female divinity encompassed maternal nurturing alongside sexuality, power, and wisdom. As these attributes were filtered through patriarchal structures, we witness a narrowing of the divine feminineâthe veneration of virginity and suffering in Mary, the demonization of sexuality in Mary Magdalene.
The ultimate manifestation of this distortion finds its horrific expression in the Magdalene Laundries, where women bearing the same name as these ancient divine figures were imprisoned and abused for expressing the very aspects of femininity that were once considered sacred. That these institutions operated until 1996ânearly 5,000 years after Merneith ruled as Egypt's first female pharaohâreveals how completely the meaning of the "beloved" had been inverted.
Today, as we uncover mass graves and listen to survivors' stories, we are called to recognize that religious symbolism is never merely academic. The way we interpret and transform our sacred images has real consequences for how we treat one another. Perhaps by acknowledging the full lineage of Maryâreaching back through millennia to the worship of powerful goddess figuresâwe can begin to restore what was lost: a vision of the divine feminine that embraces the full spectrum of human experience.
The ancient Egyptians believed that to speak a name was to give life. In tracing this nameâMery, Belovedâacross five thousand years of human history, perhaps we are not merely studying the past but breathing new life into possibilities for the future. In this recognition lies our power to transform narratives once again, not by erasing history but by embracing it in all its complexity.
