mountainman

Exactly where Jesus often kissed Mary Magdalene is emminently questionable. The coptic text of the source document known as the Gospel of Philip is reported to be damaged at that precise place. Poetically, the translators have often opted for "her mouth". Other more conservative alternatives mooted have been ....

On her forehead
on her cheek
on her lips

This list is of course not comprehensive. Do we have an image of the coptic page at that precise spot? I for one would love to know exactly where Jesus often kissed Mary. Here are some alternative translations of the passage in question:

(1) English Translation by Wesley W. Isenberg

And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene. [...] loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her mouth.

(2) English Translated by Anton Teplyy and Dr.Mikhail Nikolenko (2002)

The Lord loved her more than He loved all other disciples and often kissed her on her mouth.

(3) English Translation and Notes by Paterson Brown

The [Lord loved] Mariam more than [all the (other)] Disciples, [and he] kissed her often on her [mouth].

Cesc

How about "on her porch"??

lpetrich

From Gospel of Philip is the text of the passage in question, and I've removed the interpolated text:

There isn't any context that can tell us where Jesus Christ liked to kiss Mary Magdalene, though the length of the unintelligible part may provide a clue.

DCHindley

The letters of "mouth" probably fits the size of the lacuna.

I kinda like "porch," but forehead, hand, feet, breasts, pudenda, etc, could also be just as appropriate. Each one puts the statement in a completely different light, though, doesn't it? What word is used for "love?"

Going by the "interpretive" portion of the text, Jesus seems to be the "light" and it was Mary Magdalene who saw who he was, and so he kissed her to show they had a special gnostic relationship. On the other hand, the disciples just didn't seem to "get" it, and the implication is that they did not see the light because they are blind.

See?

The hoo haa among the critics is whether this bit of gnostic exegesis makes use of an authentic tradition in which Jesus and Mary M have more than a platonic relationship. There is only the barest hint of a special relationship in the canonical gospels. So the answer must be, we just don't know ...

DCH

Joan of Bark

Did Jews typically kiss friends of the opposite sex on the forehead or cheek? If so, it wouldn't seem like something worth mentioning. On the mouth, on the other hand ...