The Woman with the Alabaster Jar - Margaret Starbird (book review)

Often events can have the desired effects for all the wrong reasons, a bizarre twist can often bring about the expected conclusion even though the manner of its arrival is not to be. Such it was that caused the writing of this book. When the book "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" was launched upon the world, a book that was controversial in suggesting that a bloodline began by the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene was still in existence today, one Roman Catholic scholar found that her belief was profoundly shaken. In an effort to refute their outrageous claims, Margaret Starbird began her own quest for the truth of the matter. Instead of finding the evidence that she sought to bury these claims, instead she found new and compelling evidence for a bride of Jesus, the woman who the Bible clearly says anointed him with precious oils- "the woman with the alabaster jar."

This book is now over ten years old but the time is right for it to be brought back into the limelight. But where as books in this field seem to want nothing short of the complete overturning of an entire belief system, here we find a re-evaluation of just one person, a person who needs to be allowed to re-take the important position in the Gospels that she once held, before being marginalized by the male dominated medieval church. But more than that Margaret Starbird explores the feminine aspects of the Christian story; a long suppressed and often emotionally opposed side. She holds the view that the orthodoxy of the modern held view of the new testament is only held as orthodox because it won a political battle for editorial control in the early years of the church and the results have been promoted by the winners, the Roman catholic church ever since. But just because it won, does not mean that it is the truth. Might is not the same as right, as we all know.

In this book the author takes us on a journey through the various disciplines of history, heraldry, symbolism, medieval art, mythology, psychology and especially the Bible itself in a quest for the lost feminine. And if restoring the balance of the Christian message is in itself no small task, Starbird promotes the idea that this restored gender balance is also what is needed to help heal the problems of the very planet on which we live. Along side these global themes that may be hard to grasp due to their ephemeral and vague spiritual nature we also find themes that are more familiar. The Holy Grail, an idea intertwined with the story of Jesus, takes centre stage but here it is looked at in a more symbolic fashion and the understanding of its true nature may be the key to unlocking now suppressed ideas at the heart of the early church.

The author has the advantage of writing from within the establishment being a scholar of History and Divinity and is connected with a number of universities. From this respected position her claims have added impetus due to the respect that she already holds. But the other attraction is that there is no controversial attack on the establishment that she is part of. Instead she offers the first steps towards a reunion between the male dominated aspects of Christianity and the feminine, goddess figure that has been cast off for political reasons and designated heretical and paganistic beliefs. This reconstruction of Christian origins makes a lot more sense than some of the things that are held as carved in stone by the church elders today and with the emergence of a mass of non-canonical writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is time that books such as this became more widely circulated.

Religious scholars, historians, Christians and non-Christians alike should find this book interesting, challenging and inspirational but it never seeks to attack belief on a personal level. It contains ideas that can be incorporated into anyone's present understanding without rocking the boat and that has importance much larger than may first be apparent both on an individual and a global level.