True

Mary Magdalene's name crops up frequently in the New Testament. She is mentioned 12 times by name and is one of Jesus's closest companions. She sees him crucified, looks after his body and is there for the Resurrection.

For centuries, the Catholic Church painted Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. Father Richard McBrien, a Notre Dame theology professor, has speculated that early church leaders took it out on Mary because they were unwilling to believe she was so close to Jesus and were annoyed by the fact that she witnessed the Resurrection. The Church took it all back in 1969.

A gospel talks about Jesus kissing Mary "on the mouth." This is [partially] true. The Gospel of Phillip, a collection of sayings about Jesus discovered at Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, says, "... he [used to] kiss her [often] on her [mouth]." The interpolations are intelligent guesswork.

There's some evidence that the other disciples were offended by Christ's love for Mary. Again, the Gospel of Phillip provides some evidence of this, and so does the Gospel of Mary.

The act of anointing has many parallels with non-Christian fertility rites. Pouring unguent over a body crops up in many Middle Eastern cultures.

False

Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. Lots of speculation, no evidence. Don't look for help from the newly translated Judas Gospel. It doesn't even mention Mary.

Jesus and Mary had a child together. If you're willing to believe they were married, this would be the next logical step. That's a big if.

Mary graced the Last Supper with her presence. There's no evidence in the New Testament. Of course, there is something subversively appealing about the idea that Leonardo might have painted her in surreptitiously.

Mary Magdalene died in France and is buried at Vezelay. Lucius III, Urban III and Clement III all issued papal bulls saying so, and there are some very appealing legends. One says Mary ended up in France after the Crucifixion with Jesus's aunts and a black serving girl called Sarah. The evidence? Slim. Skeptics would say none. And the Eastern Orthodox Church has her buried in Constantinople.

We know who Mary really was. There is an age-old confusion as to whether she should be identified with other Marys mentioned in the Bible, such as Mary of Bethany, or with the woman sinner who anointed Jesus's feet. It was the decision to conflate all three Marys that led to bad press for Mary from the Church.