Before there was internet fraud and phone scams, there were always swindlers.

Female swindlers too.

Discover the stories of women from the past who not only survived, but thrived as con-artists and thieves.

How did they use their feminine characteristics to swindle in a world where men made the rules?

Join me, Lucy Worsley, historian and author, and my all-female team in ladies swindlers, wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica. This month we're talking

about women who found themselves at the center of controversy, whether deserved or not. Today we're

talking about one of the most important women in the New Testament. Sometimes she's portrayed as a

follower of Jesus, sometimes a reformed sinner, and sometimes Jesus' wife.

Her multitude of identities reflect centuries of shifting attitudes towards women.

Let's talk about Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned by name 12 times in the New Testament, making her the second most mentioned woman in the

text right behind Mary, mother of Jesus. In fact, Mary Magdalene is mentioned more often than most of

Jesus' apostles. Mary Magdalene's identity has long been fragmented and then fused back together,

and it began in the New Testament itself.

The cultural conception of Mary Magdalene is made up of at least three different Mary's

mentioned in Christian canonical texts. Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala, got her name

from her hometown, a small village on the Sea of Galilee.

According to the Gospel of Mark, she was introduced to Jesus' ministry after he cast

out seven demons from her.

She was possibly well off, as she was said to have provided for Jesus and his apostles.

From then on, she followed his teachings closely and was present at his crucifixion,

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