Church history, local history and legend are in agreement about a small boat carrying the women from, or just after, the time of the Crucifixion arriving in France at Sainte-Maries-de-la-Mer (Saint Marys of the sea), and there after Lazarus and Mary Magdalene being in Marseilles. For he is recognized as the first bishop of the city by the Church. Further, the remains of Magdalene were located north of here at Aix-en-Province, where she spent her remaining years living in a cave, to later be protected by the Church. Today, a dark skinned woman, referred to as Saint Sarah, is still revered in the south of France where statues remain in her honor. Said to have been a princess from Egypt; who was she?
And; are the relics held in St-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume Provence really of Magdalene as claimed (for there is a twist to this tale)?
In history, these relics were purported to have been removed to Vezelay France to protect them from theft, but this was just a deception for they never left Provence. However, such does substantiate they are genuine and highly valued. Moreover, the actual twist to this story being the skull looks distinctly African in profile and not Arabic (as expected) or European, which corresponds with a revered 'black' Saint Sarah being in this area. Magdalene is believed to have came from Ethiopia therefore such a claim would correspond with all that is found and said. However, when a graphic reconstruction was carried out on the skull seen here, the face produced was made to look un-mistakenly European?! Artistic licence, perhaps? A need to portray her as a European when this is the most unfitting origin for her?!
[Similar in nature to all those tall athletic white-skinned statues of Jesus found all over the Western world?!]
To conclude, the Christian sect of the Cathars are believed to materialize from Magdalene and Lazarus thereby indicating a royal bloodline beginning in the south of France, where the sect did not appear from nowhere if by magic as conventional history would have us believe...
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