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The Identity of Johannine anonymous disciple, whom Jesus loved, is still mysterious. Many solutions are being brought forward, yet none has followed any general agreement. Especially, the names of different men as possible identifications of the anonymous disciple have been cited. To these proposals R. K. Jusino has erewhile added the name of a woman in the first instance: Maria Magdalena. In this artcle I support his proposition, that Maria Magdalena is an important candidate for the anonymous disciple, whom Jesus loved, but I follow another argumentation.

In this article most of all a new interpretation of John 19, 25-27 and 20, 1-18 is to be accentuated. Therewithal the reason of the anonymous nature, the then-current problems of legitimation of authority of women, come into perspective, and repressive elements in the description of women in the Johannine evangel. The proposition that Maria Magdalena might be the anonymous disciple, is at last examined by criteria for such an identification, which J. H. Charlesworth has set in his impressive treatise on the beloved disciple.

If anyone regards Maria Magdalena as a serious candidate for the identification of the beloved disciple, that has the important consequences. She would have been an apostle. Her stories, not only about Jesus' death and resurrection, but also about his life and his teaching would be passed down, canonized, learned and spread over the whole world.