From Christianity.com:
Mary Magdalene, as it seems according to Scripture, was likely not a prostitute. Some people associate her with the prostitute who washes Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:36-50), but no biblical verse ties the two.
Some have also suggested Mary Magdalene is the women caught in adultery, but again, Scripture does not give that woman a name (John 8:1-11).
Why Do so Many Christians Claim She Was a Prostitute?
If no Scriptural evidence directly ties her to this role, where did the prostitute affiliation come from?
In the 6th century Pope Gregory the Great authoritatively pronounced that the sinful woman mentioned in Luke 7:36-50 was the same person as Mary Magdalene. He even asserted that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were the same person. The Eastern Orthodox Church never linked Mary Magdalene’s identity with the sinful woman in Luke 7.
“Although Gregory did not actually call her a prostitute, he interpreted the ‘seven demons’ of which she had been exorcised as the totality of vices, and asserted that the ointment she used to anoint Jesus’ feet had previously been used by her to perfume her body for sensual purposes.
Subsequently, the legend of Mary Magdalene, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, as a beautiful, vain, and lustful young woman saved from a life of sin by her devotion to Jesus became dominant in western (Catholic) Christianity, although the eastern (Orthodox) church continued to regard Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany as distinct saints, and identified neither with Luke’s sinner.”
Wow! Holy cow. I’m speechless. I truly was taught that she was a prostitute. I guess catholic school which you mention. There’s so much inconsistency between different studies on the topic. Thank you for this.