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Mary of Bethany (Judeo-Aramaic ????, Mary?m, rendered Μαρ?α, Maria, in the Koine Greek of the New Testament; form of Hebrew ???????, Miry?m, or Miriam, "wished for child", "bitter" or "rebellious") is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of John and Luke in the Christian New Testament. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Martha, she is described by John as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem; in Luke only the two sisters, living in an unnamed village, are mentioned. Most Christian commentators have been ready to assume that the two sets of sisters named as Mary and Martha are the same, though this is not conclusively stated in the Gospels, and the proliferation of New Testament "Marys" is notorious.[1]

Until recently, the Roman Catholic Church identified Mary Magdalene as Mary of Bethany. This was abandoned in the early 1990s. In Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant traditions they have always been considered separate persons. [2] The Orthodox Church has its own traditions regarding Mary of Bethany's life beyond the gospel accounts. Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Bethany