Mary, mother of Jesus

Mary was a first-century <a href="/facts/Jewish/T9Y4wE6A">Jewish</a> woman of <a href="/facts/Nazareth/hfzpLR1I">Nazareth</a>, the wife of <a href="/facts/Saint_Joseph/BRBVMK2Y">Joseph</a> and the mother of <a href="/facts/Jesus/Hcd9hEzI">Jesus</a>. She is an important figure of <a href="/facts/Christianity/nKyJHlqq">Christianity</a>, venerated under <a href="/facts/Titles_of_Mary,_mother_of_Jesus/n4DlUFsE">various titles</a> such as <a href="/facts/Perpetual_virginity_of_Mary/VSVXcyBk">virgin</a> or <a href="/facts/Queen_of_Heaven/fsLBudmR">queen</a>, many of them mentioned in the <a href="/facts/Litany_of_Loreto/S9XWHLBf">Litany of Loreto</a>. The <a href="/facts/Eastern_Orthodox_Church/5n20Akh5">Eastern</a> and <a href="/facts/Oriental_Orthodox/Hr4jF7La">Oriental Orthodox</a>, <a href="/facts/Catholic/YpnKqaEL">Catholic</a>, <a href="/facts/Anglican/CDICRNVn">Anglican</a>, <a href="/facts/Methodist/XXvj9D0G">Methodist</a>, and <a href="/facts/Lutheran/L4pMlRcS">Lutheran</a> churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the <a href="/facts/Theotokos/ko5r1fxc">Mother of God</a>. The <a href="/facts/Church_of_the_East/WBuCavb6">Church of the East</a> historically regarded her as <a href="/facts/Christotokos/hyM4CG8l">Christotokos</a>, a term still used in <a href="/facts/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East/eekxn2Uv">Assyrian Church of the East</a> liturgy. Other <a href="/facts/Protestant_views_on_Mary/rXjd0RBA">Protestant views on Mary</a> vary, with some holding her to have lesser status. She has the <a href="/facts/Mary_in_Islam/SXyls8AY">highest position in Islam</a> among all women and is mentioned numerous times in the <a href="/facts/Quran/39rkStko">Quran</a>, including in a chapter <a href="/facts/Maryam_(surah)/P8o3jxvM"> named after her</a>. She is also revered in the <a href="/facts/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith/orkrDxjS">Baháʼí Faith</a> and the <a href="/facts/Druze_Faith/HzEnIHJT">Druze Faith</a>.
The <a href="/facts/Synoptic_Gospels/kjrRqb02">synoptic Gospels</a> name Mary as the mother of Jesus. The gospels of <a href="/facts/Gospel_of_Matthew/37PUBgoR">Matthew</a> and <a href="/facts/Gospel_of_Luke/TWayBl9v">Luke</a> describe Mary as a virgin who was chosen by <a href="/facts/God_in_Christianity/L00rNhTu">God</a> to <a href="/facts/Annunciation/Gyq2LXyj">conceive Jesus</a> through the <a href="/facts/Holy_Spirit_in_Christianity/reEWIwbX">Holy Spirit</a>. After <a href="/facts/Nativity_of_Jesus/LlgLcFVz">giving birth to Jesus</a> in <a href="/facts/Bethlehem/2X2sxNCr">Bethlehem</a>, she and her husband Joseph raised him in the city of Nazareth in <a href="/facts/Galilee/4qgALq4a">Galilee</a>, and she was in <a href="/facts/Jerusalem/PKJ8LT0Y">Jerusalem</a> at his <a href="/facts/Crucifixion_of_Jesus/6BmdyCNg">crucifixion</a> and with the <a href="/facts/Apostles_in_the_New_Testament/2sPQ1VPS">apostles</a> after his <a href="/facts/Ascension_of_Jesus/kahwnqxB">ascension</a>. Although her later life is not accounted in the <a href="/facts/Bible/SqkRTKCh">Bible</a>, <a href="/facts/Roman_Catholic_Church/rJ4F4gqH">Roman Catholic</a>, <a href="/facts/Eastern_Orthodoxy/5n20Akh5">Eastern Orthodox</a>, and some Protestant traditions believe that her body <a href="/facts/Entering_heaven_alive/mn6rcuqA">was raised</a> into <a href="/facts/Heaven_in_Christianity/1w90MSy0">heaven</a> at the end of her earthly life, which is known in <a href="/facts/Western_Christianity/9YP8vhKs">Western Christianity</a> as the <a href="/facts/Assumption_of_Mary/4mfyc0NP">Assumption of Mary</a> and in <a href="/facts/Eastern_Christianity/ks2ztPhI">Eastern Christianity</a> as the <a href="/facts/Dormition_of_the_Mother_of_God/bx85ez8Q">Dormition of the Mother of God</a>.
<a href="/facts/Veneration_of_Mary/g1MQvpRz">Mary has been venerated</a> since <a href="/facts/Early_Christianity/LmdNJmea">early Christianity</a>, and is often considered to be the holiest and greatest <a href="/facts/Saint/lDE6So1B">saint</a>. There is a certain diversity in the <a href="/facts/Mariology/gwxbK1pB">Mariology</a> and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church holds <a href="/facts/Mariology_of_the_Catholic_Church/SVA5NdXH">distinctive Marian dogmas</a>, namely her <a href="/facts/Immaculate_Conception/mGE5HnCo">Immaculate Conception</a> and her bodily Assumption into heaven. Many <a href="/facts/Protestantism/NXja4K3g">Protestants</a> hold <a href="/facts/Protestant_views_on_Mary/rXjd0RBA">less exalted views</a> of Mary's role, often based on a perceived lack of biblical support for many traditional Christian dogmas pertaining to her.
The multiple forms of <a href="/facts/Marian_devotions/g1MQvpRz">Marian devotions</a> include various <a href="/facts/Christian_prayer/9fM6duVo">prayers</a> and <a href="/facts/Hymns_to_Mary/4WS6sh31">hymns</a>, the celebration of several <a href="/facts/Marian_feast_days/VucfuGcl">Marian feast days</a> in <a href="/facts/Christian_liturgy/Nwg571kJ">liturgy</a>, the veneration of <a href="/facts/Religious_image/0xc1GIL6">images</a> and <a href="/facts/Relics/oSksAgIf">relics</a>, the construction of <a href="/facts/Catholic_Marian_church_buildings/Ks2cPeyQ">churches dedicated to her</a> and <a href="/facts/Christian_pilgrimage/u6L4Gsja">pilgrimages</a> to <a href="/facts/Shrines_to_the_Virgin_Mary/t6I3MNac">Marian shrines</a>. Many <a href="/facts/Marian_apparition/u1pSJ3s0">Marian apparitions</a> and <a href="/facts/Miracle/W9KGIGPh">miracles</a> attributed to her <a href="/facts/Intercession_of_saints/l2ImAoLN">intercession</a> have been reported by believers over the centuries. She has been a traditional <a href="/facts/Madonna_(art)/SK7D1lDg">subject in arts</a>, notably in <a href="/facts/Byzantine_art/AXpB5BUl">Byzantine art</a>, <a href="/facts/Medieval_art/XSdP3D6K">medieval art</a> and <a href="/facts/Renaissance_art/TKre6V5V">Renaissance art</a>.

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Mary, mother of Jesus