Eucheria of Theophilus
Woman of the tribe of Judah and of the royal lineage of David[1], she marries Theophilus, a Syrian proselyte who will become governor of Antioch. From this union will be born three children: Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, the Family of Bethany. Eucheria of Theophilus, seven years before the first year of public life (21 AD), dies of grief at seeing the dissolute life of her youngest daughter Mary.[2]-[3]
Character and Appearance[edit | edit source]
An admirable Woman and beautiful, it seems from the memories she left.[4]-[5] She is, moreover, the mother of three major saints. An angel, said about her by Simon the Zealot (Apostle), who knew her.[6]
Where is she mentioned in the work?[edit | edit source]
EMV 84 EMV 527 EMV 542 EMV 546 EMV 550 EMV 562
Learn more about this character[edit | edit source]
Historical Sources[edit | edit source]
Salton Gallican.org, a "manuscript attributed to Raban-Maur, bishop of Mainz in the 8th century, (document preserved by the University of Oxford and discovered in 1842 by Abbé Faillon)" would give a variant: "Salton this source, the mother of our three characters (Lazarus, Martha and Mary) belonged to the royal race of David and was called Eucharia. Martha’s father was named Theophilus, he was of princely origin and held an important position in Syria." Information closer to what Maria Valtorta says, with this difference: the three children are not all from the same marriage.
The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine[edit | edit source]
In this very famous 13th-century recension[7], Jacobus de Voragine states in the biography of Mary Magdalene that her parents "descended from the royal race. Her father was named Syrus and her mother Eucharia". This source is widely cited on the internet.