--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unquestionably it would have been Mary…" description: "\"“Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did the dishes at the Last Supper. Concluded Marguerite Yourcenar.”\" — David Markson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png" --- # Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did… ![“Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did the dishes at the Last Supper. Concluded Marguerite Yourcenar.” quote by David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png) > ““Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did the dishes at the Last Supper. Concluded Marguerite Yourcenar.”” [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement humorously proposes that Mary Magdalene performed a mundane task at the Last Supper, referencing Marguerite Yourcenar’s work. **In simple terms:** Mary Magdalene is imagined doing dishes at the Last Supper. Key Takeaway Consider everyday humanity in historic narratives. Themes humor historical speculation literary reference Mood playful thought‑provoking Type satirical literary When to use this quote - theology discussions - literary analysis - creative writing Key Concepts myth reinterpretation humanization Questions to Reflect On - How does humor reshape our view of history? - What value lies in humanizing iconic persons? A Different Perspective Such speculation may oversimplify complex figures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Last supper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-supper/) [Mary magdalene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mary-magdalene/) ## Related quotes > [“It is symptomatic of the constricting specialism and the oppressive burden of fact of our time that it has been left to the imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royston-lambert/it-is-symptomatic-of-the-constricting-specialism-and-the-oppressive/) Royston Lambert > [“In fact, the figure in The Last Supper is not a woman: only the most partisan reading can place Mary Magdalene in the scene.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-king/in-fact-the-figure-in-the-last-supper-is-not-a-woman-only-the-most/) [Ross King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-king/) > [The Last Supper is supposed to be thirteen men. Who is this woman? "Everyone misses it, our preconceived notions of this scene are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-last-supper-is-supposed-to-be-thirteen-men-who-is-this-woman/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [ He who sups with the devil had better have a long spoon. The devilry of modernity has its own magic: The \[believer\] who sups… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/he-who-sups-with-the-devil-had-better-have-a-long-spoon-the-devilry/) [Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/) > [I'm not going to ruin my movie because of some stupid ruling that it has to be ninety minutes long. That's just like adding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/i-m-not-going-to-ruin-my-movie-because-of-some-stupid-ruling-that-it/) [Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/) > [What did Jesus say to the headwaiter at the Last Supper? 'Separate checks, please.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/what-did-jesus-say-to-the-headwaiter-at-the-last-supper-separate/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The Last Supper means so much, very specifically to me and my faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/the-last-supper-means-so-much-very-specifically-to-me-and-my-faith/) [Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/) > [Maybe we weren't at the Last Supper, but we're certainly going to be at the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/maybe-we-weren-t-at-the-last-supper-but-we-re-certainly-going-to-be/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [The whites have always had the say in America. White people made Jesus white, angels white, the Last Supper white. If I threaten you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/the-whites-have-always-had-the-say-in-america-white-people-made-jesus/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Furniture, my good husband," she said, her mouth full of food, "that be too pretty is without pure thought. Tables with turned and carved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-gardner/furniture-my-good-husband-she-said-her-mouth-full-of-food-that-be-too/) [Sally Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-gardner/) > [Christ had a specific evangelizing goal in mind when he prayed at the Last Supper that all his disciples 'be one...'The Church's evangelizing mission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/christ-had-a-specific-evangelizing-goal-in-mind-when-he-prayed-at-the/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I'll bet I'm as old as you are." "I'm older than Sanskrit." "Well, I was waitress at the Last Supper." "I'm so old I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-ll-bet-i-m-as-old-as-you-are-i-m-older-than-sanskrit-well-i-was/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [When books come out on religion today, what are they about, well, Noah's Ark or when we go to heaven, does our body or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/when-books-come-out-on-religion-today-what-are-they-about-well-noah-s/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [Simon Peter, who embarrassed the other disciples at the Last Supper by asking for seconds. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/simon-peter-who-embarrassed-the-other-disciples-at-the-last-supper-by/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [“Is the Lord’s Supper only for Christians? Whenever I ask this question I immediately remember the character of those that partook of the Last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-witherington-iii/is-the-lord-s-supper-only-for-christians-whenever-i-ask-this-question/) [Ben Witherington III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-witherington-iii/) ## More by David Markson > [“Si es arte no es para todos, y si es para todos no es arte.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/si-es-arte-no-es-para-todos-y-si-es-para-todos-no-es-arte/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“One can very agreeably ignore a rain by walking in it. In fact it is when one allows a rain to prevent one from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/one-can-very-agreeably-ignore-a-rain-by-walking-in-it-in-fact-it-is/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that Rembrandt and Spinoza surely would have at least passed on the street, now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/on-the-other-hand-it-is-probably-safe-to-assume-that-rembrandt-and/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [Doubtless these are inconsequential perplexities. Still, inconsequential perplexities have now and again been known to become the fundamental mood of existence, one suspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/doubtless-these-are-inconsequential-perplexities-still/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Have I ever said that Turner once actually had himself lashed to the mast of a ship, to be able to later do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/have-i-ever-said-that-turner-once-actually-had-himself-lashed-to-the/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“A simple creature unlettyrde. Julian of Norwich called herself. The most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress. Echoed Jane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/a-simple-creature-unlettyrde-julian-of-norwich-called-herself-the/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [In fact one frequently seemed to gather all sorts of similar information about subjects one had less than profound interest in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/in-fact-one-frequently-seemed-to-gather-all-sorts-of-similar/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Every single one of the letters having been identical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/every-single-one-of-the-letters-having-been-identical/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Very possibly this was what was in Wittgenstein's own mind all of those years later, in face, when he said that you do no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/very-possibly-this-was-what-was-in-wittgenstein-s-own-mind-all-of/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“In the beginning, sometimes I left messages in the street.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/in-the-beginning-sometimes-i-left-messages-in-the-street/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Mahatma Gandhi: No veo virtud en estar desinformado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/mahatma-gandhi-no-veo-virtud-en-estar-desinformado/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Demasiadas notas, mi querido Mozart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/demasiadas-notas-mi-querido-mozart/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Helen ran off with a lover only once in her life herself, and for three thousand years nobody would ever let her forget about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/helen-ran-off-with-a-lover-only-once-in-her-life-herself-and-for/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [Is T.S. Eliot the only poet one can think of who could have spent a year on his own in Paris at twenty-three—and managed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/is-t-s-eliot-the-only-poet-one-can-think-of-who-could-have-spent-a/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Coincidences undeniably imply meaning. I am rereading Hart Crane. I notice the date On which he stepped off that boat Was April 26. Tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/coincidences-undeniably-imply-meaning-i-am-rereading-hart-crane-i/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) [Explore all 54 David Markson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) ## More Last supper quotes > [“Is the Lord’s Supper only for Christians? Whenever I ask this question I immediately remember the character of those that partook of the Last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-witherington-iii/is-the-lord-s-supper-only-for-christians-whenever-i-ask-this-question/) [Ben Witherington III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-witherington-iii/) > [“As we prepared for sleep that night I noticed that Lisa was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as young now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-drake/as-we-prepared-for-sleep-that-night-i-noticed-that-lisa-was-staring/) S.N. Drake > [ “Burridge goes on to say, “\[T\]rying to decode the Gospels through the genre of modern biography, when the author encoded his message in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-horn/burridge-goes-on-to-say-t-rying-to-decode-the-gospels-through-the/) Trent Horn > [“When he was creating this picture, Leonardo da Vinci encountered a serious problem: he had to depict Good - in the person of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-he-was-creating-this-picture-leonardo-da-vinci-encountered-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Simon Peter, who embarrassed the other disciples at the Last Supper by asking for seconds. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/simon-peter-who-embarrassed-the-other-disciples-at-the-last-supper-by/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [When books come out on religion today, what are they about, well, Noah's Ark or when we go to heaven, does our body or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/when-books-come-out-on-religion-today-what-are-they-about-well-noah-s/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [Happy Holy Thursday everybody…remember Jesus said on his last supper to love one another, as He has loved us...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-holy-thursday-everybody-remember-jesus-said-on-his-last-supper/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Yet another strategy for encoding in Renaissance works involved environmental “special effects.” Messages were ingeniously inserted so that they could be viewed only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-blech/yet-another-strategy-for-encoding-in-renaissance-works-involved/) [Benjamin Blech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-blech/) > [“In fact, the figure in The Last Supper is not a woman: only the most partisan reading can place Mary Magdalene in the scene.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-king/in-fact-the-figure-in-the-last-supper-is-not-a-woman-only-the-most/) [Ross King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-king/) > [“disciples. He brought the twelve of them together in a large room in a house in Jerusalem. They sat down to have a seder—the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/disciples-he-brought-the-twelve-of-them-together-in-a-large-room-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Look longer at the picture. It vibrates with Leonardo’s understanding that no moment is discrete, self-contained, frozen, delineated, just as no boundary in nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/look-longer-at-the-picture-it-vibrates-with-leonardo-s-understanding/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [I'll bet I'm as old as you are." "I'm older than Sanskrit." "Well, I was waitress at the Last Supper." "I'm so old I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-ll-bet-i-m-as-old-as-you-are-i-m-older-than-sanskrit-well-i-was/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Christ had a specific evangelizing goal in mind when he prayed at the Last Supper that all his disciples 'be one...'The Church's evangelizing mission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/christ-had-a-specific-evangelizing-goal-in-mind-when-he-prayed-at-the/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“The reason Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with the twelve disciples is that together they represent the bride of God -- the people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brant-pitre/the-reason-jesus-celebrates-the-last-supper-with-the-twelve-disciples/) Brant Pitre > [“When he instituted this sacrament and established this testament at the Last Supper, Christ did not offer himself to God the Father, nor did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/when-he-instituted-this-sacrament-and-established-this-testament-at/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) [Browse all 70 Last supper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-supper/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did the dishes at the Last Supper. Concluded Marguerite Yourcenar.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Markson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-magdalene-who-did-the-dishes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Last supper" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-magdalene-who-did-the-dishes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/david-markson-10450_last-supper_unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-m_3144187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unquestionably it would have been Mary Magdalene who did the dishes at the Last Supper. Concluded Marguerite…” — David Markson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Markson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Unquestionably it would have been Mary...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-magdalene-who-did-the-dishes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/unquestionably-it-would-have-been-mary-magdalene-who-did-the-dishes/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```