Disciple (Christianity)

===Women who followed Jesus===
In Luke (10:38–42), [[Mary, sister of Lazarus]], is contrasted with her sister [[Martha]], who was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part," that of listening to the master's discourse.  John names her as the "one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair" (11:2).  In Luke, an unidentified "sinner" in the house of a Pharisee anoints Jesus' feet.  
Luke refers to a number of people accompanying Jesus and the twelve.  From among them he names three women: "[[Mary Magdalene|Mary, called Magdalene]], ... and [[Saint Joanna|Joanna]] the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and [[Susanna (disciple)|Susanna]], and many others, who provided for them out of their resources" (Luke 8:2–3).  Mary Magdalene and Joanna are among the women who went to prepare Jesus's body in Luke's account of the resurrection, and who later told the apostles and other disciples about the empty tomb and words of the "two men in dazzling clothes".  Mary Magdalene is the most well-known of the disciples outside of the Twelve.  More is written in the gospels about her than the other female followers.  There is also a large body of lore and literature covering her.

Other gospel writers differ as to which women witness the [[crucifixion]] and witness to the [[resurrection]].  Mark includes [[Mary Jacobe|Mary, the mother of James]] and [[Salome (disciple)|Salome]] (not to be confused with [[Salome|Salomé]] the daughter of Herodias) at the crucifixion and Salome at the tomb.  John includes [[Mary, the wife of Cleopas|Mary the wife of Clopas]] at the crucifixion.

[[Dorcas|Tabitha (Dorcas)]] is the only female follower of Jesus named in the New Testament and explicitly called a disciple.<ref name=Syswerda>{{cite book|last=Syswerda|first=Jean E.|title=Women of the Bible: 52 Bible studies for individuals and groups|year=2002|publisher=Zondervan|location=Grand Rapids, Mich.|isbn=0310244927|page=[https://archive.org/details/womenofbible00jean/page/214 214]|url=https://archive.org/details/womenofbible00jean/page/214}}</ref>