wed his widowed wife in a Levirate marriage, despite this only being permissible if the first marriage had been childless. The most likely outcome is that Mary the wife of Cleophas (or Clopas) is the same as Mary the mother of James the Less, Simon, Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) and Joses, as well as Clopas' wife. This indicates that the term, 'brothers of Jesus' stood for cousins rather than siblings. References 1st-century Christian female saints Followers of Jesus Saints from the Holy Land Gospel of John Women in the New Testament People in the canonical gospels Myrrhbearers The Three Marys