HOLY HOAXES: Separating Biblical Facts from Popular Fiction (Part 1)

There are many misconceptions about the Bible that people assume are true simply because they sound familiar. These details often come from long-held traditions, so they are commonly accepted as fact without careful examination. Here are a few of them:

HOAX 1: Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.

BIBLE FACT: The Bible never says that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute before becoming a believer. What Scripture clearly states is that Jesus freed her from seven evil spirits (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2), and she became a devoted follower of Christ.

The common misconception likely arose because Mary Magdalene is mentioned in Luke 8:2 right after the story of the “sinful woman” who anointed Jesus (Luke 7:36–50). Over time, some readers merged the two accounts. Tradition then reinforced this mix-up, so many never bothered to check whether it was accurate. Some also claim Mary Magdalene was the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11), but this too has no biblical basis.

HOAX 2: Manna was literally bread from heaven.

BIBLE FACT: Although manna is often called “bread” (Exodus 16:4, 8, 12, 15, 31; Psalm 105:40, and more), Scripture also describes what it actually looked like. It was white and resembled coriander seed (Exodus 16:31; Numbers 11:7), which explains why it was poetically called the “grain of heaven” (Psalm 78:24). Contrary to popular belief, manna was not ready-to-eat bread. Because it came as small granules, the Israelites had to grind and refine it like flour before baking it into bread (Numbers 11:7–8).

HOAX 3: Lion will lie down next to the lamb.

BIBLE FACT: Isaiah’s prophecy never says that a lion will lie down with a lamb. Instead, it describes a wolf living peacefully with the lamb, while the lion will dwell with the calf (Isaiah 11:6). Why, then, do many people picture a lion and a lamb together? Most likely because they blend this passage with other verses portraying Jesus as both the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

HOAX 4: People were laughing and mocking Noah.

BIBLE FACT: While it’s possible that people ridiculed Noah as he built the ark, Scripture never records such a scene. The Bible calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), but it does not describe anyone mocking him or explain exactly how he preached. Many believe that Noah’s very act of constructing the ark served as a message to the wicked world: “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).

HOAX 5: The Wise Men were three.

BIBLE FACT: Scripture never states that the wise men were three in number. The common idea likely comes from the three types of gifts they presented to Jesus—gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). Considering the historical setting, it is far more plausible that the magi traveled in a sizable caravan. Their arrival created such a stir that news reached King Herod and “all Jerusalem was troubled with him” (Matthew 2:3), suggesting a much larger group than just three travelers.

HOAX 6: The forbidden fruit was apple.

BIBLE FACT: The Bible never says that the forbidden fruit in Eden was an apple. If the fruit had truly been an apple, the author of Genesis would have named it plainly—especially since apples are specifically mentioned in other passages such as Deuteronomy 32:10, Proverbs 25:11, Psalm 17:8, and Zechariah 2:8.

HOAX 7: The thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy is Satan.

BIBLE FACT: Many assume that the “thief” in John 10:10 is Satan, but the text itself never states or even hints at this. Throughout the passage (vv. 1, 8, 10), Jesus repeatedly speaks of “thieves and robbers,” pointing to the religious leaders of His day who had just cast out the healed blind man (John 9:34). In the Old Testament, “thieves” and “robbers” often describe corrupt leaders (Isaiah 1:23; Jeremiah 2:26; 7:11). While Satan certainly acts like a thief in a broader sense, the immediate context shows that Jesus was addressing false and abusive spiritual leaders—not the devil himself. Stay Curious.