December 12, 1279: A sarcophagus in Saint-Maximin, France, was found, believed to contain Mary Magdalene's remains. According to legend, Mary Magdalene, along with her brother Lazarus and others, fled the Holy Land by boat and landed in France. After landing, Mary Magdalene preached the gospel in Marseille before retiring to a cave in the Sainte-Baume mountains for a life of penance and contemplation.
After her death, she was buried in Saint-Maximin. However, her remains were believed to have been lost or stolen until this rediscovery. This led to the 1295 construction of the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene. Genetic tests on hair from the reliquary suggest it belonged to a woman of likely Jewish origin.