Herod built the three heavily fortified towers of the citadel upon a location that was already a very fortified position since the days of Solomon. Jerusalem's citadel was the highest point of the city about 2500 feet above sea level. Herod built the citadel and towers to protect the western side of the city of Jerusalem and his marvelous palace. These were fantastic towers, the largest was the Phasael Tower but the most beautiful was his Mariamne Tower.
....
The Mariamme Tower
3. Mariamme Tower (named after his beloved Hasmonean wife whom he had murdered. Josephus said "the king considering it appropriate that the tower named after a woman should surpass in decoration those called after men." It stood 74 feet high).
When Titus destroyed most of Jerusalem in 70 AD., he spared Herod's fortress.
There are three women seeing the crucified Jesus: Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.
Therefore Mary Magdalene (Magdala means ''turreted town'') represents the Mariamme Tower that sees, powerless and not-destroyed, a Jerusalem destroyed by Romans in 70 (= 'Jesus crucified').
And Salome?
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
Logically, who was in a tower that was not destroyed ('Mary of Magdala'), could only see the effects of the destruction without being in danger of life.
'Salome' means 'Peace'. The paradox is that the woman named 'Peace' saw the final event of a war: the destruction of Jerusalem (='Jesus crucified').
Mary ''the mother of James and Jose'' was not involved in that event, too, because she never had chance to meet ''Jesus'', being rejected by him.
All these women share a thing in common: they saw the destruction of Jerusalem (= the crucifixion) from a position of relative safety (''Mary of Magdala'') and detachment (''Mary mother of James and Jose'') and calm (''Salome'').
But even they were not exempt from the anguish of war:
They were worried about how to remove the stone (1),
they were afraid at the sight of the angel (2),
and ultimately were terrified at the angel's message (3).
There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.
(Mark 15:40)
The apparently sure ''Mary-tower'' (because spared from the destruction) is worried about something more great than her: the terrifying vision of a temple destroyed.
They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
(Mark 16:3)
There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.
(Mark 15:40)
Even if she is not the mother of Jesus but her antithesis (cfr Mark 15:40), she shows apparently her same detachment from the fate of Jesus. But, differently from the mother of Jesus (to whom it was not allowed access to the place where Jesus was staying), she enters into the place where Jesus was, and was frightened by what she saw: the angel.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, “Do not be amazed!
(Mark 16:5-6)
There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.
(Mark 15:40)
Paradoxically, just the woman who had to be calm by virtue of his name (''Salome'' = ''peace''), flees terrified listening to the words of the angel.
Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
(Mark 16:8)
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
