2026-06-23

Mary Through Jewish Eyes, Part 1: What Is Typology?

To understand how Catholics see Mary in Scripture, we first need to understand a biblical method of interpretation used throughout the New Testament: typology.

What Is Typology?

One of the biggest differences between Catholic and Protestant approaches to Scripture is not necessarily what they read, but how they read it.

Catholics often see biblical connections that others do not. They speak of Mary as the New Eve, the Ark of the Covenant, the spiritual mother of believers, and even the Queen Mother of Christ's Kingdom.

To many Christians, these ideas can seem difficult to find in the Bible.

Yet Catholics would argue that these teachings emerge naturally from Scripture when it is read through a method used by the biblical authors themselves: typology.

This perspective was explored in a fascinating discussion by Father Daniele Russo, who explains how the Catholic understanding of Mary becomes clearer when viewed through the lens of Jewish biblical interpretation.

You can watch the full discussion here:

Mary Through Jewish Eyes – Father Daniele Russo

Before we examine what the Bible says about Mary, we must first answer an important question:

What is typology?

A Pattern Pointing to Something Greater

The word typology comes from the Greek word typos, meaning a pattern, form, or model.

In Scripture, a type is a person, place, object, or event that possesses real significance in its own time while also pointing forward to a greater future reality.

Think of a cookie cutter.

A star-shaped cookie cutter has a purpose and meaning in itself, but it ultimately points beyond itself to the cookie it produces.

The cookie cutter is the type.

The cookie is the reality.

One helps us recognise the other.

Biblical typology works in much the same way.

God often prepares His people for future events by establishing patterns throughout salvation history. When the fulfilment arrives, those earlier patterns help us recognise what God is doing.

Typology Is Found Throughout the Bible

Typology is not something later Christians invented. The New Testament itself frequently interprets the Old Testament in this way.

One of the clearest examples comes from Saint Paul.

Speaking about Adam, he writes:

"Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come."

— Romans 5:14 (NRSVA)

This is a remarkable statement.

Paul tells us that Adam was more than simply the first man. He was also a prophetic figure pointing forward to Jesus Christ.

Adam and Jesus share several similarities.

Both came directly from God.

Both stand as representatives of humanity.

Both performed actions that affected the entire human race.

Yet there is also a contrast.

Through Adam's disobedience, sin entered the world.

Through Christ's obedience, grace and salvation were made available to all.

Adam is the type.

Jesus is the reality.

Why First-Century Jews Read This Way

Many modern readers approach the Bible as a collection of individual stories.

First-century Jews often approached Scripture differently.

They were trained to recognise patterns, themes, and echoes that connected different books and events across centuries.

When they encountered familiar titles, phrases, numbers, or images, they immediately recalled earlier passages of Scripture.

For example, when the Gospel of John begins with the words:

"In the beginning..."

— John 1:1 (NRSVA)

a Jewish reader would instantly think of Genesis.

The Gospel writer is deliberately drawing attention to the creation account.

He wants his audience to recognise that something new is happening.

A new creation is beginning through Jesus Christ.

This way of reading Scripture appears throughout the New Testament and forms the foundation for many Catholic interpretations of Mary.

Seeing the Old Testament in the New

Once we begin looking for typology, biblical connections start appearing everywhere.

The Passover lamb points to Christ.

The manna in the wilderness points to the Eucharist.

The Old Testament becomes more than a record of ancient history. It becomes a preparation for what God ultimately reveals in Christ.

The New Testament does not replace the Old Testament.

Rather, it fulfils it.

As Christians read Scripture, the Old and New Testaments illuminate one another.

Why Typology Matters for Understanding Mary

This brings us to Mary.

Many Catholic beliefs about Mary are not built upon isolated proof texts.

Instead, they arise from patterns that stretch across the whole Bible.

Catholics see Mary as connected to several important Old Testament figures and symbols.

These connections are not based on imagination or speculation. They are rooted in the same typological method used by the New Testament authors themselves.

Understanding typology helps explain why Catholics see Mary as:

The New Eve
The New Ark of the Covenant
The Spiritual Mother of Believers
The Queen Mother of Christ's Kingdom

Whether one agrees with these interpretations or not, it is impossible to understand Catholic Marian theology without first understanding typology.

A Question That Changes Everything

Saint Paul tells us that Adam is a type of Christ.

Adam points forward to Jesus.

That raises an important question.

If Jesus is the New Adam, is there also a New Eve?

As we will see in the next article, the Gospel of John appears to answer that question in a surprising way.

The answer begins with a title that Jesus uses for His mother on two significant occasions.

Not "Mary."

Not "Mother."

But simply:

Woman.