Follower of Jesus; wife of Herod's household manager
Joanna
The wife of Herod Antipas's household manager, who helped financially support Jesus's ministry and was among the first women to find the tomb empty.
Life and work
Joanna was the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod Antipas's household — a striking detail, since it places a woman with direct ties to the royal court among Jesus's followers. Luke names her, alongside Mary Magdalene and Susanna, as one of several women who had been healed of illnesses or freed from evil spirits and who used their own resources to support Jesus and the Twelve (Luke 8:3). She reappears at the end of the Gospel among the women who found the tomb empty and reported the resurrection to the apostles, who initially dismissed it as nonsense (Luke 24:10). Her connection to Herod's court has led some to speculate she may have been a source for details in Luke's Gospel about Herod's household, though this is speculative.
Extra-biblical evidence
No extra-biblical record of Joanna survives outside Luke's Gospel.
Scripture references
- Luke 8:3 — Named as a supporter of Jesus's ministry, wife of Chuza
- Luke 24:10 — Among the women who find the tomb empty
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