I wrote a somewhat similar article about this some time ago:

https://medium.com/radical-christianity/was-mary-magdalene-an-apostle-afc54b4dbdd4

I like how you researched yours - your approach is better I, I think.

To me, there's no doubt that ancient scribes added things pretty much as they wanted to to move their agenda forward.

Joaquin Phoenix played Jesus in a movie about Mary M called, hold on now, "Mary Magdalene". It skipped the nonsense about her being a prostitute. It didn't quite exalt her like I think she deserves to be, but it was still much more positive than what we usually see from pop culture canon. It wasn't a particularly good movie, so few people have seen it.

One thing I liked is that it didn't go for the Mary and Jesus as lovers thing. I've always considered the Mary/Jesus relationship as Jesus's way of showing how men should be able to be close to a woman without turning it into a sexual thing. I don't say that as a sexual prude. I say that because it's what I believe to be true.

Some say they were married. Sure, why not, I guess. But I don't think so. I think their relationship was the template for good friendships betweeen the two genders.

I also think she was Jesus's most important apostle, the one, as John says in his gospel throughout, "the one he loved." Most people think that was John. I think it was Mary. But male scribes changed things. I don't have evidence for this. It's just a gut thing. A feeling. Or maybe God told me in a dream and I forgot. I'm quite forgetful.