Bible experts say Jesus had 12 male disciples and 12 female disciples

Bible experts Helen Bond and Joan Taylor have used forensic examination of the New Testament seeking to repair the 'heavily deteriorated reputation of women in the Bible'. Smh.

Taylor and Bond believe for every male member of the traditional 12 disciples, there was an equally pivotal female counterpart.

They mentioned Mary the Magdalene and Joanna, a noble woman who fled Herod’s court whom they believe was behind large amounts of the disciples’ financial backing and helped fund the spread of Christianity, as being some of Jesus' female disciples.

“For 200 years the story of Jesus and his twelve disciples has been a very male affair,” they the historians claimed.

“It’s a story in which women play minor supporting roles, as pious onlookers or repentant whores.

“We know now there were many women, disciples of Jesus. It’s very important to the Jesus movement. Women weren’t just bystanders to the greatest story ever told, but the ones who made it all possible.”

“When you look at the texts, you start to notice that there are actually little references to women,” said Bond.
“Apart from ‘the twelve’ there was Mary called Magdalene, Joanna and Suzanna.”
 

*Again, the Bible is being portrayed as patriarchal, down-playing women and seeing them as minor or less than men but this isn't true. 

These women mentioned are very well named in the Bible. They followed Jesus around and supported His ministry. But Jesus called the 12 to Himself (Luke 6:12-16) specifically to be His close associates who would bear witness to His life, death and resurrection. These 12, asides Judas (replaced by Matthias) became the 12 apostles after Jesus' ascension.

Lk 10:1 reveals that Jesus sent out 72 of His followers, two by two. That tells you that asides the 12 disciples, Jesus had other followers. So I wonder why they are making a fuss about this,trying to fault the Bible about 'mistreating' women. This is so wrong!