Tradition as early as the 3rd century AD (Hippolytus in his Commentary on Song of Songs) identifies Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2) with Mary of Bethany (John 11:1–2) and with the Unnamed Woman sinner who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-38 (KJV). “And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”

John 11:1–2 (KJV) does confirm Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, with Luke 7’s Unnamed Woman. It reads, “1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)”

Ellen White follows Scripture’s lead in confirming that Mary of Bethany was the same person as Luke 7's Unnamed Sinner. In Desire of Ages, she says, “Simon the host had been influenced by the criticism of Judas upon Mary’s gift, and he was surprised at the conduct of Jesus. His Pharisaic pride was offended. He knew that many of his guests were looking upon Christ with distrust and displeasure. Simon said in his heart, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner.” {DA 566.1}

What she records there appears to be a quote from Luke 7:39 (KJV) which reads, “39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” In chapter 62 of Desire of Ages, she adds the “Parable of the Creditor” found in Luke 7:41–50 and attributes the Pharisee listener of Luke 7 to Simon the healed leper of John 11.

Catholics originally strengthened this teaching when Pope Gregory I said, undoubtedly referring to Hippolytus in a sermon in 591 AD, “She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary [of Bethany], we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark.” Though the Catholic Church basically recanted of this position in 1969—it still lingers (for more information, see the August 11, 2003 Time Magazine article or the May 2, 2006 Catholic Online article below). Which may be why Mel Gibson in his movie The Passion of the Christ as well as in Martin Scorsese’s earlier film adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel The Last Temptation of Christ included it in their movies.

The Time Magazine article: http://www.danbrown.com/media/morenews/time.html