Martha is from the Aramaic *Marta* (lady, mistress of the house). **In the Gospel of Luke, Martha of Bethany was the sister of Lazarus and Mary who busied herself with hospitality while her sister sat at Jesus's feet** — Jesus's gentle admonition ("Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things") gave the English language its archetype of the busy hostess. **Martha Graham (1894-1991)** was the **American dancer-choreographer who founded modern dance**; **Martha Washington (1731-1802)** was the first First Lady of the United States.
Subject of Sasha Waltz's *Martha* (2006) and many Christian devotional works.
Martha reduces to five — the number of Bethany's lady.