Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola make some often overlooked observations in their new (2012) book, Jesus: A Theography:
"When Luke wrote his gospel, he referred to the twelve disciples with the shorthand phrase 'the twelve.' But he also used another shorthand phrase: 'the women" or 'some women':
The Twelve were with him, as well as some women: Mary called Magdalene; Joanna, the wife of King Herod's cupbearer; Susanna; and many others. They provided for them out of their resources." [Luke 8:1-3]
And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid." [Luke 23:55}
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.' [Acts 1:14]
"Jesus and His disciples were not beggars; discipleship did not equal destitution. Jesus and the Twelve had financial backers who supported the ministry, many of whom were women. In fact, they had sufficient funding not only to warrant a treasurer but to elicit Jesus' insistence that His and the disciples' taxes be paid to Rome.