Personally, I would have been much more interested in a subplot about Mary's former pimp trying to coerce her back into her former life than I am with the overly long fish taxation plot. Although, like Nicodemus, the account of Jesus' life in the Gospels tells us relatively little about her, the part that she plays as the first witness to the Resurrection is objectively much more significant. The first passage is regarding Mary Magdalene (Lilith): In case you didn't catch it, at the end of The Chosen episode 1 we discover that the character called Lilith for most of the episode is actually named Mary Magdalene. EDIT: To more specifically address your question about Mary Magdalene, my intuition is that they chose the name Lilith because few viewers are likely to know the name, and so therefore wont confuse her with another Bible character before her true identity is revealed. There's a sense in which Mary's demons might be seen as a metaphor for the oppressive forces that brought her into her life in the sex trade but this is only barely suggested. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. In my opinion it works. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. More importantly, allowing some of the disciples to judge Mary a bit more would have added more tension and could have fueled future arcs. Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. The Hebrew word "lilit" only shows up in Isaiah 34:14, where most modern translations render it as something along the lines of "night bird." Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. (he calls her by name at the end when he heals her). Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (Luke 8:1-3) and a story about a prostitute (Luke 7:36-50). If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? This is Tom My 3 month old son is battling an extremely rare and [Free Friday] after an early miscarriage 3 weeks ago, I Our new campus chapel is so close to being ready! In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. And the parallels don't end there. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. In Episode 8, we see that Mary is still struggling a bit - her failure is driving her to be a bit too unrelenting in her work for Jesus- but other than that she seems to be back on track. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene, Lilith, & the Redeemer (Exploring The Chosen with Youth), Elizabeth Tabish as Lilith/Mary Magdalene in The Chosen, Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like, You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. In the modern vernacular, a "red light district" is a term that refers to an area of the city known for prostitution, strip clubs, and other immoral establishments. The episode with the woman at the well in the season finale could have been an interesting opportunity to bring her character into conflict with the other male disciples, but this opportunity was also missed. Just long enough to make this point: Adaptations often add, change, and leave out details, because what works in a book isn't always the same as what works in television or film. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. we first meet her as a client flees her place in "the Red Quarter"), but it's relatively disinterested in depicting what her life as a prostitute was actually like. I hope you enjoy them! FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Mary and Nicodemus in Season 1 of The Chosen, The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of, Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (, But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? The Hebrew word "lilit" only shows up in Isaiah 34:14, where most modern translations render it as something along the lines of "night bird." They were fully engaged by the show on the level of entertainment but also seemed solidify their understanding of important gospel events and figures, as well as the cultural context. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Jesus, and the Romans. I take comments made by The Chosen Twitter account with a grain of salt, especially since they are most likely made by digital marketers and not the actual creators of The Chosen. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. When they are engaged in sin, it's often a result of their difficult circumstances or their status as outsiders, and so what they primarily need is love and acceptance, not forgiveness and repentance. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was brought in to perform an exorcism on her but failed, making him question the fullness of the Law. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. Meanwhile, in the youth ministry that I lead, I had the chance to view and discuss season one of The Chosen with several high schoolers and found it very fruitful. You can also purchase the DVDs of season 1 on Amazon if you're worried about trying to stream & do Zoom at the same time. (Plots & Theme), Episode 2 Guide: Philip, Nathanael, & Matthew, Episode 3 Guide: Life Among the Disciples of Jesus, Episode 4 Guide: Simon the Zealot & the Man at the Bethesda Pool, Episode 5 Guide: Mary's Demons & the Destiny of John the Baptist, Episode 8 Guide: Judas, Matthew, & the Sermon on the Mount, Episode 1 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Lilith, and the Redeemer, Episode 2 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Shabbat, Episode 3 Guide: Depicting Jesus in Art, Film, and TV, Episode 4 Guide: When Jesus Met Simon (Peter), Episode 6 Guide: Jesus, Shmuel, & the Pharisees. The difference between its depiction of her life as a prostitute, with super-sexualized clothing and a zebra chariot, and The Chosen's depiction of her life is emblematic of changing views of prostitutes between the 1920's and today. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. Thank you! Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (Matthew 18:10-35). The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. It's odd? (ex. As a general rule, the characters who follow Jesus aren't bad people; they're misunderstood and rejected and in need of love. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. Many characters and stories are based on events in the Gospels, but there are also characters and events that the creators made up to tie things together. Instead of being a femme fatale that Jesus needs to resist and tame, Mary Magdalene the prostitute is seen as an object of compassion and pity that Jesus needs to provide acceptance and safety. Narrative Ambiguity & Charitable Reading, The Chosen: 6 Good Friday & Easter Episodes, The Rings of Power, LOTR, and Bible Adaptation, Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power & The Challenges of Biblical Adaptation, In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 1), In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 2), Imagining Mary Magdalene (5 More Bible Adaptations While You Wait for The Chosen Season 2), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 1 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4 with Youth or Small Group), Physician, Heal Thyself (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 with Youth or Small Group), Two by Two (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 with Youth or Small Group), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters), Homecoming (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 with Youth or Small Group), John the Baptist in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. I can appreciate what theyre trying to do with the show: Theyre taking their time to build your relationship with the characters and to delve into some of the backstory so that everyone becomes a three-dimensional person, not just a mumbling zombie foil for Jesus. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. There is however a very clear disclaimer at the beginning of the series saying this isnt word-for-word and its no replacement for reading your Bible, etc. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. In the passage, who is it that says, "I have called you by name"? I would have introduced her PTSD much earlier in the season, giving her more space to try to struggle with it on her own before eventually falling back into her old life. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her this way. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. To clarify why the creators would want to add new characters and stories and leave some stories out, you could ask the following questions: What are some other popular adaptations of books into film or television? [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? I hope you enjoy them! Thank you! And to be fair, there isnt a whole lot of backstory for any of the disciples in the Bible, so its not a surprise the writers filled in the blanks with some artistic license.

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