I hope you enjoy them! Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. 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. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. (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. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. This association with prostitution opens a variety of directions for adaptations to take in their portrayal of her, especially given the affection Jesus shows for her (John 20). In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. 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 Gospels don't tell us very much about what these women do, with the significant exception of the burial and resurrection, but this provides leeway for female characters to play a more significant role throughout the ministry of Jesus and not just when they are mentioned. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Thats as far off-script as they go for the rest of the season, everything else is pretty true to a harmonized Gospel narrative. 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. In my opinion it works. The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. Dallas mentioned how some viewers didn't like that Mary fell back into old ways, which seems ridiculous, but just goes to show how out of touch some people are with both real life and how stories work. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. Describe a pencil. Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (Luke 8:1-3). She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. And just like one day Mary will initially fail to recognize the risen Jesus, confusing him for a gardener, she initially fails to recognize Jesus when he first comes to her, confusing him for one of the men who's been hassling her. When making the Chosen, he is advised by a Catholic Priest, Rabbi, and Evangelical Pastor. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. 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. 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. There you go! You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. 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. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. To recap: in, One other thing - the show could have allowed some of the disciples (like John) to go a bit further in being judgmental toward after her return. Moreover, her biblical significance has been amplified even more by the attention that she's received from the interpretative and artistic traditions of the West. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. In The Chosen, during Season 2, Episodes 5-6, Mary Magdalene briefly leaves Jesus and falls back into sin, before being sought out, forgiven, and restored to ministry. 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? Just before Luke introduces us to Mary Magdalene, he tells a story about a prostitute that Jesus forgives (, Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. Your contributions mean so much. She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. Normally I wouldn't care but this is a movie about Jesus, and if the people behind it are trying to do good, but it is a great disservice for me to bad-mouth it until the full plot is revealed. 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. 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? 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. Thus, when Jesus first encounters Mary, what he offers her isn't forgiveness for her life of prostitution; it's relief from the oppressive demons that drove her to the type of life that she's lived. 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 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. She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Catholic Christianity offers the world the fullness of the Christian Faith. 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. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. I hope I better can temper myself. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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 assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. When he encounters her again in Season 1 Episode 2, he is surprised to discover that she has been completely healed and is free of the evil spirits. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:1-18). You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. If you try it out, please let me know how it goes and if you have any feedback! The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. However, a post by the official Twitter account for The Chosen claims that Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. And just like one day Mary Magdalene will be the first witness to the risen Jesus (perhaps to Nicodemus as well as the disciples), the show also makes her the first witness that we see in action. Just like one day Mary Magdalene will be caught up in despair because she can't find Jesus' body, she's caught up in despair at her own situation. 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. 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." [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. 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. Her name always was Mary, but through her past of turmoil, mental illness, rape, or whatever else caused her to be mentally tortured, she led everyone to believe she was Lilith. In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. Im not sure many people caught this, but when Jesus follows Mary outside, he calls to her saying, Mary of Magdala! Mary then turns around, dropping her jar and says to him, How do you know my name? I think one could make sense of the Mary/Lilith name in that scene alone. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. Although there's nothing in the Gospels that suggests that these two figures should be linked together, Mary mistakenly became identified with the forgiven prostitute in the interpretative tradition of the Western Church. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. every time a new character showed up. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. 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. Over time, there's been a growing awareness of how most women end up in prostitution: not because they are innately promiscuous but rather as a result of coercion, sexual trauma, and systemic inequities. Plays in the Chosen probably chose this name because it is a reference to a harmonized Gospel.. 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