Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. [1][148][150] As early as the third century, the Church Father Tertullian (c. 160 225) references the touch of "the woman which was a sinner" in effort to prove that Jesus "was not a phantom, but really a solid body. [294], Many of the alleged relics of the saint are held in Catholic churches in France, especially at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, where her skull (see above) and the noli me tangere are on display; the latter being a piece of forehead flesh and skin said to be from the spot touched by Jesus at the post-resurrection encounter in the garden. New Testament apocrypha writings mention Mary Magdalene. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (, As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. [47] Ehrman, who previously accepted the story of Jesus' burial as historical, now rejects it as a later invention on the basis that Roman governors almost never allowed for executed criminals to be given any kind of burial[58] and Pontius Pilate in particular was not "the sort of ruler who would break with tradition and policy when kindly asked by a member of the Jewish council to provide a decent burial for a crucified victim. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. [284], Mary Magdalene is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival and in the Episcopal Church with a Major Feast on 22 July. [240], In medieval depictions Mary's long hair entirely covers her body and preserves her modesty (supplemented in some German versions such as one by Tilman Riemenschneider by thick body hair),[243][244] but, from the sixteenth century, some depictions, like those by Titian, show part of her naked body, the amount of nudity tending to increase in successive periods. Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? [11] Mary herself spends the last thirty years of her life alone as a penitent ascetic in a cave in a desert in the French region of Provence. Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? Lilith's creation is recounted in The Tales of Ben Sira, an apocryphal work from the tenth century C.E. In the Golden Legend, De Voragine dismisses talk of John and Mary being betrothed and John leaving his bride at the altar to follow Jesus as nonsense. The Chosen isn't trying to mess with the Bible. [44], That women played such an active and important role in Jesus' ministry was not entirely radical or even unique;[39][41] inscriptions from a synagogue in Aphrodisias in Asia Minor from around the same time period reveal that many of the major donors to the synagogue were women. Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Come and See is a devotional journal designed specifically for studying Bible movies and shows like The Chosen. [Christ] loved Mary more than [all] the disciples, [and used to] kiss her [often] on the [mouth]. They are legendary and mythological. [115], The Gospel of Mary is the only surviving apocryphal text named after a woman. [36], Since Mary is listed as one of the women who supported Jesus' ministry financially, she must have been relatively wealthy. Simon Peter said to them: Let Mary go forth from among us, for women are not worthy of the life. [53] Ehrman states that the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other women at the cross is probably historical because Christians would have been unlikely to make up that the main witnesses to the crucifixion were women[54] and also because their presence is attested in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John independently. "Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner? When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Some of these writings were cited as scripture by early Christians. [293] Bahs have noted parallels between Mary Magdalene and the Bab heroine-poet Thirih. [67], According to Matthew 28:110, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" went to the tomb. (he calls her by her name), How does this connect to what happened in episode 1? [47] Luke 23:49 mentioned a group of women watching the crucifixion, but did not give any of their names. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. [170][171] Gregory states that Mary Magdalene was buried in the city of Ephesus. [75][84] She at first mistook him for the gardener,[82][75] but, after she heard him say her name, she recognized him and cried out "Rabbouni!" [299] Jeffrey J. Kripal writes that "the historical sources are simply too contradictory and simultaneously too silent" to make absolute declarations regarding Jesus' sexuality.[324]. [6] He contends that the story of the empty tomb was invented by either the author of the Gospel of Mark or by one of his sources, based on the historically genuine fact that the women really had been present at Jesus' crucifixion and burial. [146][147] Origen merely dismisses this, remarking that Celsus "pours on us a heap of names". [186] De Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of Mary Magdalene's relics from her sepulchre in the oratory of Saint Maximin at Aix-en-Provence to the newly founded Vzelay;[193] the transportation of the relics is entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard, Duke of Burgundy. 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? This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Thank you! [16][37] The places where she and the other women are mentioned throughout the gospels indicate strongly that they were vital to Jesus' ministry[38][39][40][41] and that Mary Magdalene always appears first, whenever she is listed in the Synoptic Gospels as a member of a group of women, indicates that she was seen as the most important out of all of them. Making a Woman 5 "[104] Simon Peter, annoyed at Mary's dominance of the conversation, tells Jesus, "My master, we cannot endure this woman who gets in our way and does not let any of us speak, though she talks all the time. [11] The whole family returns to Marseille, where they meet Mary again in person. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. [133] None of these texts have survived to the present,[133][135] but they are mentioned by the early Christian heretic-hunter Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion. Lilith is the name of Mary Magdalene when she first appears in episode one. [65] Sanders affirms Jesus' burial by Joseph of Arimathea in the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other female followers as completely historical. [28] In either case, Mary must have suffered from severe emotional or psychological trauma for an exorcism of this kind to have been perceived as necessary. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. 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), Yussif, Jairus, & Shmuel in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Reflecting on The Chosen Season 3 & Anticipating Season 4: What Worked & What to Fix, Ears to Hear (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 7 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 7 & Episode 8: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Feeding of the 5,000 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 8 with Youth or Small Group), Pontius Pilate & His Wife in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), 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), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. [133][136][135][137] Epiphanius says that the Greater Questions of Mary contained an episode in which, during a post-resurrection appearance, Jesus took Mary to the top of a mountain, where he pulled a woman out of his side and engaged in sexual intercourse with her. [68][69][67] Then the risen Jesus himself appeared to the women as they were leaving the tomb and told them to tell the other disciples that he would meet them in Galilee. [168][206] In 1521, the theology faculty of the Sorbonne formally condemned the idea that the three women were separate people as heretical,[168][206] and debate died down, overtaken by the larger issues raised by Martin Luther. [233], The 2018 film Mary Magdalene, starring Rooney Mara as the eponymous character, sought to reverse the centuries-old portrayal of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute, while also combating the conspiracy statements of her being Jesus' wife or sexual partner. Mary's epithet Magdalene may mean that she came from the town of Magdala, a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Roman Judea. [287] `Abdu'l-Bah, the son of the founder of the religion, said that she was "the channel of confirmation" to Jesus' disciples, a "heroine" who "re-established the faith of the apostles" and was "a light of nearness in his kingdom". In Pope Gregory's interpretation, the seven demons expelled from Mary Magdalene by Jesus are transformed into the seven deadly sins of medieval Catholicism,[150][163] leading Mary "to be condemned not only for lust, but for pride and covetousness as well. [268] In his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem ("On the dignity and vocation of women", parts 6769) dated August 15, 1988, Pope John Paul II dealt with the Easter events in relation to the women being present at the tomb after the Resurrection, in a section entitled 'First Witnesses of the Resurrection': The women are the first at the tomb. [1][148][149] The misconception likely arose due to a conflation between Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (who anoints Jesus' feet in John 11:112), and the unnamed "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus' feet in Luke 7:3650. She displayed her hair to set off her face, but now her hair dries her tears. 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. [101] In saying 53, the Dialogue attributes to Mary three aphorisms that are attributed to Jesus in the New Testament: "The wickedness of each day [is sufficient]. [248] Apart from the Crucifixion, Mary was often shown in scenes of the Passion of Jesus, when mentioned in the Gospels, such as the Crucifixion, Christ Carrying the Cross and Noli me Tangere, but usually omitted in other scenes showing the Twelve Apostles, such as the Last Supper. [318], Ehrman states that the historical sources reveal absolutely nothing about Jesus' sexuality[319] and that there is no evidence whatsoever to support the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married or that they had any kind of sexual or romantic relationship. The equivalent of the phrase apostolorum apostola may have appeared already in the 9th century. Some fiction portrays her as the wife of Jesus. During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church emphasized Mary Magdalene as a symbol of penance. [6][7][8] Nonetheless, very little is known about her life. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. The first part of the gospel deals with Jesus' parting words to his followers after a post-resurrection appearance. [117] It contains information about the role of women in the early church. "[90][6], Casey challenges this argument, contending that the women at the tomb are not legal witnesses, but rather heroines in line with a long Jewish tradition. Pope Gregory's Easter sermon resulted in a widespread belief that Mary Magdalene was a repentant prostitute or promiscuous woman. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus were the most important women in Jesus's life. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed, "Christ is risen!" [185][187] Fourteen years after Jesus' crucifixion, some pagans throw Mary, Martha, Lazarus (who, in this account, is their brother due to a conflation with Mary of Bethany), and two other Christians named Maximin and Cedonius onto a rudderless boat in the Mediterranean Sea to die. [176] Under the influence of stories about other female saints, such as Mary of Egypt and Pelagia,[176] painters in Italy during the ninth and tenth centuries gradually began to develop the image of Mary Magdalene living alone in the desert as a penitent ascetic. 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? Acocella, Joan. 1065/701132).[178]. [88] He also says that the story of Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb is independently attested in the Synoptics, the Gospel of John, and in the Gospel of Peter. Mary answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you". Jesus said: Behold, I shall lead her, that I may make her male, in order that she also may become a living spirit like you males. Jane Schaberg adds Geoffrey of Vendme (c. The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? [86] This "very forced" ending contradicts the last verse of the original gospel, stating that the women "told no one". [186][189][190][191][192] At every canonical hour, the angels come and lift her up to hear their songs in Heaven. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? [203], In the middle of the fourteenth century, a Dominican friar wrote a biography of Mary Magdalene in which he described her brutally mutilating herself after giving up prostitution,[197] clawing at her legs until they bled, tearing out clumps of her hair, and beating her face with her fists and her breasts with stones. was mary magdalene once called lilith Skip to content. [55] Maurice Casey concurs that the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other women at the crucifixion of Jesus may be recorded as an historical fact. In her first few scenes, people refer to her as Lilith. [47] Luke 23:55 mentions "the women who had followed him from Galilee", but does not list any of their names. [68][69][78] In Luke's account, Jesus never appears to the women,[68][69][79] but instead makes his first appearance to Cleopas and an unnamed "disciple" on the road to Emmaus. "[219][220], The common identification of Mary Magdalene with other New Testament figures was omitted in the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, with the comment regarding her liturgical celebration on July 22: "No change has been made in the title of today's memorial, but it concerns only Saint Mary Magdalene, to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. The second passage is the Scripture that Mary has written down: This passage that Mary's father taught her is from the Book of Isaiah. [270] The women are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles. [91] He concludes that the idea that early Christians would have had "no motive" to make up the story simply "suffers from a poverty of imagination"[92] and that they would have had all kinds of possible motives,[93] especially since women were overrepresented in early Christian communities and women themselves would have had strong motivation to make up a story about other women being the first to find the tomb. [10] The text is not attributed to her and its author is anonymous. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). The Chosen Season 3: What to Expect & How to Watch, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 & Episode 2: Reaction and Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 7 & 8: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2: Questions to Discuss Before the Premiere, Preparing for The Chosen Season 3: 7 Episodes to Watch, I am the Law of Moses (The Chosen Season 3 Controversy), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture ***Season 3***, Pontius Pilate & his Wife in The Chosen ***Season 3***, Judas in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Matthew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Simon and Andrew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen, Simon the Zealot & Nathanael in The Chosen, Quintus, Gaius, and the Romans in The Chosen, Episode 8 Guide: The Feeding of the 5,000. [315][308], In 2012, scholar Karen L. King published the Gospel of Jesus' Wife, a purported Coptic papyrus fragment in which Jesus says: "My wife she will be able to be my disciple."