As a result, adaptations of the Gospels from previous generations place a greater emphasis on how Jesus calls Mary to repent and brings about her moral transformation. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. 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. After Mary's encounter with Jesus, we never really get to see her deal with her former life. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Why do you think they were removed? 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." I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her this way. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. Click here for my affiliation policy. (ex. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. 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. To recap: in Episode 5 of Season 2, Mary begins to experience PTSD tied to the trauma of her rape by a Roman solider (implied very quickly in Episode 1 Season 1). After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? This comes out powerfully in the first Episode like to show you why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen here. Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. 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. 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. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Anyway, I love the series. She was a witness of Jesus' crucifixion and burial (Mark 15:40-47) and also the first person to discover the empty tomb, witness the resurrected Jesus, and share the good news with the disciples (John 20:1-18). I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by 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." 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 (. Catholic priest burned to death, another shot in north Press J to jump to the feed. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. 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 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***, 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. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. I found that my youth struggled to sort out the different characters, so you might want to do a quick slide show of the key characters using the character images I've included throughout this post. (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. I hope you enjoy them! 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 hope I better can temper myself. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by an evil spirit, Lilith, for some time. [Update: In the comments below, an astute reader pointed me to a post by the official Twitter for The Chosen, which claims Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. To the credit of the production team, you cant discern a denominational slant from the script. 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. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-3, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. 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. 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. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. I agree with the Twitter post that the show clearly depicts Mary as a victim of rape/sexual assault, but prostitutes often are victims of rape and sexual assault. Lilith was close to committing suicide by walking off a cliff before a dove (Holy Spirit) caught her interest and she followed it back to town, where she had an emotional moment being healed by Jesus who quoted her trusted childhood Bible verse from Isaiah and exorcised her with a hug. The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. They prompt us to consider how these two events, Mary's first encounter with Jesus and her first encounter with the risen Jesus, are connected in a deeper way. Click here for my affiliation policy. What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? I'm not saying we needed to see anything explicit, but the show certainly could have implied a bit more than it did. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. I thought Mary's storyline in Season 2 of The Chosen had a lot of potential but it was unfortunately not given enough room to breathe. Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? EDIT: I still have my concerns, but I believe my rash judgment is sinful, so I'll keep it to myself. For the most part, I just clarified who characters were (see my comment above) and occasionally I briefly explained a reference or allusion that was confusing to my youth. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? However, Jesus knew her real name. 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. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. 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 assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. 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. 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. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. (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. 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. Enough said.). And just like one day the risen Jesus will reveal himself to Mary and free her from grief and fear by calling her name, Jesus first reveals himself to "Lilith" and frees her from her grief and fear and demons by calling her by her true name, Mary. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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 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***, 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. 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. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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). As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. ***Update: Learn more about the origin of "Lilith" in my recent post ***. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? This is not a theologian or an apologist. Lilith was close to committing suicide by walking off a cliff before a dove (Holy Spirit) caught her interest and she followed it back to town, where she had an emotional moment being healed by Jesus who quoted her trusted childhood Bible verse from Isaiah and exorcised her with a hug. The implications of Mary living in the "Red Quarter" are still there. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. . 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). After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name, and refuses to answer to the name associated with her spiritual oppression. 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. Thank you! In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. This version of Mary - not the one who needs moral reformation but the one who needs sympathy and belonging - fits perfectly with the kinds of stories that The Chosen has focused on. 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. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. It's certainly not, Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? In my opinion it works. 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 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. 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. Your contributions mean so much. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. Who is it that says these words in the Chosen for the purposes of the proximity between first... Check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, demons, and evil spirits healed by.... Director ) is not catholic, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well big. Qualifying purchases like Peter or Andrew s ) at the end of episode 1 depicts how she got these cast! And offering forgiveness ( and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience and made it clear he! 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