why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosenwhy is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen

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 creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. 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. The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. 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! 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. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. 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. Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! 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). 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. But she was not possessed by one as the movie mentioned but by many. This allows the show to be more family friendly, but it also weakens the narrative that the show is telling about Jesus' compassion and pity. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it most likely uses the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is a prostitute without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. Hopefully though, season 2 will find more ways to develop her character in a manner that's dynamic and engaging, because there's still much that could be done. 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). Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. 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. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. 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. The specific demon is not named in Scripture. Under the influence of this tradition, many people see Mary as being emblematic of Jesus' compassion for lost and broken souls, and this makes her a perfect candidate for the kinds of stories that The Chosen wants to tell. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Although we'll have to wait in order to understand fully what the show wants us to conclude, this could be a subtle and effective way to show how Jesus' ability to heal and save is ultimately grounded in his willingness to die and rise again. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." However, Jesus knew her real name. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? To the credit of the production team, you cant discern a denominational slant from the script. See a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary s sight, a suggestion that the woman have. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. Enough said.). Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. 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. 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. 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. How does that truth encourage you? The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. 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). (ex. 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. 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. 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! The implications of Mary living in the "Red Quarter" are still there. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? 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. 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. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? There was just a hint of judgment in, Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (, All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? Thank you! In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? (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. I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. 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. 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. In the passage, who is it that says, "I have called you by name"? Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. Anyway, I love the series. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. 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. Also the guy who plays Jesus is Catholic, which is kind of cool. 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. 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. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. Nicodemus was brought in to perform an exorcism on her but failed, making him question the fullness of the Law. 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. 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. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. Describe a pencil. Thank you for your input. 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. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. 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. This is symbolically tied to her encounter with another demon, Belial, who calls Mary Lilith, asserting the continued existence and power of her old identity. Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. Until Jesus shows up, some youth may find the show a little slow. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. 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. I will definitely continue watching it then, I just wanted to make sure! When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. 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. Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. 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. Your contributions mean so much. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. 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. 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." 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. Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. 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. 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). There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). I hope you enjoy them! Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? 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, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. 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. EDIT: I still have my concerns, but I believe my rash judgment is sinful, so I'll keep it to myself. 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. However, a post by the official Twitter account for The Chosen claims that Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. It's odd? 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. One day (hopefully) we viewers will get our first glimpse of the resurrected Jesus as we follow Mary to the empty tomb. I hope I better can temper myself. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." As COVID drags on and winter sets in, if you're looking for a good activity to do online with your youth group, you might want to consider doing a series of The Chosen Viewing Parties like this. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. 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. Im not a person who cries during Jesus movies, but Ive cried several times during this series, because you can just feel the humanity of the scenes and everything is ten times more relatable. Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. 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. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. 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).

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