why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen

Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. In my opinion it works. 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. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. It's odd? The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. 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. 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. Click here for my affiliation policy. Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? 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. 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. 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. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. 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. See a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary s sight, a suggestion that the woman have. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Click here for my affiliation policy. 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. 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. 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 Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. Dallas Jenkins (Director) is not Catholic, but - in my mind - makes the best Christian films I have seen anywhere. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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? I hope you enjoy them! 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. Still, at the end of the day, the 12 disciples who get the most screen time in the Gospels are all males. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. However, a post by the official Twitter account for The Chosen claims that Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. 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. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. As a general rule, the characters who follow Jesus aren't bad people; they're misunderstood and rejected and in need of love. 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. 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. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. 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. 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. 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. 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 think the producer said he wanted to do eight seasons total. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? 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. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). 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. Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. Starting around episode three I think is when it finds its groove. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. There was just a hint of judgment in Episode 7, but it gets brushed aside way too quickly, given the cultural expectations. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. 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 Chosen invents this story to illustrate biblical teachings about Jesus' grace and forgiveness. I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. 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. 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. [Spoilers] Did anyone else misinterpret the HotD Finale? After Mary's encounter with Jesus, we never really get to see her deal with her former life. 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. Unfortunately, because Mary's change happens so quickly, her character goes from being pretty dynamic in episodes 1-2 to being a pretty flat in the remainder of the season. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? 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. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. 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. 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. EDIT: I still have my concerns, but I believe my rash judgment is sinful, so I'll keep it to myself. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. 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. By. Your contributions mean so much. 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. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? 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? Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. Your contributions mean so much. The ancient name Lilith derives from a Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits. 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. (ex. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" 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. 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. I'm not saying we needed to see anything explicit, but the show certainly could have implied a bit more than it did. 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. By noting how Mary is in the "Red Quarter", The Chosen is implying that she is a prostitute. 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. 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). (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. The implications of Mary living in the "Red Quarter" are still there. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. However, Jesus knew her real name. This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. 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. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. 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. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. The creators of The Chosen have published a series of interactive Bible Studies that help viewers explore some of the Scripture and biblical themes that inspired the show. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. 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. It hints at where the show is going: This passage takes place after Jesus' death and resurrection at the end of the Gospels. Enough said.). The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? 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. 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). The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. 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. 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. Thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of the Chosen Season about. Shift in our why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen understanding of the Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken got! A reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as prostitute... 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