She is also believed to have been the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. [295][296] A tibia also kept at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is the object of an annual procession. [168] Starting in around the eighth century, Christian sources record mention of a church in Magdala purported to have been built on the site of Mary Magdalene's house, where Jesus exorcized her of the seven demons. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. "[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. 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. [293] Bahs have noted parallels between Mary Magdalene and the Bab heroine-poet Thirih. [197] This portrayal of her inspired the sculptor Donatello (c. 1386 1466) to portray her as a gaunt and beaten ascetic in his wooden sculpture Penitent Magdalene (c. 1454) for the Florence Baptistery. [168][206] Luther and Huldrych Zwingli (1484 1531) both supported the composite Magdalene. The rest of the disciples [were offended by it and expressed disapproval]. [75][82] His next words may be translated as "Don't touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father" or "Stop clinging to me, [etc.]" Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus were the most important women in Jesus's life. Because of the legends saying that Mary Magdalene had been a prostitute, she became the patroness of "wayward women", and, in the eighteenth century, moral reformers established Magdalene asylums to help save women from prostitution. resurrection. In 1969, Pope Paul VI removed the identification of Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and the "sinful woman" from the General Roman Calendar, but the view of her as a former prostitute has persisted in popular culture. St Peter Julian Eymard calls her "the patroness and model of a life spent in the adoration and service of Jesus in the sacrament of His Love. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. Until Jesus shows up, some youth may find the show a little slow. In ALL four gospels Mary is mentioned, mainly about . [82][75] According to John 20:1118, Mary, now alone in the garden outside the tomb, saw two angels sitting where Jesus' body had been. 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 . [86] This "very forced" ending contradicts the last verse of the original gospel, stating that the women "told no one". [62] Casey argues that Jesus was given a proper burial by Joseph of Arimathea,[63] noting that, on some very rare occasions, Roman governors did release the bodies of executed prisoners for burial. 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. [99], The earliest dialogue between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is probably the Dialogue of the Saviour,[31] a badly damaged Gnostic text discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. The emperor laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. [31] The dialogue consists of a conversation between Jesus, Mary and two apostles - Thomas the Apostle and Matthew the Apostle. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. In the TV series Once Upon a Time, Lilith is the daughter of Maleficent. One folk tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by the Roman emperor Tiberius in Rome. [185][186] Miraculously, however, the boat washes ashore at Marseille in southern France. [33][27][28] Bruce Chilton, a scholar of early Christianity, states that the reference to the number of demons being "seven" may mean that Mary had to undergo seven exorcisms, probably over a long period of time, due to the first six being partially or wholly unsuccessful. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. "[104] Jesus assures her, "Any of those filled with the spirit of light will come forward to interpret what I say: no one will be able to oppose them."[104]. What did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices? Bible movies & shows like The Chosen provide us with fresh eyes to see the significance of the Bible and the beauty of the Gospel. Whether you're studying on your own or with your small group or ministry, Come and See is a perfect resource to help you dig deeper into The Chosen. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. [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. [48][49][50][51] James Dunn states of baptism and crucifixion that these "two facts in the life of Jesus command almost universal assent". 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. By noting how Mary is in the "Red Quarter", The Chosen is implying that she is a prostitute. They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back their field and to give it back to them". Have you seen other examples of how Jesus can show up suddenly and change someone's life in a big way? A kneeling Magdalene by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel (c. 1305) was especially influential. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. [110] Ehrman explains that, in the context of the Gospel of Philip, the kiss of peace is used as a symbol for the passage of truth from one person to another[116] and that it is not in any way an act of "divine foreplay". Why was Mary Magdalene called Lilith in The Chosen? Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Making it the largest crowd-funded media venture in entertainment history. [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. It is clear, that the woman previously used the unguent to perfume her flesh in forbidden acts. "[136][134][137] This story was supposedly the basis for the Borborite Eucharist ritual in which they allegedly engaged in orgies and drank semen and menstrual blood as the "body and blood of Christ" respectively. [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. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. Click here for my affiliation policy. [75] Then the risen Jesus approached her. [68][69][76] They went inside and saw a young man dressed in white, who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead and instructed them to tell the male disciples that he would meet them in Galilee. [86] First, it describes an appearance by Jesus to Mary Magdalene alone (as in the Gospel of John),[86] followed by brief descriptions of him appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (as in the Gospel of Luke) and to the eleven remaining disciples (as in the Gospel of Matthew). Enough said.). Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house. [6] According to E. P. Sanders, the reason why the women watched the crucifixion even after the male disciples had fled may have been because they were less likely to be arrested, they were braver than the men, or some combination thereof. **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. [185][181][186] In this account, Mary Magdalene is, in Ehrman's words, "fabulously rich, insanely beautiful, and outrageously sensual",[185] but she gives up her life of wealth and sin to become a devoted follower of Jesus. She had coveted with earthly eyes, but now through penitence these are consumed with tears. [47] Luke 23:49 mentioned a group of women watching the crucifixion, but did not give any of their names. Rather, let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly human. [115], The Gospel of Mary is the only surviving apocryphal text named after a woman. [10] She was never mentioned in any of the Pauline epistles or in any of the general epistles. [67][68][69] An earthquake occurred and an angel dressed in white descended from Heaven and rolled aside the stone as the women were watching. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Lilith's creation is recounted in The Tales of Ben Sira, an apocryphal work from the tenth century C.E. [6][7][8] Nonetheless, very little is known about her life. While watching the show, I made occasional comments through the chat but I tried to not do too much teaching - I wanted the youth to enjoy The Chosen and not just see it as an elaborate preaching illustration. Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? [194], The thirteenth-century Cistercian monk and chronicler Peter of Vaux de Cernay said it was part of Catharist belief that the earthly Jesus Christ had a relationship with Mary Magdalene, described as his concubine: "Further, in their secret meetings they said that the Christ who was born in the earthly and visible Bethlehem and crucified at Jerusalem was "evil", and that Mary Magdalene was his concubine and that she was the woman taken in adultery who is referred to in the Scriptures. [267] Because of Mary Magdalene's position as an apostle, though not one of those who became official witnesses to the resurrection, the Catholic Church honored her by reciting the Gloria on her feast day the only female saint so honored apart from Mary, the mother of Jesus. [311] There would have even been precedent for it, since the earlier Italian Renaissance painter Fra Angelico had included her in his painting of the Last Supper. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? You are more blessed than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullness and the completion of completion. During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church emphasized Mary Magdalene as a symbol of penance. [1] She is mentioned by name twelve times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other woman in the gospels, other than Jesus' family. [16][34][35] The Gospels writers normally relish giving dramatic descriptions of Jesus' public exorcisms, with the possessed person wailing, thrashing, and tearing his or her clothes in front of a crowd. [167] Not only John Chrysostom in the East (Matthew, Homily 88), but also Ambrose (De virginitate 3,14; 4,15) in the West, when speaking of Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, far from calling her a harlot, suggest she was a virgin. [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. The entire series, especially Episode 1, heavily features a character named Mary Magdalene. If you try it out, please let me know how it goes and if you have any feedback! Lilith is the name of Mary Magdalene when she first appears in episode one. [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. [13][10] They are not regarded by bible scholars as reliable sources of information about her life. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? Robert Kiefer Webb, Richard J. Helmstadter (editors), Mclaughlin, Lisa and David Van Biema. For these reasons, Mary Magdalene is known in some Christian traditions as the "apostle to the apostles". Almond, Philip C., 'Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History.' Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? It had not yet been added at the time of the Tridentine Calendar of 1569 and is no longer found in the present General Roman Calendar but, once added, it remained until the General Roman Calendar of 1960. [75][81][83] She did not see anyone, but immediately ran to tell Peter and the "beloved disciple",[75][83] who came with her to the tomb and confirmed that it was empty,[75][82] but returned home without seeing the risen Jesus. In the Gospel of Philip's text she is described as Jesus' companion, as the disciple Jesus loved the most and the one Jesus kissed on the mouth,[3] which has led some people to conclude that she and Jesus were in a relationship.