"[156] Ambrose (c. 340 397), by contrast, not only rejected the conflation of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the anointing sinner,[157] but even proposed that the authentic Mary Magdalene herself was, in fact, two separate people:[157][158] one woman named Mary Magdalene who discovered the empty tomb and a different Mary Magdalene who saw the risen Christ. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. Today, Mary Magdalene is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches, with a feast day celebrated on July 22. She was the Samaritan woman to whom He said, "Call thy husband". [168][206] Luther and Huldrych Zwingli (1484 1531) both supported the composite Magdalene. [142][11][143] In his anti-Christian polemic The True Word, written between 170 and 180, the pagan philosopher Celsus declared that Mary Magdalene was nothing more than "a hysterical female who either dreamt in a certain state of mind and through wishful thinking had a hallucination due to some mistaken notion (an experience which has happened to thousands), or, which is more likely, wanted to impress others by telling this fantastic tale, and so by this cock-and-bull story to provide a chance for other beggars. [307][308] The Da Vinci Code also purports that the figure of the "beloved disciple" to Jesus' right in Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is Mary Magdalene, disguised as one of the male disciples;[309] art historians maintain that the figure is, in reality, the apostle John, who only appears feminine due to Leonardo's characteristic fascination with blurring the lines between the sexes, a quality which is found in his other paintings, such as St. John the Baptist (painted c. Why do you think the creators added them? The two are similar in many respects, with Mary Magdalene often being viewed as a Christian antecedent of the latter, while Thirih in her own right could be described as the spiritual return of the Magdalene; especially given their common, shared attributes of "knowledge, steadfastness, courage, virtue and will power", in addition to their importance within the religious movements of Christianity and the Bah Faith as female leaders. During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church emphasized Mary Magdalene as a symbol of penance. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. 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. However, they were never admitted to the canon of the New Testament. The portrayal of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute began in 591, when Pope Gregory I conflated Mary Magdalene, who was introduced in Luke 8:2, with Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:39) and the unnamed "sinful woman" who anointed Jesus' feet in Luke 7:3650. [185] The governor spends two years with Peter in Rome[185] and, on his way home, he stops at the same island to discover that, due to Mary Magdalene's miraculous long-distance intercession, his child has survived for two years on his dead mother's breast milk. This confusing reference is already in the original manuscript. [11] The whole family returns to Marseille, where they meet Mary again in person. [131][130] Matthew the Apostle comes to Mary's defense, giving a sharp rebuke to Peter:[129][130] "Peter, you are always angry. The Chosen (TV Series 2017- ) Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, Lilith. (he calls her by name at the end when he heals her). I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. "Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner? What she therefore displayed more scandalously, she was now offering to God in a more praiseworthy manner. [285][286], There are many references to Mary Magdalene in the writings of the Bah Faith, where she enjoys an exalted status as a heroine of faith and the "archetypal woman of all cycles". [160] Instead, Augustine praised Mary Magdalene as "unquestionably surpassingly more ardent in her love than these other women who had administered to the Lord". Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. [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. [151] The sermon describes the conflated woman as a "second Eve" who compensates for the disobedience of the first Eve through her obedience. February 02, 2023. [47] Matthew 27:61 lists Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" as witnesses. 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. [107] In saying 21, Mary herself asks Jesus the perfectly innocuous question, "Whom are your disciples like? Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? [82][152] The first clear identification of Mary Magdalene as a redeemed sinner comes from Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306 373). "[101], The Pistis Sophia, possibly dating as early as the second century, is the best surviving of the Gnostic writings. Surely the savior knows her well. The Chosen, a TV show on the Angel Studios' free streaming service, chronicles the life of Jesus and his many followers. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. Thayer and Smith. [45][41], All four canonical gospels agree that several other women watched Jesus' crucifixion from a distance, with three explicitly naming Mary Magdalene as present. [249], Noli me tangere (c. 1440-1442), fresco by Fra Angelico, Mary Magdalene Reading (c. 15001510) by Piero di Cosimo, Mary Magdalene (early 1500s) by Ambrosius Benson, Magdalena Penitente (early 1500s) by Giampietrino, Mary Magdalene (1615) by Juan Bautista Mano, Penitent Magdalene (c. 15761578) by El Greco, Mary Magdalene (16151616 or 16201625) by Artemisia Gentileschi, St Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy (c. 16191620) by Peter Paul Rubens, Magdalene with the Smoking Flame (c. 1640) by Georges de La Tour, Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene (between 1640 and 1650) by Pietro da Cortona, The Magdalene (before 1792) by George Romney, Mary Magdalene (18581860) by Frederick Sandys, Sarah Bernhardt as Maria Magdalena (1887) by Alfred Stevens, Christ and Mary Magdalene (1890) by Albert Edelfelt in a Finnish locale, The Eastern Orthodox Church has never identified Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany or the "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus in Luke 7:3650[254] and has always taught that Mary was a virtuous woman her entire life, even before her conversion. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. [185][186] Mary persuades the governor of the city not to offer sacrifices to a pagan god[185] and later persuades him to convert to Christianity after she proves the Christian God's power by successfully praying to Him to make the governor's wife pregnant. [106] The Gospel of Thomas consists entirely of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. [107] Many of these sayings are similar to ones in the canonical gospels,[108] but others are completely unlike anything found in the New Testament. The overwhelming consensus of scholars is that the fragment is a modern forgery,[316][317][318] and in 2016, King herself said that the alleged Gospel was a forgery. [16][19][20] Mary was, by far, the most common Jewish given name for girls and women during the first century,[16][c][21] so it was necessary for the authors of the gospels to call her Magdalene in order to distinguish her from the other women named Mary who followed Jesus. [47] Luke 23:55 mentions "the women who had followed him from Galilee", but does not list any of their names. "[59], Post-modernist John Dominic Crossan has argued that Jesus' body was probably eaten by wild dogs. [297], In 1998, Ramon K. Jusino proposed an unprecedented argument that the "Beloved Disciple" of the Gospel of John is Mary Magdalene. 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. [264] The same chapter says she did not delay in exercising the office of apostolate with which he had been honored (apostolatus officio quo honorata fuerat fungi non distulit). [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. Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. And she began to speak to them these words: "I", she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision". [68], According to Mark 16:18, the earliest account of the discovery of the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb just after sunrise, a day and half after Jesus' burial and found that the stone had already been rolled away. 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. The story of . [185] The wife dies in childbirth and the governor leaves her on an island with the still-living infant at her breast. [172][173] Stories about noble saints were popular during this time period;[172] accordingly, tales of Mary Magdalene's wealth and social status became heavily exaggerated. She is also believed to have been the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. How does that truth encourage you? 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." "[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. This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. [16] Although the Gospel of Mark, reputed by scholars to be the earliest surviving gospel, does not mention Mary Magdalene until Jesus' crucifixion,[22] the Gospel of Luke 8:23[23] provides a brief summary of her role during his ministry:[24]. For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. She is mentioned several times in the Gospels as a devoted follower of Jesus who was present at his crucifixion and burial. [6] In his book published in 2014, Ehrman rejects his own previous argument,[91] stating that the story of the empty tomb can only be a later invention because there is virtually no possibility that Jesus' body could have been placed in any kind of tomb[91] and, if Jesus was never buried, then no one alive at the time could have said that his non-existent tomb had been found empty. If the savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? [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. In her first few scenes, people refer to her as Lilith. I am glad and blythe that St Jerome should say so". [323], Maurice Casey rejects the idea of Mary Magdalene as Jesus' wife as nothing more than wild popular sensationalism. Making a Woman 5 She was the woman taken into adultery, whom Christ set free lest the Jews stone her, and she was with Him in three places, in the temple, at the well, and in the garden. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). The specific demon is not named in Scripture. [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. (he is God). Rather, let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly human. [188] Then the governor's wife rises from the dead and tells him that Mary Magdalene has brought her back. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. The story of Jesus is told in four gospels. was mary magdalene once called lilith Skip to content. Even if covered, she often wears only a drape pulled around her, or an undergarment. [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. [296], Her left hand relic is kept in the Simonopetra Monastery on Mount Athos. She had spoken proud things with her mouth, but in kissing the Lord's feet, she now planted her mouth on the Redeemer's feet. [67][68][69] Instead, the women ran away and told no one, because they were too afraid. Your contributions mean so much. Thank you! Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? [94] He does conclude later, however, that Mary Magdalene must have been one of the people who had an experience in which she thought she saw the risen Jesus,[95] citing her prominence in the gospel resurrection narratives and her absence everywhere else in the gospels as evidence.[95]. [320] The extremely late Greater Questions of Mary, which has not survived, allegedly portrayed Mary not as Jesus' wife or partner, but rather as an unwilling voyeur. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians this sharing is accompanied by the proclamation "Christ is risen!" "[113], For early Christians, kissing did not have a romantic connotation and it was common for Christians to kiss their fellow believers as a way of greeting. [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. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? 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. All the four gospels identified her, either alone or as a member of a larger group of women which includes Jesus' mother, as the first to witness the empty tomb,[1] and, either alone or as a member of a group, as the first to witness Jesus' resurrection.[2]. [136], Most of the earliest Church Fathers do not mention Mary Magdalene at all,[142][11][143] and those who do mention her usually only discuss her very briefly. 15131516). She had coveted with earthly eyes, but now through penitence these are consumed with tears. The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? [321] Since Jesus taught that people should live as though the kingdom had already arrived, this teaching implied a life of unmarried celibacy. 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. 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. . FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. [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!" The Eastern Orthodox churches also commemorate her on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, the Orthodox equivalent of one of the Western Three Marys traditions. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them". Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. [126] Peter approaches Mary and asks her: "Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb. Some fiction portrays her as the wife of Jesus. [117] It contains information about the role of women in the early church. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. That is why he loved her more than us. As the swooning Virgin Mary became more common, generally occupying the attention of John, the unrestrained gestures of Magdalene increasingly represented the main display of the grief of the spectators. Has my content helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? The Gospel of Philip uses cognates of koinnos and Coptic equivalents to refer to the literal pairing of men and women in marriage and sexual intercourse, but also metaphorically, referring to a spiritual partnership, and the reunification of the Gnostic Christian with the divine realm. [307] There is no historical evidence (from the canonical or apocryphal gospels, other early Christian writings, or any other ancient sources) to support these statements. By noting how Mary is in the "Red Quarter", The Chosen is implying that she is a prostitute. When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. His sister,[e] his mother and his companion were each a Mary. In chapter 8, when the Pevensie children are speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, they learn that a human must rule Narnia, and while she claims to be human, the White Witch is not at all human. The rest of the disciples [were offended by it and expressed disapproval]. [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. Mary Magdalene[a] (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and Of Purgatory", "Selected Topics of Comparison in Christianity and the Bah Faith", The Incorrupt Left Hand of St. Mary Magdalene, "Mary Magdalene: Author of the Fourth Gospel? 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. [224] Mary of Bethany's feast day and that of her brother Lazarus is now on July 29, the memorial of their sister Martha. "[104] Mary defends herself, saying, "My master, I understand in my mind that I can come forward at any time to interpret what Pistis Sophia [a female deity] has said, but I am afraid of Peter, because he threatens me and hates our gender. There are no textual variants in extant New Testament manuscripts to contradict this,[301] and thus no physical evidence of this hypothetical earlier document. [31] The dialogue consists of a conversation between Jesus, Mary and two apostles - Thomas the Apostle and Matthew the Apostle. The identification of Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and the unnamed "sinful woman" was still a major controversy in the years leading up to the Reformation, and some Protestant leaders rejected it. [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. [319] None of the canonical gospels imply such a thing[320] and, even in the late Gnostic gospels, where Mary is shown as Jesus' closest disciple,[320] the relationship between them is not sexual. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. [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. [282] Presbyterians honor her as the "apostle to the apostles"[283] and, in the book Methodist Theology, Kenneth Wilson describes her as, "in effect", one of the "first missionaries". [176] Honorius mentions that, out of love for Jesus, Mary repented and withdrew into a life of quiet isolation. It is widely accepted among secular historians that, like Jesus, Mary Magdalene was a real historical figure. Such works often support sensationalist statements about Jesus and Mary Magdalene's relationship. They are the first to hear 'He is not here. [275], The 1549 Book of Common Prayer had on July 22 a feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, with the same Scripture readings as in the Tridentine Mass and with a newly composed collect: "Merciful father geue us grace, that we neuer presume to synne through the example of anye creature, but if it shall chaunce vs at any tyme to offende thy dyuine maiestie: that then we maye truly repent, and lament the same, after the example of Mary Magdalene, and by lyuelye faythe obtayne remission of all oure sinnes: throughe the onely merites of thy sonne oure sauiour Christ." [243], Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross during the Crucifixion appears in an eleventh-century English manuscript "as an expressional device rather than a historical motif", intended as "the expression of an emotional assimilation of the event, that leads the spectator to identify himself with the mourners". [153][154] Part of the reason for the identification of Mary Magdalene as a sinner may derive from the reputation of her birthplace, Magdala,[155] which, by the late first century, was infamous for its inhabitants' alleged vice and licentiousness. [6][7][8] Nonetheless, very little is known about her life. At one point, Jesus says, "Mary, thou blessed one, whom I will perfect in all mysteries of those of the height, discourse in openness, thou, whose heart is raised to the kingdom of heaven more than all thy brethren". [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). [47] John 19:3942 does not mention any women present during Joseph's burial of Jesus,[47] but does mention the presence of Nicodemus, a Pharisee with whom Jesus had a conversation near the beginning of the gospel. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. [47], Virtually all reputable historians agree that Jesus was crucified by the Romans under the orders of Pontius Pilate. [103] The document takes the form of a long dialogue in which Jesus answers his followers' questions. [108][98] Two of the sayings reference a woman named "Mary", who is generally regarded as Mary Magdalene. 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 . [59][60] Ehrman notes that this was the most common fate for victims of crucifixion[61] but states that it is impossible to know for certain what happened to Jesus' body once it was removed from the cross. [39] Jesus' ministry did bring women greater liberation than they would typically have held in mainstream Jewish society. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. Mary lived in a village called Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. [31][32] In the first century, demons were believed widely to cause physical and psychological illness. Mary Magdalen , so called either from Magdala near Tiberias on the west shore of Galilee, or, possibly from a Talmudic expression MNRLA SY`RA NSYYA, i.e." curling women's hair", which the Talmud explains as of an adulteress. [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. For other uses, see, The Old and New Testament and Gnostic contexts and the text are discussed by. [52] Nonetheless, the gospels' accounts of Jesus' crucifixion differ considerably[53] and most secular historians agree that some of the details in the accounts have been altered to fit their authors' theological agendas. In particular, Mary is often shown naked in the legendary scene of her "Elevation", where she is sustained in the desert by angels who raise her up and feed her heavenly manna, as recounted in the Golden Legend. [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]. "[144] The Church Father Origen (c. 184 c. 253) defended Christianity against this accusation in his apologetic treatise Against Celsus, mentioning Matthew 28:1, which lists Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" both seeing the resurrected Jesus, thus providing a second witness. [289] `Abdu'l-Bah considered her to be the supreme example of how women are completely equal with men in the sight of God and can at times even exceed men in holiness and greatness. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. With Shahar Isaac, Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel. [227] Mary is likewise portrayed as a reformed prostitute in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1971 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness. The Gospel of Thomas, usually dated to the late first or early second century, was among the ancient texts discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. 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? In all the four canonical gospels, Mary Magdalene was a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus and, in the Synoptic Gospels, she was also present at his burial. 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. [4][1] Elaborate medieval legends from Western Europe then emerged, which told exaggerated tales of Mary Magdalene's wealth and beauty, as well as of her alleged journey to southern Gaul (modern-day France). As Mary of Bethany, she is shown as present at the Resurrection of Lazarus, her brother, and in the scene with Jesus and her sister Martha, which began to be depicted often in the seventeenth century, as in Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Velzquez. resurrection. [211] A massive number of Baroque paintings and sculptures depict the penitent Magdalene,[211][214] often showing her naked or partially naked, with a strong emphasis on her erotic beauty. [10] Instead, it received its title because it is about her.