[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. 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. Hopefully these questions will prove helpful as you watch episode 1 of The Chosen with your youth group. [155], In one of his preserved sayings, Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330 395) identifies Mary Magdalene as "the first witness to the resurrection, that she might set straight again by her faith in the resurrection, what was turned over in her transgression. [98], Nonetheless, the texts have been frequently promoted in modern works as though they were reliable. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Jusino based his argument largely on the Nag Hammadi Gnostic books, rejecting the view of Raymond E. Brown that these books were later developments, and maintaining instead that the extant Gospel of John is the result of modification of an earlier text that presented Mary Magdalene as the Beloved Disciple. '[269] They are the first to embrace his feet. (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. . [115], The Gospel of Mary is the only surviving apocryphal text named after a woman. 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. [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. You are more blessed than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullness and the completion of completion. "[136][134][137] Upon hearing this, Mary instantly fainted, to which Jesus responded by helping her up and telling her, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. [183], The most famous account of Mary Magdalene's legendary life comes from The Golden Legend, a collection of medieval saints stories compiled in around the year 1260 by the Italian writer and Dominican friar Jacobus de Voragine (c. 1230 1298). [131][130] Matthew the Apostle comes to Mary's defense, giving a sharp rebuke to Peter:[129][130] "Peter, you are always angry. [176], The theologian Honorius Augustodunensis (c. 1080 c. 1151) embellished this tale even further, reporting that Mary was a wealthy noblewoman who was married in "Magdalum",[176] but that she committed adultery, so she fled to Jerusalem and became a "public sinner" (vulgaris meretrix). [146][147] Origen merely dismisses this, remarking that Celsus "pours on us a heap of names". [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. [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. (which is Aramaic for "teacher"). [70] This passage made no mention of Mary Magdalene, the other women, or the story of the empty tomb at all,[71][72] but rather credits Simon Peter with having been the first to see the risen Jesus. Jesus said: Behold, I shall lead her, that I may make her male, in order that she also may become a living spirit like you males. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. In the Bible, Mary Magdelene is a follower of Christ. 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. If the savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? She was the Samaritan woman to whom He said, "Call thy husband". The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches generally do not view these writings as part of the Bible. in, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 22:10. The eggs represent new life, and Christ bursting forth from the tomb. [236] The film, which described as having a "strongly feminist bent",[235] was praised for its music score and cinematography,[237] its surprising faithfulness to the Biblical narrative,[235] and its acting,[235][234] but was criticized as slow-moving,[234][235][237] overwritten,[237] and too solemn to be believable. [10] The main surviving text comes from a Coptic translation preserved in a fifth-century manuscript (Berolinensis Gnosticus 8052,1) discovered in Cairo in 1896. [175] Some manuscripts of the sermon record that Mary's parents were named Syrus and Eucharia[176] and one manuscript goes into great detail describing her family's purported land holdings in Bethany, Jerusalem, and Magdala. The Bible never suggests Mary . [296], Her left hand relic is kept in the Simonopetra Monastery on Mount Athos. They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?" By noting how Mary is in the "Red Quarter", The Chosen is implying that she is a prostitute. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness. [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. NOTE: The name Lilith is not mentioned in the Bible and certainly is not actually affiliated with Mary Magdalene.Uncategorized ; June 21, 2022 was mary magdalene once called lilith. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. [75] Then the risen Jesus approached her. Richard J. Hooper does not make the Jusino thesis his own, but says: "Perhaps we should not altogether reject the possibility that some Johannine Christians considered Mary Magdalene to be 'the disciple whom Jesus loved'. [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. The entire series, especially Episode 1, heavily features a character named Mary Magdalene. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. [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. [271] The Gospel of John[272] emphasizes the special role of Mary Magdalene. [55] Maurice Casey concurs that the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other women at the crucifixion of Jesus may be recorded as an historical fact. [255] For centuries, it has been the custom of many Eastern Orthodox Christians to share dyed and painted eggs, particularly on Easter Sunday. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). [g], In 1517, on the brink of the Protestant Reformation, the leading French Renaissance humanist Jacques Lefvre d'taples published his book De Maria Magdalena et triduo Christi disceptatio (Disputation on Mary Magdalene and the Three Days of Christ), in which he argued against the conflation of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the unnamed sinner in Luke. The 1552 edition omitted the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, which was restored to the Book of Common Prayer only after some 400 years. [56], All four canonical gospels, as well as the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, agree that Jesus' body was taken down from the cross and buried by a man named Joseph of Arimathea. Mary then proceeds to describe the Gnostic cosmology in depth, revealing that she is the only one who has understood Jesus' true teachings. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them". [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. [188] Then the governor's wife rises from the dead and tells him that Mary Magdalene has brought her back. Let's look deeper into theses false stereotypes. "[125] Unlike in the Gospel of Thomas, where women can only be saved by becoming men, in the Gospel of Mary, they can be saved just as they are. The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. [11] The whole family returns to Marseille, where they meet Mary again in person. [178], In western Europe, elaborate and conflicting legends began to develop, which said that Mary Magdalene had travelled to southern France and died there. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. [48][49][50][51] James Dunn states of baptism and crucifixion that these "two facts in the life of Jesus command almost universal assent". She is demon possessed and it is implied that she has adopted the name of the demon that possesses her. They are legendary and mythological. In the TV series Once Upon a Time, Lilith is the daughter of Maleficent. With that, Mary's image was, according to Susan Haskins, author of Mary Magdalene: Myth and Metaphor, "finally settledfor nearly fourteen hundred years,"[164] although in fact the most important late medieval popular accounts of her life describe her as a rich woman whose life of sexual freedom is purely for pleasure. [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. [294], Many of the alleged relics of the saint are held in Catholic churches in France, especially at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, where her skull (see above) and the noli me tangere are on display; the latter being a piece of forehead flesh and skin said to be from the spot touched by Jesus at the post-resurrection encounter in the garden. The latter depictions represent the Penitent Magdalene, according to the medieval legend that she had spent a period of repentance as a desert hermit after leaving her life as a follower of Jesus. Rather, let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly human. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. [68][69][78] They went inside and saw two young men dressed in white who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. 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 first part of the gospel deals with Jesus' parting words to his followers after a post-resurrection appearance. [47] Matthew 27:61 lists Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" as witnesses. [277] Anglican Christians refer to her as a saint and may follow her example of repentance;[278][279] While some interpret the Thirty-Nine Articles as forbidding them to call upon her for intercession,[280] other Anglicans, citing the Episcopal burial service, say they can ask the saint to pray for them. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. [86] The "longer ending", which is found in most surviving manuscripts, is an "amalgam of traditions" containing episodes derived from the other gospels. [184] Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume gradually displaced Vzelay in popularity and acceptance. Dan Ben-Amos explains that although this is the first extant text that records the legend of Lilith, her story probably existed earlier: [Lilith's] story seems to hover at the edges of literacy with sporadic references. [64] Nonetheless, he rejects that Jesus could have been interred in an expensive tomb with a stone rolled in front of it like the one described in the gospels,[65] leading him to conclude that Mary and the other women must not have seen the tomb. [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. [204] Poems about Mary Magdalene's repentance were also popular. [96] In these apocryphal texts, Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a visionary and leader of the early movement whom Jesus loved more than he loved the other disciples. "[109] Jesus responds, "They are like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. Disciples resemble their teachers. "[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]. [16][37] The places where she and the other women are mentioned throughout the gospels indicate strongly that they were vital to Jesus' ministry[38][39][40][41] and that Mary Magdalene always appears first, whenever she is listed in the Synoptic Gospels as a member of a group of women, indicates that she was seen as the most important out of all of them. [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". [] Hence she came to be called "the apostle of the Apostles". Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. 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 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 7 & 8: 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***, Pontius Pilate & his Wife in The Chosen ***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, Episode 8 Guide: The Feeding of the 5,000. [86] This "very forced" ending contradicts the last verse of the original gospel, stating that the women "told no one". Making it the largest crowd-funded media venture in entertainment history. [120][121][119] As a result of numerous intervening conflicts, the manuscript was not published until 1955. "Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner? Should we all listen to her? Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? [47] Luke 23:55 mentions "the women who had followed him from Galilee", but does not list any of their names. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. [68][69][78] Then they went and told the eleven remaining apostles, who dismissed their story as nonsense. 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. That is why he loved her more than us. In the New Testament she is mentioned among the women who accompanied Christ and ministered to Him (Luke, viii, 2-3), where it is also said that seven devils had . Bible movies & shows like The Chosen provide us with fresh eyes to see the significance of the Bible and the beauty of the Gospel. She is believed to have . [142][143] The sermon also explicitly identifies Mary Magdalene and the other women as "apostles". She is the first to meet the Risen Christ. 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. [66], The earliest description of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances is a quotation of a pre-Pauline creed preserved by Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:38, which was written roughly 20 years before any of the gospels. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. "The Saintly Sinner: The Two-Thousand-Year Obsession with Mary Magdalene". 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. [55][75] Nonetheless, the details of the accounts differ drastically. In the ensuing centuries, a heretical Christian sect called the Cathars forwarded the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were a romantic couple. You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. Thank you! Lilith is the name of Mary Magdalene when she first appears in episode one. [126] Peter approaches Mary and asks her: "Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. once. [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. 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. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? It is widely accepted among secular historians that, like Jesus, Mary Magdalene was a real historical figure. For every delight, therefore, she had had in herself, she now immolated herself. [27][28][29] That seven demons had possessed Mary is repeated in Mark 16:9,[30][31] part of the "longer ending" of that gospel this is not found in the earliest manuscripts and is actually a second-century addition to the original text, possibly based on the Gospel of Luke. [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." [215] Estates of nobles and royalty in southern Germany were equipped with so-called "Magdalene cells", small, modest hermitages that functioned as both chapels and dwellings, where the nobility could retreat to find religious solace. Following this, Jesus continues his explanation with a parable about the owner of a house and a thief, ending with the common rhetoric, "Whoever has ears to hear let him hear". [5] Other Protestant churches honor her as a heroine of the faith. "[302] Esther A. de Boer likewise presents the idea as "one possibility among others", not as a definitive solution to the problem of the identity of the anonymous disciple. [53] Ehrman states that the presence of Mary Magdalene and the other women at the cross is probably historical because Christians would have been unlikely to make up that the main witnesses to the crucifixion were women[54] and also because their presence is attested in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John independently. [67][68][69] According to Luke 24:112 a group of unnamed women went to the tomb and found the stone already rolled away, as in Mark. [246] As Gothic painted crucifixions became crowded compositions, the Magdalene became a prominent figure, with a halo and identifiable by her long unbound blonde hair, and usually a bright red dress. After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name . She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark. [185] The wife dies in childbirth and the governor leaves her on an island with the still-living infant at her breast. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. was mary magdalene once called lilith Skip to content. [247], According to Robert Kiely, "No figure in the Christian Pantheon except Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist has inspired, provoked, or confounded the imagination of painters more than the Magdalene". Movies. [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. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? [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. 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. [225], Nonetheless, despite the Vatican's rejection of it, the view of Mary as a repentant prostitute only grew more prevalent in popular culture. After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? It is not clear, if the text refers to Jesus' or his mother's sister, or whether the intention is to say something else. **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. [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. They are the first to find it empty. There are a few Bible passages that I thought were helpful to discuss the first episode of The Chosen. New Testament apocrypha writings mention Mary Magdalene. 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. [102] At another point, he tells her, "Well done, Mary. [168][206] Luther and Huldrych Zwingli (1484 1531) both supported the composite Magdalene. Now I see you arguing against this woman like an adversary. [292], The Bah writings also expand upon the scarce references to her life in the canonical Gospels, with a wide array of extra-canonical stories about her and sayings which are not recorded in any other extant historical sources. [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. [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. [114][115][f] This tradition is still practiced in many Christian congregations today and is known as the "kiss of peace". The Gospel of Mary is a non-canonical text discovered in 1896 in a 5th-century papyrus codex written in Sahidic Coptic.This Berlin Codex was purchased in Cairo by German diplomat Carl Reinhardt.. [234][237] It was also criticized by many Christians, who were offended by the film's use of extracanonical source material. [210], During the Counter-Reformation, Roman Catholicism began to strongly emphasize Mary Magdalene's role as a penitent sinner. In ALL four gospels Mary is mentioned, mainly about . Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. [287] `Abdu'l-Bah, the son of the founder of the religion, said that she was "the channel of confirmation" to Jesus' disciples, a "heroine" who "re-established the faith of the apostles" and was "a light of nearness in his kingdom".
