In 2016, Pope Francis raised the level of liturgical memory on July 22 from memorial to feast, and for her to be referred to as the "Apostle of the apostles". [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. [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. [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]. [13][14][15], Mary Magdalene's epithet Magdalene ( ; literally "the Magdalene") most likely means that she came from Magdala,[16][17][b] a village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee that was primarily known in antiquity as a fishing town. [225], Nonetheless, despite the Vatican's rejection of it, the view of Mary as a repentant prostitute only grew more prevalent in popular culture. [47], Virtually all reputable historians agree that Jesus was crucified by the Romans under the orders of Pontius Pilate. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. [31] The dialogue consists of a conversation between Jesus, Mary and two apostles - Thomas the Apostle and Matthew the Apostle. [255] For centuries, it has been the custom of many Eastern Orthodox Christians to share dyed and painted eggs, particularly on Easter Sunday. [321] Since Jesus taught that people should live as though the kingdom had already arrived, this teaching implied a life of unmarried celibacy. Just long enough to make this point: Adaptations often add, change, and leave out details, because what works in a book isn't always the same as what works in television or film. [6] He contends that the story of the empty tomb was invented by either the author of the Gospel of Mark or by one of his sources, based on the historically genuine fact that the women really had been present at Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. [260][261][262], According to Darrell Bock, the title of apostola apostolorum first appears in the 10th century,[152] but Katherine Ludwig Jansen says she found no reference to it earlier than the 12th, by which time it was already commonplace. [127][128] Andrew the Apostle challenges Mary, insisting, "Say what you think about what she said, but I do not believe the savior said this. [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. [Christ] loved Mary more than [all] the disciples, [and used to] kiss her [often] on the [mouth]. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. [157] Augustine of Hippo (354 430) entertained the possibility that Mary of Bethany and the unnamed sinner from Luke might be the same person,[159] but did not associate Mary Magdalene with either of them. This confusing reference is already in the original manuscript. 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. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed, "Christ is risen!" 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. They are legendary and mythological. It is not about the sister of Saint Martha, nor about the sinful woman whose sins the Lord forgave. [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). We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" [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. Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. 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". They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back their field and to give it back to them". Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? One of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, most of what is known about Mary Magdalene comes primarily from the New Testament Gospels. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches generally do not view these writings as part of the Bible. [227] Mary is likewise portrayed as a reformed prostitute in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1971 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by an evil spirit, Lilith, for some time. Menu. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). "[101] The narrator commends Mary stating "she spoke this utterance as a woman who understood everything. 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. [166], The "composite Magdalene" was never accepted by the Eastern Orthodox churches, who saw only Mary the disciple, and believed that after the Resurrection she lived as a companion to Mary the mother of Jesus, and not even in the West was it universally accepted. woman was called Lilith. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. [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. Deathcore band Chelsea Grin released a song called "Lilith" on their 2012 EP, Evolve. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. [136][137] Then, upon ejaculating, Jesus drank his own semen and told Mary, "Thus we must do, that we may live. [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. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. [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. [168][205] Various authors published a flurry of books and pamphlets in response, the vast majority of which opposed Lefvre d'taples. [171], Starting in early High Middle Ages, writers in western Europe began developing elaborate fictional biographies of Mary Magdalene's life, in which they heavily embellished upon the vague details given in the gospels. [68][69][78] They went inside and saw two young men dressed in white who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. She is demon possessed and it is implied that she has adopted the name of the demon that possesses her. "[90][6], Casey challenges this argument, contending that the women at the tomb are not legal witnesses, but rather heroines in line with a long Jewish tradition. 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? Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house. [71][73][74] Despite this, all four canonical gospels, as well as the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, agreed that Mary Magdalene, either alone or as a member of a group, was the first person to discover that Jesus' tomb was empty. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. And others took it a step further, that Jesus and Mary Magdalene got married and had a child, which morphed into the earth-shattering secret at the heart of "The Da Vinci Code." Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? [47] Matthew 27:5556 lists Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joseph, and the unnamed mother of the sons of Zebedee (who may be the same person Mark calls Salome). The Gospel of Philip, dating from the second or third century, survives in part among the texts found in Nag Hammadi in 1945. the latter more probable in view of the grammar (negated present imperative: stop doing something already in progress) as well as Jesus' challenge to Thomas a week later (see John 20:2429[85][77]). Let's look deeper into theses false stereotypes. This comes out powerfully in the first Episode like to show you why is mary magdalene called lilith in the chosen here. Mary Magdalene is considered to be a saint by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran denominations. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? In the Bible, Mary Magdelene is a follower of Christ. [271] The Gospel of John[272] emphasizes the special role of Mary Magdalene. The Bible never suggests Mary . In the Gnostic texts, or Gnostic gospels, Mary's closeness to Jesus results in tension with another disciple, Peter, due to her sex and Peter's envy of the special teachings given to her. In the passage, who is it that says, "I have called you by name"? [145] Origen also preserves a statement from Celsus that some Christians in his day followed the teachings of a woman named "Mariamme", who is almost certainly Mary Magdalene. "[104] Simon Peter, annoyed at Mary's dominance of the conversation, tells Jesus, "My master, we cannot endure this woman who gets in our way and does not let any of us speak, though she talks all the time. [117] It contains information about the role of women in the early church. Jesus then sent her to tell the other apostles the good news of his resurrection. 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. The unchallenged facts about her life establish that Jesus cleansed her of seven demons (Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9), probably . [67], According to Matthew 28:110, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" went to the tomb. [256], During the Counter-Reformation and Baroque periods (late 16th and 17th centuries), the description "penitent" was added to the indication of her name on her feast day, July 22. In these myths, Lilith was banished by . [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. Chapter XXVII of the Life of Mary Magdalene attributed to Hrabanus Maurus (c. 780 4 February 856) is headed: Ubi Magdalenam Christus ad apostolos mittit apostolam (Wherein Christ sends Magdalene as an apostle to the apostles). [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. Thayer and Smith. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? This article is about the biblical figure. [293] Bahs have noted parallels between Mary Magdalene and the Bab heroine-poet Thirih. [234][235][236] This portrayal is partially based on the Gnostic Gospel of Mary Magdalene. [274] The Mass and Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) remain the same as they were, except that a specific preface was added to the Mass to refer to her explicitly as the "Apostle to the Apostles". [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. [145] A sermon attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170 235) refers to Mary of Bethany and her sister Martha seeking Jesus in the garden like Mary Magdalene in John 20, indicating a conflation between Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene. "[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. 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. every time a new character showed up. [207] Luther, whose views on sexuality were much more liberal than those of his fellow reformers,[208] reportedly once joked to a group of friends that "even pious Christ himself" had committed adultery three times: once with Mary Magdalene, once with the Samaritan woman at the well, and once with the adulteress he had let off so easily. [133] None of these texts have survived to the present,[133][135] but they are mentioned by the early Christian heretic-hunter Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion. (which is Aramaic for "teacher"). Why do you think The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? 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. [118][119] The text was probably written over a century after the historical Mary Magdalene's death. [104] Of the 64 questions, 39 are presented by a woman who is referred to as Mary or Mary Magdalene. It includes sections for you to take notes on each episode's plot, your favorite quotes, personal connections, questions, and, of course, Scripture references. The Chosen, a TV show on the Angel Studios' free streaming service, chronicles the life of Jesus and his many followers. [288] `Abdu'l-Bah also wrote that "her reality is ever shining from the horizon of Christ", "her face is shining and beaming forth on the horizon of the universe forevermore" and that "her candle is, in the assemblage of the world, lighted till eternity". 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. [186] De Voragine gives the common account of the transfer of Mary Magdalene's relics from her sepulchre in the oratory of Saint Maximin at Aix-en-Provence to the newly founded Vzelay;[193] the transportation of the relics is entered as undertaken in 771 by the founder of the abbey, identified as Gerard, Duke of Burgundy. 1065/701132).[178]. [234][235][236] Instead, the film portrays her as Jesus' closest disciple[234][235][236] and the only one who truly understands his teachings. They were fully engaged by the show on the level of entertainment but also seemed solidify their understanding of important gospel events and figures, as well as the cultural context. There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, who was called his companion. Lilith's creation is recounted in The Tales of Ben Sira, an apocryphal work from the tenth century C.E. Here are seven things we DO know about Mary. [188] Then the governor's wife rises from the dead and tells him that Mary Magdalene has brought her back. [312] Numerous works were written in response to the historical inaccuracies in The Da Vinci Code,[313][314] but the novel still exerted massive influence on how members of the general public viewed Mary Magdalene. [204] Poems about Mary Magdalene's repentance were also popular. [13][10][98] Sanders summarizes the scholarly consensus that: very, very little in the apocryphal gospels could conceivably go back to the time of Jesus. [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. [160] Instead, Augustine praised Mary Magdalene as "unquestionably surpassingly more ardent in her love than these other women who had administered to the Lord". (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. [210], During the Counter-Reformation, Roman Catholicism began to strongly emphasize Mary Magdalene's role as a penitent sinner. [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. [102] At another point, he tells her, "Well done, Mary. Although the work is popularly known as the Gospel of Mary, it is not classed as a gospel by some scholars, who restrict the term 'gospel' to texts "primarily focused on recounting the teachings and . When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. According to Gospel of Luke,[26] Jesus exorcised "seven demons" from Mary Magdalene. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. "[145] This may indicate that Mary Magdalene was already being conflated with the "sinful woman" in Luke 7:3650, though Tertullian never clearly identifies the woman of whom he speaks as Mary Magdalene. [48][49][50][51] James Dunn states of baptism and crucifixion that these "two facts in the life of Jesus command almost universal assent". [179] The widespread artistic representations of Mary Magdalene in tears are the source of the modern English word maudlin,[240][241][242] meaning "sickeningly sentimental or emotional". [47] Mark 15:47 lists Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Jesus as witnesses to the burial of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was the first eyewitness of the Risen Christ, and for this reason she was also the first to bear witness to him before the Apostles. 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 . There are no textual variants in extant New Testament manuscripts to contradict this,[301] and thus no physical evidence of this hypothetical earlier document.