# Why is Mary called Lilith in The Chosen? A Tech Geek‘s Perspective

- Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/why-is-mary-called-lilith-in-the-chosen/
- Published: 2023-11-13
- Author: Nelson Ayers
- Categories: [Basic knowledge & Meaning](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/meaning/)

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As a longtime tech professional fascinated by digital media, I eagerly tuned into the popular faith-based streaming series _The Chosen_ to see how they brought Jesus‘ ministry to life. While overall quite biblical, one creative choice stood out – referring to Mary Magdalene as "Lilith." This extra-biblical reference connects Mary to an ancient Jewish legend of a demonic, rebellious woman.

For tech-savvy Bible enthusiasts like myself, the allusion to Jewish folklore reveals deeper meanings about Mary Magdalene‘s redemption arc. Let‘s code our Bible knowledge and decrypt this daemonic nickname!

## Cracking the biblical code

I like to think of the Gospels as the original data on Jesus‘ life. As a data analyst, I‘m always mining datasets for insights. The "data" on Mary Magdalene reveals:

- **Traveling in Jesus‘ inner circle** – she financially supported his ministry and witnessed his crucifixion when others fled.
- **First resurrection witness** – she discovered the empty tomb and was first to meet the risen Jesus.
- **Healed from demons** – Jesus "had cast seven demons out of her" (Luke 8:2).

But the biblical dataset has gaps! It doesn‘t cover Mary‘s past or why she was called "Lilith"…we need to integrate some external sources.

## Joining with extra-biblical databases

Like merging data from multiple tables, we can connect the biblical material with Jewish legends that fill in Mary‘s backstory:

- **Lilith, Adam‘s rebellious first wife** – folklore describes how Lilith was made equal to Adam but rebelled and became a demonic threat.
- **A Lilith-Mary Magdalene link?** – by calling her "Lilith," the show implies Mary‘s demonic possession connected her to this evil spirit.

| Attribute | Lilith (folklore) | Mary Pre-Jesus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Origin | Created equal to Adam | Demon-possessed |
| Behavior | Rebellious, sexual, baby-killing | – Unknown – |
| Status | Banished demon | – Unknown – |

Integrating data between the biblical source and folklore database allows us to model a profile for the pre-Jesus Mary.

## Mining insights through symbology

As a coder, I recognize symbols and patterns to discern meaning. Lilith and Eve represent contrasting archetypes:

- **Eve = order, obedience, purity**
- **Lilith = chaos, rebellion, sexuality**

Painting Mary as a Lilith figure makes her redemption arc more profound. Jesus transformed her from a dark, uncontrolled spirit to a devoted disciple filled with light.

## Analyzing The Chosen dataset

_The Chosen_ takes some creative license with biblical figures, but stays faithful to the original "data":

- **Traveling with Jesus** – aligns with Luke 8:1-3
- **Present at crucifixion** – matches the Gospels
- **Finding empty tomb** – follows the accounts
- **7 demons** – straight from Mark 16:9

The show‘s creators explain:

> "We took that particular license to basically explain why her nickname would have been Lilith before she met Jesus."

By calling pre-Jesus Mary "Lilith," they add dramatic dimension to her transformation.

## Jesus‘ epic exorcism

Casting 7 demons out of Mary powerfully symbolizes Jesus‘ ability to free people from spiritual darkness. He untethered her from sinister forces and rewrote her source code from Darkness to Light.

## Apocryphal legends

Church tradition identifies Mary Magdalene as the unnamed adulteress Jesus saved from stoning in John 8. But this connection lacks scriptural authority.

The early church discounted tales like Lilith when compiling biblical canon. But her enduring cultural impact is undeniable.

## Authors‘ bio data

_The Chosen_‘s creators took an unconventional approach:

- **Dallas Jenkins** – Mormon background, not formally LDS affiliated
- **Neal Harmon** – Jenkins‘ Mormon producing partner
- **Diverse writers room** – includes Catholics, Jews, Evangelicals and more

This allowed them to sample interpretations across faith traditions.

## Divine data download

In the end, Lilith remains firmly extra-biblical. But equating Mary Magdalene with this rebellious demonic archetype makes her miraculous transformation resonate more deeply. The show downloads biblical data into a powerful character upgrade.

So while Scripture contains no explicit Lilith reference, _The Chosen_ insightfully mines this legendary mythology to amplify Mary Magdalene‘s inspiring redemption story for modern streaming audiences.

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Source: [Why is Mary called Lilith in The Chosen? A Tech Geek‘s Perspective](https://33rdsquare.com/why-is-mary-called-lilith-in-the-chosen/)