S5, E7
We don’t often put anything in the “Dangerous” category of these posts, but we find ourselves in the position of wrestling with that in this episode…
Biblical: What We Find in Scripture
Peter’s response to Jesus washing his feet, along with the request to be bathed entirely, is accurate. Jesus did tell them that he was setting an example for them and that they were not to lead like the Gentiles who lord authority over their people. Some of the dialogue is paraphrased.
Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture
The disciples’ fear of the Roman soldiers is a bit confusing to me. The Jewish leaders clearly had a plot to kill Jesus and were seeking an occasion to arrest him, but there isn’t really any indication in the gospel that they were seeking to arrest Jesus at all, let alone publicly. Yes, they played a crucial role in his arrest and trials, but it would have been the Jews who were seeking an opportunity to arrest him. We also know that they were afraid of the people who were in support of Jesus, so they were not seeking publicly to arrest him. The plot to arrest Jesus, which included Judas, would have most likely been kept private until the actual arrest in the garden of Gethsemane was conducted.
Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture
The dialogue in the opening scene about serving both “friends and enemies” and “even tonight” is not in the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13. Jesus did say that one would “lift his heel against me”, but Jesus didn’t use the word “enemies.”
We are introduced to Mark in this episode as he is preparing the upper room according to his dream. I am assuming that this is the author of the gospel of Mark since Mark, the gospel writer, was not one of the disciples. In all of the Passover accounts (Mt. 26, Mk. 14, Lk. 22), Jesus gives directions to the disciples regarding preparations for Passover. Matthew and Mark record that the disciples asked Jesus about preparation for Passover, and John adds that Jesus also told them to go. In Mark, we find that they are told that they will find someone carrying a jar of water, that they should follow him and ask about a room for the Passover, and that this man carrying the jar would show them a furnished and prepared room. Then Jesus tells them that they should prepare the Passover there. Clearly this scene from the chosen is drawn off of Scripture. However, it is speculation to think that the man carrying the jar is Mark. Is it possible that it was? Yes. Do we know that it was? No. We also are given no indication whatsoever in Scripture that Mark had any dreams about preparing the Passover, if he was even the person carrying the jar of water. There is a lot of speculation here. Any part of this episode that has Mark or his family being connected to the owner of the home with the upper room is speculation.
Additionally, we know, as discussed in previous posts, that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna provided for Jesus out of their resources. We don’t have any knowledge from Scripture that Jesus and the disciples were staying in the house of someone named Phoebe. That name does not occur in the gospels and there is no indication that the Phoebe in Romans 16 had any dealings with anything in the gospels. Therefore, we also have no indication in Scripture that they were staying in a gentiles home.
Judas’ sister and her interactions with Judas aren’t found in the Bible.
The graffiti as the reason for choosing the house is fictional. Jesus only told the disciples to find a man carrying a water jar.
We are told nothing in the gospels about what preparations were made for the Passover by the disciples, nor are we told about any conversations they may have had while making those preparations.
Simon the Zealot’s flashback is not found in Scripture. The zealots were a political “party” that probably held some extreme views, hence the name zealot. But we know nothing from the Scriptures about who the zealots were, what they believed, nor what role “Simon Z” played in the Zealots.
Similarly, Nathaniel’s flashback, depicted in black and white, is also not derived from the biblical record.
Once again, the flashback of Philip and Andrew with John the Baptist isn’t from the Bible.
The same is true for Thomas’ flashback.
…and the same for Matthew’s.
Also, little James’ flashback. James’ flashback includes Jesus, an encounter which is entirely fictional.
Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher
In the opening scene with the upper room, the disciples say that the owner of the house was going to send someone to wash feet. This is an accurate historical depiction of this custom. Their feet would have been very dirty from walking in the streets with animals and dust. The job was considered beneath a Jew, as even Jewish slaves would not wash feet. We know that Peter declined having his feet washed, but all of the disciples would have been perplexed at this. Additionally, it is helpful to see that Jesus washed even the feet of his betrayer. John 13:1-20
The issue of leaven in a house would have been taken quite seriously. This helps us with the historical context. Leaven is often a symbol for sin in the Bible; we might consider how seriously we seek to clean the leaven out of our lives…
Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact
James and Peter’s conversation with Jesus about being followed by Ramah’s family working with the Romans isn’t in the Bible. Ramah, and her family, are entirely fictional. I have put these events in this category because of previous events with Ramah. I have not yet blogged on Season 4 at the time of the writing of this post; however, we know that when Ramah is killed in a commotion, Jesus does not heal her here. The way the episode ended with Ramah’s death felt like emotional manipulation. In part, I feel this way because there is no record anywhere in the Bible of Jesus refusing to heal someone who wanted to be healed or whose companions wanted them healed. There are some spots in Scripture where Jesus doesn’t perform miracles because the people lacked faith, but this is hardly the case with Ramah, who is the supposed fiancé of one of the disciples. Jesus never refused anyone healing in the biblical record, and for this reason, I believe it is safe to assume that Jesus never refused to heal anyone who requested healing from him.
Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.
We are told in John 13:1-20 that Jesus took off his outer garments, plural. This means that he would likely have been wearing what amounted to nothing more than a loincloth. In this episode, Jesus is still wearing a tunic as he washes the disciples’ feet. While this could be considered unbiblical, it is not a major issue, and so I have chosen to consider it as an error.
As stated in previous episodes, the table and candles are not according to what would have been. The scene looks like it may be drawn off of ideas like Leonardo’s Last Supper painting, which is what we know of how people would have reclined at a table.
Again, this is a little silly, but clear glass, as shown in the upper room during the daytime, did not exist at that time in history. Romans did use glass as early as the 1st century CE, but it was not clear. This glass was translucent at best.