בית אור החיים
קהילה משיחית
BEIT OR HA'CHAIM
MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATION VIENNA
THE CHOSEN
The Series, the Bible, and the Jewish Background of Jesus
The Chosen has inspired millions of people to take a fresh interest in Jesus, His disciples, and the world of the Gospels. The series also highlights something that is often pushed into the background in modern portrayals: Jesus – Yeshua – lived as a Jew within a Jewish world.
At Beit Or Ha'Chaim, we look at The Chosen from a biblical and historical perspective. We explore which people and events come directly from the Gospels, the Jewish background behind many scenes, and where the series adds creative or narrative elements.
Our goal is not simply to judge the series, but to use it as a starting point for understanding the Bible itself more deeply.
IS THE CHOSEN BIBLICAL?
Many of the central characters and events in The Chosen come directly from the New Testament. At the same time, the series is not a word-for-word adaptation of the Gospels.
Some dialogues, personal backstories, and individual encounters have been added or expanded in order to bring the characters to life for a modern television audience.
It is therefore helpful to distinguish between three different levels:
Biblical account – what is actually written in the Gospels.
Historical background – what we know about Jewish life in that period.
Creative interpretation – what was developed for the storyline of the series.
JESUS – YESHUA – IN HIS JEWISH WORLD
The Chosen repeatedly portrays elements of Jewish daily life: Shabbat, synagogue, Torah, prayers, blessings, biblical feasts, and Jewish traditions.
This background can help us understand Jesus and His teachings more clearly. Many passages in the Gospels become easier to understand when we know the religious and cultural setting in which they were spoken.
Jesus cannot be understood apart from the Judaism of His time. He lived within the story of Israel, knew the Holy Scriptures, and interacted with different Jewish groups and traditions of interpretation.
WATCH THE SERIES – DISCOVER THE BIBLE
The Chosen can spark curiosity. The most important foundation, however, remains the Bible itself.
At Beit Or Ha'Chaim, we want to encourage people to look beyond the scenes of the series, read the Gospels for themselves, and rediscover the Jewish and historical background of the biblical texts.
Watch The Chosen. Read the Bible. Understand the connections.