The Chosen- anyone watched this?

I just fired up the first episode after a quick google and as a person who dabbles in the history of the Ancient Near East, I'm initially opposed to it.

The background of this series suggests a strong evangelical right lean, and that's just stupid. Might as well do the whole Noah's Ark experience in backwoods Kentucky and then call it a day if that's what you want.

The first season of the show was funded almost completely by crowd sourcing. I have only seen the first four episodes and loved them all for the most part. My only quibble with the show thus far was the way the disciples new he was the messiah almost immediately. Simon Peter didn't confess him as the messiah until about halfway through Matthew's gospel and he was the first person to do so.

Other than that...pretty solid writing and really good acting. I like how they made Matthew to be somewhat autistic. And I also like how they portray the disciples as young men in their early/mid-20s. For whatever reason, movies tend to cast them as older with graying beards.

You know, I can't remember which one, maybe Matthew? was only 14. Watching the documentaries is also great - talks about how they managed to make it look like all those fish were in the net etc.

Maybe it was a head/heart knowledge issue with Simon Peter?

I guess people back then had to grow up a lot faster than we did. I was still playing with marbles at 14. Girls got married as soon as they became women and boys were expected to work in the fields etc. very soon. John's 14 was probably equal to my 25. And of course, their life expectancy was much shorter.

I like the way they had Jesus not the most attractive person physically in the show. Just like the book of Isaiah says. Except they did make him a little taller than the others, don't know if that was true.