One keen-eyed “Star Wars” fan spotted a reference to one of the most timeless stories in literature in the season three premiere of “The Mandalorian.”
An artifact wielded by the main character in the “Star Wars” spinoff show features text from the biblical Book of Exodus; translated into the (fictional) Mandalorian language, no less.
The passage in question explains how Egypt was cursed by God on account of the pharaoh’s refusal to release the Jews from slavery.
Reddit user u/GeneralAnubis appears to have first translated the subtle reference — identifying phrases and words and matching them with text from Exodus with their own knowledge of the “Mando’a” fictional language.
“And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth,” the biblical Mandalorian Easter egg read, according to Slash Film.
“And they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.”
“And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day.”
“And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.”
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This verse — Exodus 10:5 — explains how locusts would come to blight Egypt because of the pharaoh’s actions in the Exodus narrative.
The green stone featuring the symbols was itself obtained from the world of Mandalore; itself poisoned and ruined in an era preceding the show.
The main character is required to travel back to Mandalore and bathe in the planet’s “living waters;” itself a ritual that could be called similar to the Christian sacrament of baptism.
Some other themes of the episode seemingly alluded to Christian concepts; including the titular character’s desire for “redemption” in his own Mandalorian religion.
“The Creed teaches us of redemption,” Din Djarin, the main character of the show, asserted to a Mandalorian elder who stated he’s no longer a member of the community for the transgression of removing his helmet.
Redemption.
Catch up on Chapter 17 of #TheMandalorian, now streaming on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/iOkhUYZcd5
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) March 5, 2023
The episode was titled “The Apostate,” itself reflecting the main character’s need to atone for his sins in the eyes of his own religious creed.
Episode 2 of season 3 of “The Mandalorian” is slated to air on Wednesday.