The
Bible is the equivalent of a treasure map in this
archeological edition of A&E's Mysteries of the
Bible series. Both contemporary scientists and
those from the last century have taken their cues
from the scriptures when digging, leading to
excavation of the 3,000-year-old remains of the
towns of Beersheba and Capernaum. Also, there are
accidental finds like a shepherd's 1947 discovery
of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave. This 45-minute
tape, narrated by Richard Kiley, examines the
relationship between archaeology and the Bible,
illuminating such personalities as Sir William
Flinders Petrie, whose ballerina attire convinced
the Egyptians it would be harmless to let him
measure the pyramids. The husband-and-wife team of
Eric and Carol Meyers explain how their work on the
Masada both confirms and contradicts the only
contemporaneous historical account of the siege and
mass suicide there. Finally, there's a good example
of technology at work: electromagnetic images
eliminate random digging, computer models
graphically resurrect ancient Jerusalem.
"This
story is enormously unlikely," says Elaine Pagels,
Professor of Religion at Princeton University.
Pagels is right on the mark: what began two
millennia ago as a Jewish sect has grown into the
most widespread religion in history, despite
unbridled oppression in its early years and
countless denominational splits ever since. The
last few years have seen a resurgence of interest
in church history, and A&E's documentary
Christianity: The First Thousand Years is a
splendid example of solid scholarly research meshed
with entertaining production values that speaks to
this interest. The result is a resource with equal
appeal for the historian and the theologian
alike.
Of
all the wars waged in the name of God, none has
ever matched the arrogance and conceit of the
Christian Crusades. For nearly two centuries
(1095-1291), this medieval "holy war" variously
raged, sometimes so spiritually misshapen by
rapaciousness, murder, and political greed that to
think it all had to do with Christian faith is
absurd. And really, there is no one better to
dramatize such a theater of holy war than
Wales-born Terry Jones, host of The Discovery
Channel's Ancient Inventions and an
accomplished medievalist.
