Mysteries of the Bible

Although the Bible contains stories of righteous heroines like Ruth and Mary, it also covers tales of more infamous female characters like Jezebel, the Queen who led her people to worship the pagan god, Baal.

Jerusalem is the spiritual center of three of the world's major religions. What makes this city so unique? What secrets are hidden underneath the Old City's homes and businesses, far from the view of Jerusalem's tourists?

Through examining the evidence, from the large number of flood myths to possible remains of the ark, "Noah and the Flood" asks the question, "Was the biblical story of Noah's flood real?" Will the facts shed light on an historical flood that wiped out most of the world, or will the experts concede there is no concrete proof?

Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament contain stories of violent holy wars, murder, and personal rage. What role do scholars see this violence playing in a message whose overall theme is essentially peaceful?

He is perhaps the most well known figure in human history, yet many details of His life have remained an enigma for thousands of years. This program carefully examines these mysteries, providing an inspiring portrait of the life and times of Jesus Christ.

Masada is the famous story of the failed Jewish revolt against Roman authority. The historian Josephus relates the tale of over 900 men, women, and children dying by their own hand rather than being taken into slavery or killed by the enemy.

A major archaeological dig undertaken in 1980 found evidence that the two "twin" cities, Bab Edh-Dhra and Numeira were destroyed by fire some 5,000 years ago. The ruins are extensive and well-preserved.

Explore when the legendary walls of Jericho 'came tumblin' down.' Archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon argues that Jericho fell before Joshua arrived, but Professor Bryant Wood supports the biblical version of events.

Visit the mystical lake where Jesus chose his disciples and walked on water. Investigate the ancient ship dug out of the mud that dates back to Jesus' time. Probe events that took place in Capernaum.

Search for the mountain where Moses spoke to God and received the Ten Commandments. Explores the possibility that the site could be at St. Catherine's monastery.

Delve deep into the origins and enigmas of the scriptures with this groundbreaking program from the acclaimed MYSTERIES OF THE BIBLE. No death in all of history has had a greater impact on mankind than the Biblical account of the death of Jesus Christ. And while his life is cloaked in mystery, the details of his death remain even more veiled. Could events have occurred as written in the Bible? Join scholars and archaeologists on a historic inquiry into the Biblical account of the last days of Jesus. Follow Him from His Passover entry into the Temple to the Last Supper; from trial to execution and miraculous resurrection. Walk the streets of Jerusalem's Old City in His footsteps, and explore a tomb in a cave near Mount Zion that dramatically alters our understanding of the greatest story ever told.

Their stories resound through history - the ecstatic voice of Elijah, the apocalyptic messages of Ezekiel and Daniel, the haunting vision of Jeremiah. In this episode, explore the incredible stories of the Bible's most commanding and confounding figures: the prophets.

She gave birth to the yearly festival of Purim, the Jewish celebration marked by revelry and charity. But how did a woman from ancient Persia come to have such an impact on Judaism? Could her epic of courage and sacrifice be true?

Today, the word "philistine" is synonymous with the ignorant and the uncouth. Yet according to the Bible, the Philistines were the Israelites' most cunning and ruthless enemies. Who were they, and what truth lies behind their legends?

The book's fiery passages are filled with cryptic numbers, strange beasts, and a final showdown between good and evil that ends in the cataclysmic confrontation known as Armageddon. From the Old Testament prophets to Nostradamus and beyond, these apocalyptic visions have long intrigued mystics, scholars and the faithful alike. Who was the real author of the book, and what do its grim prophecies foretell? What is the meaning of the Seven Seals, the Four Horsemen, and the mystery of the souls who reach the Kingdom of God?

The story of Abraham's unwavering faith has made him one of the Bible's most revered figures. His covenant with God led to the birth of Israel, and - in the ultimate test of devotion - he was asked to sacrifice his son. But is there evidence to prove that such a man existed?

Extraordinary new discoveries indicate that King David - poet, warrior, and slayer of the giant named Goliath - was not just a mythical figure!

Incredibly, the Bible says almost nothing about Jesus from the time of His birth until nearly thirty years later. These three decades, the major portion of His life, have been called by scholars the "lost years." Learn intriguing theories of why the Bible is silent about those missing decades.

From the beginning of recorded history, people all over the world have believed in an afterlife. What does the Bible itself tell us about eternal punishment and eternal happiness?

The books of the Bible represent the culmination of intricate literary processes spanning multiple generations, with numerous unnamed scribes, compilers, and revisers contributing layers of material over extended periods, contrasting sharply with traditional attributions to singular prophetic or apostolic figures.

The books of the Bible represent the culmination of intricate literary processes spanning multiple generations, with numerous unnamed scribes, compilers, and revisers contributing layers of material over extended periods, contrasting sharply with traditional attributions to singular prophetic or apostolic figures.

Atop a mountain in Canaan, Abraham laid his son down at God's command; David brought the Ark of the Covenant; then Solomon built the first Holy Temple. What treasures lie beneath the mount?

The episode examines what scripture actually records—versus later cultural and artistic traditions—regarding the creation, roles, and nature of heavenly messengers and adversarial forces.

Six hundred years after the construction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, this was the scene of an unlikely battle for freedom as the Jews fought against legions of Roman soldiers. Archaeological research seeks to reveal why the Jews alone dared challenge the greatest imperial power the world had ever known.

In the Holy Land today, dozens of specialized archaeologists and their teams sift through the sands of history to unlock the mysteries of vanished civilizations and their people. What light has science shed on the Scriptures?

The man we know as King Herod the Great is mentioned only briefly in the Bible, leaving the details of his life and character in question. The world's leading archaeologists, historians and scholars search for the truth about one of the Bible's most legendary villains.

As the story goes, the prophetic Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, and later rewarded with great political power when he uses his divine gift to save Egypt from famine. Does evidence exist to support the events described in his story?

Millenia past, in the searing heat of the Sinai Desert, a rag-tag band of survivors of history's first recorded slave revolt heard God's thunderous voice. The message delivered then has echoed throughout the ages: The Ten Commandments, the code that has come to be the very definition of moral behavior.

Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of which are mentioned in the Litany of Loreto.

According to the Hebrew Bible, Solomon was one of the mightiest kings to rule ancient Israel, gifted with unnatural powers. Explore new answers to some of the oldest questions that have perplexed historians and archaeologists about this mysterious ruler.

With the exception of Jesus of Nazareth, Saint Paul is the single most important figure in the history of Christianity, transforming from its bitterest foe to its most ardent advocate.

An intriguing search for the fabled Garden of Eden and the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Can the account of the Creation, as passed down in the book of Genesis, still be taken literally?

Their story is one of the most chilling in the Bible: a tale of cold-blooded murder between the world's first brothers. But despite the fact that Genesis records the identity of Abel's killer, the world's first murder remains in many ways a mystery.

On the sixth day of Creation, God pronounced the sexual union between husband and wife "very good". The Hebrew Bible is rich in stories of love and marriage, as well as rape, prostitution, adultery, and polygamy.

Few moments in the Bible hold more significance than Jesus' last supper in Jerusalem. Still, modern scholars continue to debate the specifics: Who attended the supper? What did they discuss? And what of the true role of Judas? Join the world's leading experts in an exploration of Jesus' final hours on earth.

While the work of angels has long stirred popular imagination, the details of their holy purpose are clouded by wonder and debate. What do the Scriptures tell us about them?

Jacob's vision of a magnificent stairway to heaven has both fascinated and perplexed people of all religions for centuries. Explore four thousand year-old ruins with scholars and experts to learn more about this haunting account.

It is thousands of years ago that the Book of Job, a story of a decent man who suffers horrendous misfortunes, is written into the Hebrew bible.

Explores the theory that the Philistines kept Samson, not as a laborer, but as a sex slave in order to breed a race of giants.

In book after book of the Hebrew Bible, it is through miracles that God makes himself known to His chosen people. Are the miracles of the Bible merely stories or did they actually occur, and can they be explained scientifically? Why did the time of miracles draw to a close... or did it?

He was called John the Baptist and he preached in the wilderness in the time of Jesus. All four gospels of the New Testament acknowledge the importance of John the Baptist's life.

Every December in households all over the world people of the Jewish faith gather to celebrate the joyous holiday of Chanukah. Yet few realize that the foundations of this celebration are rooted in bloody violence.

His name is so synonymous with evil that according to German law it cannot be given to a new born child. Judas Iscariot, a Satan incarnate so depraved that he kissed "The Son of God" after betraying him for a measly thirty pieces of silver.

Sarah, the great matriarch...Esther, the queen...Deborah, the military commander...Ruth, the despised foreigner...Miriam, the prophetess. For countless generations, women the world over have patterned their lives after these heroines of the Hebrew Bible, looking to them for inspiration and examples of virtue.

In the ancient world, many were embraced as the Messiah. Why is a simple peasant from Galilee, who never publicly claims to be the Messiah, the one man much of the world reveres as such for two thousand years.