About this season
No single work has shaped Western civilization more than the Bible. In this provocative seven-part series, renowned archaeologist John Romer (Ancient Lives) traces the roots of the world's most important book in light of archaeological evidence. Who wrote the Bible? Where did the story of creation come from? What can archaeology tell us about Abraham, the Exodus, and Jesus of Nazareth? Join Romer as he visits dig sites at Jericho, Jerusalem, and elsewhere to uncover the motives and methods of the people who told the sacred story, attacked it, defended it, and transformed it throughout history. For believers and non-believers alike, this fascinating journey reveals the Bible not only as a record of historical events, but also as a profound profession of faith that still holds our hearts and minds.
Episodes (7)
1. As It Was in the Beginning
Aired 6 November 1988
At excavations in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Romer explores the cultural and religious milieu that shaped some of the Pentateuch's most powerful stories: creation, God's call to Abraham, and the Israelites' exodus.
2. Chronicles and Kings
Aired 13 November 1988
Archaeological digs at Jericho and elsewhere unearth clues about the rise of Israel as a kingdom, its rivalry with the much-maligned Philistines, and its eventual disintegration and conquest by invaders from the north and west.
3. Mightier Than the Sword
Aired 20 November 1988
Two events profoundly influenced the writing of the Hebrew Scriptures: the Babylonian exile, which made the Jews an international people, and Alexander the Great's conquest of the ancient world, which infused all Middle Eastern cultures with Greek ideas.
4. Gospel Truth?
Aired 27 November 1988
Exploring excavations at Capernaum, Romer searches for the historical Jesus of Nazareth and his followers. And at Antioch, crossroads of the ancient world, he delves into the rich, diverse traditions that shaped early Christianity.
5. Thine Is the Kingdom
Aired 4 December 1988
When the Emperor Constantine elevated Christianity to the official religion of the Roman Empire, the once-persecuted sect took on the trappings of imperial power--nowhere more evidently than at the magnificent Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).
6. The Power and the Glory
Aired 11 December 1988
After barbarian invaders sacked Rome, monks in far-flung outposts such as Scotland and Ireland kept Christianity alive, eventually reconverting the continent and setting the stage for Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire.
7. Paradise Lost
Aired 18 December 1988
A variety of forces--from Renaissance ideas, to the spirit of nationalism, to Hollywood reinterpretation--have eroded the Bible's influence, despite the valiant efforts of a few passionate advocates to protect its relevance.