Excavating the Bible 3: The Ancient Tunnels of Jerusalem/The Mysterious Mosaic of Galilee

In the nineteenth century, British engineer Charles Warren came upon some really cool stuff under Jerusalem's Temple Mount: a series of tunnels that have fascinated biblical historians, archaeologists and adventurers ever since. Biblical historians and archaeologists guide the way and provide commentary and questions as the cameras travel below in the first part of The Ancient Tunnels of Jerusalem/The Mysterious Mosaic of Galilee, the third volume in this 3-tape set. When were these tunnels built? For what purpose? Who used them? Speculations abound, but to this day, no one knows! Unfortunately, the questions prove to be more interesting than the journey itself, which--too true to its title--mostly features repetitive shots of narrow passages. The second part visits an American /Israeli archaeological project near Galilee. Objects retrieved there offer evidence of a civilization where Jewish, Christian and Pagan cultures co-existed, with the jewel of the dig being the "Mona Lisa of Galilee," a mosaic unique for its painterly, Renaissance qualities. Viewers watch as the piece is lifted and transferred to Jerusalem for restoration, and then returned for reinstallation at the original site. Although the video features some interesting details, they seem lost in a welter of disorganized footage. The other two titles in the series are: Deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls and Marine Archeology/Tel Hazor: Searching for Biblical Proofs. Not recommended. (J. Reed)