The Bible's Buried Secrets

A superior NOVA documentary, The Bible's Buried Secrets draws upon the latest findings in biblical archaeology to support the conclusion that the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament were an offshoot of the Canaanites—not an “outsider tribe” as the Bible suggests. In addition to questioning the historical core of the book of Exodus, this fascinating program also draws the conclusions—based on recent archaeological findings—that a) the Israelite religion was not exclusively monotheistic, and b) in the earliest stages of the religion's development God had a wife who was deified in sculptures and pottery. Narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, and featuring numerous interviews with historians, scholars, and archaeologists, The Bible's Buried Secrets also investigates the authorship of the Bible and the chronology of its writing, but mainly focuses on establishing compelling connections between the Bible's narrative and actual recorded history, filling significant gaps in our understanding of the emergence of monotheism in the form of the Israelites' “one true god.” While the abundant computer-generated animations may not quite match big-time Hollywood standards, they are more than adequate for illustrating the evolution of the Bible's texts—excerpts of which are dramatically read here by actress Stockard Channing. Revealing along the way the real-life kingdom of David (as determined by carbon-dating olive seeds and pottery at archaeological digs in Jerusalem), The Bible's Buried Secrets ultimately supports, rather than challenges, the story of the birth of modern religions in ancient Israel. DVD extras include over 30 minutes of deleted scenes. A compelling and richly informative documentary, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)