This 100+-minute documentary represents a quest by British theological scholar Robert Beckford to put the derivation and composition of the Bible into perspective for viewers of this Channel 4 (UK) presentation. He seeks to answer questions about how the books of the Bible were written, by whom, in what social and political context, and in what sequence. To what extent were they historically accurate? Were historical discrepancies material to their credibility and to Judeo-Christian traditions? Naturally, he starts with the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), all of which were supposedly written by Moses.
His coverage of the remaining books in the OT is less exhaustive, but he examines the four Gospels as closely as he does the Pentateuch. His comments on Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul (who wrote the bulk of the NT), highlight the issues and ambiguities surrounding the rise of early Christianity.
Beckford visits the Holy Land, Europe, the UK, and the USA in order to situate ancient Biblical sites, temples, churches, and museums, where he interviews Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scholars, believers, and practitioners. His style is infectiously engaging (indeed, distractingly impassioned at times), and his commentary nuanced and articulate. He is, for the most part, a pleasure to listen to.
But depictions of Beckford's comings and goings became tedious about mid-way through the film. Endlessly recurring shots of Beckford in cars, trucks, planes, and afoot — transporting himself from one backdrop locale to another, presumably to emphasize to what lengths he had gone to conduct his research first-hand — wound up calling more attention to the huge carbon footprint he was leaving than to his assiduity. Though he seldom revealed how much he himself took Biblical narrative to heart, he did steer suspiciously clear of scripture alluding to the exceptional warmth of Carbon-Emitters' Hell.
Of necessity, too, given the visual format and the imperatives of television, he could not go into as much depth as one might have wished (e.g., the development of the King James Bible). Doubtless he was entirely capable of doing so.
Still, because the Bible is so central to world culture, for non-scholars who are curious about the Bible as historical or literary artifact, or those here below who merely seek a more complete overview, this documentary is worth the investment of time. The interviews themselves are well structured and tightly edited. Viewers leave it with greater awareness of Biblical chronology and controversies — if not with as many crisp, definitive answers as the opening sequences lead them to expect.
His coverage of the remaining books in the OT is less exhaustive, but he examines the four Gospels as closely as he does the Pentateuch. His comments on Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul (who wrote the bulk of the NT), highlight the issues and ambiguities surrounding the rise of early Christianity.
Beckford visits the Holy Land, Europe, the UK, and the USA in order to situate ancient Biblical sites, temples, churches, and museums, where he interviews Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scholars, believers, and practitioners. His style is infectiously engaging (indeed, distractingly impassioned at times), and his commentary nuanced and articulate. He is, for the most part, a pleasure to listen to.
But depictions of Beckford's comings and goings became tedious about mid-way through the film. Endlessly recurring shots of Beckford in cars, trucks, planes, and afoot — transporting himself from one backdrop locale to another, presumably to emphasize to what lengths he had gone to conduct his research first-hand — wound up calling more attention to the huge carbon footprint he was leaving than to his assiduity. Though he seldom revealed how much he himself took Biblical narrative to heart, he did steer suspiciously clear of scripture alluding to the exceptional warmth of Carbon-Emitters' Hell.
Of necessity, too, given the visual format and the imperatives of television, he could not go into as much depth as one might have wished (e.g., the development of the King James Bible). Doubtless he was entirely capable of doing so.
Still, because the Bible is so central to world culture, for non-scholars who are curious about the Bible as historical or literary artifact, or those here below who merely seek a more complete overview, this documentary is worth the investment of time. The interviews themselves are well structured and tightly edited. Viewers leave it with greater awareness of Biblical chronology and controversies — if not with as many crisp, definitive answers as the opening sequences lead them to expect.