The Deep Mysteries and Dark Secrets of the Holy Lands Reveals (The Buried World of the Bible)

• published: 01 May 2015
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In the Holy Land today dozens of specialized archaeologists and their teams diligently sift through the sands of history. Their quest is a sizeable one: to unlock the mysteries of vanished civilizations and the people who built them. What are the origins of this special discipline known as "Biblical archaeology"? And what enthralling secrets of the scriptures have these scientists discovered? Journey through the portals of time with some of the greatest excavators in history: from the eccentric Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie who willed that his head be removed and preserved after his death to the husband-and-wife team of Eric and Carol Meyers. Combining scientific exploration with spiritual conjecture, Biblical archeologists have long excavated the Holy Land to find physical evidence of the Bible's narratives and illuminate clues to its countless Mysteries. This engaging documentary profiles the careers and discoveries of experts such as 19th-century eccentric Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie and modern investigators like Eric and Carol Meyers. This documentary is really on the history of biblical archeology in the west. NOVA’s two-hour special, “The Bible’s Buried Secrets,” takes viewers on a fascinating quest in search of the origins of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. Filmed on locations throughout the Middle East, the program uses a combination of videos, advanced digital animation techniques, and interviews with many experts to introduce the public to the latest findings in biblical scholarship and archaeology. Readers of BAR will immediately recognize many names, sites, and debates covered in this film, including such controversies as the Documentary Hypothesis, the historicity of the Exodus, and whether the kingdoms of David and Solomon existed. Seasoned scholars and the general public alike will find this special’s stunning photography and interviews compelling. Unlike many similar documentaries, “The Bible’s Buried Secrets” does not begin with the book of Genesis or the Patriarchal period. Rather, it opens with the problematic issue of whether it is possible to establish a firm and reliable chronology between the Bible and archaeology. It uses Sir William Flinder Petrie’s 1896 discovery of the “Merneptah Stele” in Thebes, Egypt, as an illustration. This monument, carved in 1208 B.C.E., recounts the military victories of the son of Ramesses the Great—the king many believe was the Pharaoh of the biblical Exodus. One line of this text reads “Israel is laid waste, its seed is not.” Egyptologist Donald Redford suggests this passage is the earliest evidence that a people called “Israel” existed. William Dever—a familiar name to BAR readers—examines the problem in correlating such artifacts with the Bible, which is primarily a theological document. He suggests that we are on firmest ground when we find intersections between science and Scripture. Unfortunately, as he and many experts stress throughout the show, such correspondences are rare, and often subject to multiple interpretations. The documentary next turns to one of the major problems in seeking to uncover the Bible’s buried secrets, namely sources. Known as the Documentary Hypothesis, this theory proposes that the Pentateuch is a compilation of four major sources, all of which were later edited. To explain this theory to the public, the producers use graphics to visually separate two distinct versions of the biblical flood story. Biblical scholar Michael Coogan is among the many experts who explain this theory throughout the film. Like the archaeologists in this documentary, he emphasizes that the Bible is a theological anthology produced by many authors over several centuries. The film next tackles the question of literacy in antiquity. Experts such as P. Kyle McCarter and Ron Tappy discuss the inscribed alphabet from Tel Zayit to suggest that the writing of the Hebrew Bible could have started as early as 950 B.C.E. Lawrence Stager and others explore archaic language in the Bible to argue that the earliest biblical stories, such as the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15), were transmitted in poetry. Emphasizing that there is no archaeological confirmation of the Exodus, several scholars discuss the theological importance of this story, with its emphasis on freedom from oppression, in creating Israel’s identity.