The Bible’s Buried Secrets

The Bible’s Buried Secrets explores the origins of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. It combines advanced digital animation techniques, on-location filming throughout the Middle East, and interviews with numerous experts to shed light on the latest findings in biblical scholarship and archaeology.

The documentary begins by addressing the challenge of establishing a reliable chronology between the Bible and archaeological evidence. It uses Sir William Flinder Petrie’s 1896 discovery of the “Merneptah Stele” in Egypt as a starting point, which provides the earliest known reference to a people called “Israel”.

Throughout the program, various controversial topics are explored, including the Documentary Hypothesis, which proposes that the Pentateuch is a compilation of four major sources edited over time. The historicity of the Exodus and the existence of the kingdoms of David and Solomon are also discussed.

The development of Israelite monotheism is a central theme of the documentary. It examines the theory that the God of the Bible (YHWH) originated among the nomadic shasu tribes of Midian and highlights evidence suggesting that polytheism was common throughout much of the biblical period.

The program also covers significant archaeological discoveries, such as the remains of what may be King Solomon’s gates, which offer evidence of a united Israelite kingdom. Additionally, it discusses the discovery of the Silver Scrolls, which predate the earliest Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years and confirm that at least some verses of the Hebrew Bible were written down by the 7th century B.C.E.

By presenting a powerful intersection of science, scholarship, and scripture, the documentary provides unique insights into the deeper meaning of biblical texts and their continuing relevance through the centuries.