Who Wrote the Bible?: Probing the Eternal Mysteries Behind the Origins of the Holy Scriptures (1994-95)
Who Wrote the Bible?: Probing the Eternal Mysteries Behind the Origins of the Holy Scriptures(A&E, 1994/95) People who consider the Bible the literal ‘word of God’ will be disturbed by the excellent, two-video assessment of who actually wrote the Old Testament and the New Testament. Much of what is presented would have been considered stake-burning heresy five hundred years ago. Today, no serious biblical scholar would find surprising the level-headed assessments presented by a diversity of biblical authorities.
Many of my students prefer to be exposed to these ‘revelations’ through film rather than reading. They are surprised to hear that the first five books of the Old Testament, traditionally described as the books of Moses, were actually written at least 400 years after the time when Moses was reported to have lived.
They are often surprised to discover that the four Gospels were not written by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. The fact that different sources and time periods affect each of the four Gospels is confusing. The fact that they do not tell a single cohesive story about the life of Jesus is also puzzling.
These two films are superb scholarship presented in a highly palatable manner. Even if students watch only a portion of either film, they will gain an unforgettable impression of how the Bible has been created by diverse people under different circumstances over thousands of years.
