Reviews (6)

Excellent!
This nine-part documentary is not only a history of the Jews, it's a history of the western world! Hundreds of thousands of dollars were probably spent in the production of this series. Abba Eban takes the viewer all over the world to examine one of the world's most gifted and intriguing people - the Jews. These tapes will not put you to sleep. The music and images allows the viewer to relive Jewish history. And consequently, come to understand the world we live in today much better. I know the tapes are pricey, but own this documentary if you ever have the chance. You'll never regret it.

Heritage Civilization & the Jews by Abba Eban
I thought the documentry was thought provoking, and set a good example of what documentries should convey -- "the facts" -- minus "too much" so-called "perspective". I took an amature film-making class years ago, and as much as I like classic films; it is always super to view "factual" documentries (minus the "revisionist" approach to manipulating the facts!) The legacy of the relative time factor puts adequate perspective on such "factual" documentries. It's NOT a regular movie after all -- it's a "review of historical facts". ... Thank you for the great books, and service you provide at Amazon.com. :)

Heritage - Civilization and the Jews DVD
WOW! This is an incredible set to have. The DVD is a reprint from a PBS special in 1984 (Peabody winner, at that). Abba Eban is an incredible, captivating speaker. My only problem is that there is so much information, I can only watch about two hours at a time. This is a must have whether you are Jewish or not. The series pulls together world history unlike any class I took in college. The addition of the DVD-Rom with tons of maps, historical documents, and video clips is awesome. It has answered most of the questions I had, and let me view a moving graphical history by sliding the scroll bar. Super buy for a history buff!

superb! Teaches us that Jews and christians are brothers
and sisters. One realizes how alike we are andwonder how we could have persecuted our Jewish brothers for the past 2000 years.

Re-issue of a great documentary from the 1980s
This DVD is a re-issue of a 9-hour mini-series that first aired in the 1980s, and was recently (Nov-Dec. 2001) aired again on PBS. Each segment is 1 hour long, making it a useful tool in history classes covering many different periods. Since the "history of civilization" textbooks rarely mention what the Jews were doing in the 1900-year period between the rise of Christianity and the Nazi Holocaust, this series plays an important role in helping to make the curriculum more inclusive. Plus, The DVD version has a lot of additional resource materials not in the original PBS series.

Regarding classroom appropriateness in public schools, this is a documentary, not a "religion" series. Yes, the series does talk about religion in some places, but it's called "Civilization and the Jews" for a reason. To be Jewish is not just a "religion," it is also a culture, with its own art, music, literature, etc. The approach is a mix of history, theology, archaeology, art, architecture, etc. that is intended to inform, not preach. The series clearly shows how Jews have contributed to the various civilizations where they lived, and how, in turn, the Jews benefitted from interaction with many of the different cultures where the Jewish communities were located. Yes, it also covers the pesecutions of the Jews, but it's well-balanced with positive experiences and events. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Description

"More than 10 hours of prophesy and controversy over the Bible’s most fascinating mysteries will intrigue you again and again in this best-selling, value-priced six DVD collection.Disc 1: The Exodus Revealed – The Search for the Red Sea Crossing is one of the most famous miracles of the Old Testament.After 3,000 years, new evidence found on the floor of the Red Sea is one of the most significant archaeological "finds" of the century.Others include the discovery of evidence of the actual location of Mt. Sinai.Extra Features: Cecil B. DeMille’s Exodus, Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus?, Where Are the Ten Commandments?, and more! Disc 2: Follow the great journey of Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, to atone for the sins of her son.In uncovering the holy places once touched by Jesus, she became an early example of humility, faith, and sacrifice.Ben Kingsley narrates this fascinating journey retracing the steps of Jesus.Extra Feature: King of Kings -a melodic musical celebration of the life and land of Jesus. Disc 3: The 2,000-year old Dead Sea Scrolls have intrigued and mystified the world since their discovery more than fifty years ago by a shepherd boy.Questions and curiosities over its creation are answered in this compelling and revealing program, fascinating you with its secrets and bringing you closer to the truth than ever before.Disc 4: In the fascinatingly prophetic Jesus and the Shroud of Turin, Secondo Pia’s early photograph of the burial cloth used to cover the body of Christ following his Crucifixion revealed a shocking discovery: the appearance of a photographic negative of the face and body of Christ!This program examines the most celebrated and controversial artifact in the history of Christianity, which will both challenge skeptics and strengthen the faith of believers.Disc 5: The Bible’s view of the hereafter is embraced by more people today than by any other generation in history – 72% of Americans!Heaven Our Eternal Home examines the histories of heaven and hell and how they came to be, revealing their spiritual mysteries and physical characteristics.Disc 6: Discover the mystery and prophesy behind the 8 Gates of Jerusalem, where Christian history began and where many believe it will end.Narrated by Richard Kiley, you’ll discover why millions around the world are watching the Golden Gate, believing it holds the key to the future of history." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Thought provoking if nothing else
I show the Shroud of Turin video to my Bible History class as well as the Gates of Jerusalem (both are very good), The Exodus Revealed video attempts to make a case that the Red Sea crossing took place - not in the Gulf of Suez - but in the Gulf of Aqaba. I'm not convinced but there is 'some' evidence - interesting to say the least. The Dead Sea Scrolls video is an outstanding overview. I've not seen the other two videos, yet.

Proof of the Bible Truths
Here is real evidence that the mysteries of the Bible actually happened! The Shroud of Turan even tells what blood type Jesus had. The Exodus shows the golden wheel from Pharos Chariott. These films are fantastic!! Don't miss these wonderful scientific findings of the history of the world!!! If you have any doubts about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or the events in the Bible, you wont after you see these! God Bless You in your search for truth :-) ... Read more

Description

Between the fall of Rome and the European voyages of discovery, few events were more significant than the rise of Islam. Within a few centuries, the Islamic empires blossomed, projecting their power from Africa to the East Indies, and from Spain to India. Inspired by the words of the Prophet Muhammed, and led by caliphs and sultans, this political and religious expansion remains unequaled in speed, geographic size and endurance.

Islam: Empire of Faith is narrated by Academy Award®-winning actor Ben Kingsley. The three-hour program tells the spectacular story of the great sweep of Islamic power and faith during its first 1,000 years ‹ from the birth of the Prophet Muhammed to the peak of the Ottoman Empire under the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent. Historical re-enactments and a remarkable exposition of Islamic art, artifacts and architecture are combined with interviews of scholars from around the world to recount the rise and importance of early Islamic civilization. Increasingly, scholars and historians are recognizing the profound impact that Islamic civilization has had on Western culture and the course of world history. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Excellent but incomplete
First, the good news: ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH does an apparently excellent job of what it sets out to do, which is to show the rise, spread, and maturing strength of Islamic faith and culture. It is wonderfully documented and illustrated, giving the viewer a sense of "being there," thereby engendering a true appreciation for these societies and their historical development. If for no other reason than viewing the many pieces of Muselim art and architecture, and being confronted with the intellectual accomplishments of Muslim culture, these videos are worth their price.

Now the less-than-good news: The omissions and incompleteness of the presentation make it almost appear to have been produced for the purpose of trumpeting the superiority of Muslim society over all others. First of all, the small and select group of scholarly commentators and brevity of comments excludes any debate about the relative value of the events and ideas presented and/or other possible interpretations. Secondly, this presentation shows an all-too-obvious condescending attitude toward medieval "Christian" Europe and its "Dark Ages," which were not nearly so long as is often supposed. At the same time, it only very softly admits the fact that Islam was spread primarily by warfare for several centuries, while harshly criticizing the Christian Crusaders who attacked Islamic strongholds intermittently for nearly two centuries.

Thirdly, while concluding the presentation at the height of Ottoman power in Asia and Europe shows a glorious point of culmination of Islam as an empire, it fails to address some important questions: It fails to answer why the Ottomans in particular and Islamic civilization in general fell into extended cultural decline by the late sixteenth century--just when several Western European nations were expanding in strength and commerce. As a result, it fails to address the question of what can happen within a religious group during a period of decline, as has been the case with every religion at some points in time. Finally, it fails to connect the glorious cultural past of Islam to its developments in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which would be very helpful to modern viewers. But then again, perhaps these matters were beyond the range of the project.

So . . . this is an excellent and helpful video for what it does, but it desperately needs a sequel.

a splendid overview
This is a well made series of three forty-minute films charting the history of Islam from the time of Mahomet to the early Ottoman Empire (in the 17th century). It dispels many myths, and shows that at a time when Christendom was in the Dark Ages, the Sufis were disseminating knowledge throughout Islam from the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. The West owes many things to the Sufi cultivation of knowledge - mathematics, anatomy, optics, the scientific method (borrowed by Roger Bacon), quarantine (and the hospital), cataract surgery, paper, and the Greek Classical texts that kick-started the Renaissance.

In the Moorish Empire in Spain, Cordoba was the glory of the world by the time of the Norman conquest. It had running water and a sewage system, as well as libraries full of books when Christian monasteries were proud to have half a dozen.

The documentary includes footage of several stunning mosques including that of Cordoba and the beautiful Alhambra. It is a revelation for anyone brought up in a country where the only mention of Islam is the Crusaders' attacks upon Palestine. Or the misapprehension that women are forced to wear veils in all Muslim cultures.

Ben Kingsley narrates, and historical scenes are well recreated. In the present anti-Muslim climate this is a good teaching aid. Excellent!

Dumb, dumb, dumb!
Since this video was created by an Islamic charitable organization currently being investigated by the U.S. gov't, I decided to watch it.
It's very a amateurish production. The copyright is 1995 but the graphics look like something from 1985. The interviews are rather dull. Hakeem Olajuwon, basketball player, tells us in a monotone voice that Islam is the answer to America's problems --- however he does not elaborate on exactly what America's problems are or how Islam will solve them. A Catholic nun who converted to Islam talks about women's rights in Islam. She tells us that when she walks down the street in her headscarf, "nobody bothers me!" (as if men bothering women has anything to do with what women are wearing -- it certainly doesn't in Saudi Arabia where women are forced to cover up from head to toe in black tent-like garments, and yet the police still have to round up groups of men and flog them for harrassing women). She also says that "30 years ago" women in the West decided to demand their rights (although the first Women's Rights Convention in America was in Seneca Falls, NY, 1848) while Islamic women were given rights many centuries ago. This too is a fallacy considering that Jesus placed no special restrictions upon Christian women, but Mohammad placed many, many restrictions upon Muslim women. She seems a little confused about the distinction between rights given by a religion and rights given by a government entity. Take a look at the daily lives of women in Islamic countries versus women in Western countries and you can easily see who has rights and who doesn't. John Esposito also gives an interview although nothing he said was particularly memorable. An Islamic cleric halting admits that "there are some problems in Islamic nations." The entire video comes off as a "why my religion is better than your religion" sermon --- and fails miserably. It probably would not be too difficult to find a better video on Islam.

UP IN FLAMES
The producers of this one-sided documentary would like to have us think that medieval Muslims were completely open-minded thinkers as opposed to their European counterparts, who are made out to look like fanatical, ignorant barbarians here. This concept could not be farther from the truth. But what I found particulary annoying was that a great part of this politically correct program was spent on Islam's "contribution" to preserving Greek learning, yet nothing (I mean zero, nada) was ever mentioned about the destruction of the great Alexandrian Library by Arab invaders in the 7th century. Anything stored in there that was considered by Muslim zealots as having been remotely heretical against the newly-founded religion was put to the torch. For example, of the 70 or so plays written by the Greek playwright Aeschylus, all of which were housed in the library, only 7 survived the fire. Only 18 of Euripides' 92 plays are available to us today, thanks to Muslim conquerors, and, again, only 7 out of 113 by Sophocles! And just how bad was the damage? Well, to quote Carl Sagan on the subject: "It is a little as if the only surviving works of a man named William Shakespeare were CORIOLANUS and A WINTER'S TALE, but we had heard that he had written certain other plays, unknown to us but apparently prized in his time, works entitled HAMLET, MACBETH, JULIUS CAESAR, KING LEAR, A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM, and ROMEO AND JULIET."

But wait, those were only the works of heathen playwrights that were incinerated. Medieval Muslims were great scientific thinkers who wanted to discover the mysteries of the universe. Certainly they would never have done away with the studies of other great scientists, even if they were "infidels", right? Not so. Also destroyed in the fire were most of the works by the ancient astronomer Aristarchus, who taught (many centuries before the word Muslim was even conceived) that the sun did not revolve around the earth, but vice versa.

Perhaps it's best not to know exactly what else was forever lost in the destruction of the Alexandrian Library. Simply writing this review is giving me a knot in my stomach. But however painful history may be to take at times, I believe it's a responsible historian's duty to teach the public the truth and not be one-sided so as not to upset the group of people who may be the main focus of the topic. By the way, the 2 stars are for the little extra bonus documentary on Islamic architecture, which I think was beautifully photographed. Peace, bro.

Quite good and quite biased
First the good. This DVD is incredibly beautiful and Kingsley's voice is absolutely marvelous, he should narrate more documentaries. The grand sweep of Islamic history is presented in a succinct and eloquent manner, with accompanying visuals that are captivating. The story begins in the 6th century CE with the message of Muhammad's strict monotheism. Struggling to gain a foothold in Arabia, he eventually is victorious, conquers Mecca and gains thousands of followers. In one of the most spectacular rises of civilization in the history of man, Islam spreads its faith for thousands of miles from Western Europe to Central Asia. Muhammad's message is simple and profound, he unites the various Arab tribes into one cohesive group under the banner of one God, smashing idols and reciting God's words along the way. Muhammad co-opted one of the greatest innovations of man: the immense power of monotheism and its ability to unite disparate groups of people under a common polity and society. The new Arabic empire spreads rapidly throughout the peninsula, the Levant, Egypt, the Maghrib, Spain, Persia.

There is absolutely no doubt that Islamic civilization during the Middle Ages was spectacular, rich, and more advanced than European civilization. They preserved Greek philosophy and expanded upon it, developed geometry and discovered trigonometry, and adapted Indian numerals to a decimal system, greatly advancing mathematics. Art and architecture under the empire was simply stunning, breathtakingly beautiful. Muslims also developed an anatomy that was used for centuries afterward by Europe, discovered inoculation and formed the precursor to modern hospitals. The Islamic empire was so rich and powerful it became a great threat to Christian Europe, who responded with the Crusades. Over one hundred years of conflict ensues in the Levant, until Saladin re-conquers and ends the Crusading campaigns. The account of the Crusades is short, and not historically complete. It is also quite biased in its presentation of details.

The rise and spread of the Ottoman Empire is narrated in the third installment. Their power, spread into Europe, their great architecture, and their antagonism with the Iranian Safavid Empire are all included. By far the best part of this DVD is its telling of the life of Suleyman the Magnificent. He was certainly an extraordinary ruler and he receives his due attention in this documentary.

Now the bad. This production is quite biased, sometimes subtly in its choice of pictures, other times not so subtly in its choice of language. What you will not hear about is the gruesome nature of the Arabic conquest. While, according to this documentary the Muslims were led by a noble faith in God, the truth is many people were slaughtered in the conquests. Many thousands of Zoroastrian Persians were slaughtered; the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were allowed to maintain their faith, but were subject to a special Muslim toll tax that did not apply to Muslims. They also were not allowed to proselytize, and their legal testimony was not as valid as their Muslim overlords. Many people were given only three options: conversion, death, or slavery. All peoples have conquered and slaughtered the Other; neither Muslims nor Christians are exempt from such behavior. Nonetheless, some Christians received more toleration than they had had under the Byzantine Empire. But the fact of the matter is that modern religious toleration was birthed in the European Enlightenment, not in the Middle East or West Asia. Muslims did develop much philosophy and learning, however many of the scholars working in Cordoba and Baghdad were Jews and Christians, albeit studying in peaceful cooperation with the Muslims. Paper was discovered via Chinese slaves brought into the empire, and the slave trade formed an integral part of the economy of the Muslim lands. Although Muslims did not invent slavery, which has been around since the dawn of civilization, they did innovate the African slave trade. Several times we hear about Europe "languishing in the Dark Ages". No serious historian uses the term Dark Ages anymore, as the past decades have revealed a much more complex and intellectually interesting history. The term has been abandoned for the more appropriate Middle Ages, being as it is the bridge between the ancient and modern worlds.

A great oversight is its short shrift of Iran. Iran is one of the centers of Islamic civilization, the center of Shiism, and a complex and interesting culture. The glory of the Safavid Empire and the beauty of its capital Isfahan are briefly mentioned, but there is no word on Shah Abbas, Iran's ruler at the height of this empire.

Also, this DVD focuses on politics, not religion. You will not gain a deep understanding of the myriad forms of Islamic faith in this documentary, certainly a key point of interest for some individuals. The Sufi dervishes were only very briefly mentioned, which is a shame because Sufism is a fascinating expression of Islamic mysticism, looked at with great suspicion by more conservative Muslims. Neither will you hear much detail about the schism between the Sunni and Shiites. The roots of this split are told, but the theological differences are not discussed. It was the development of Shiism that was a great impetus for the conversion of the Zoroastrian Persians to Islam, as it incorporated Zoroastrian ideas, merging the Saoshyant with the Hidden Imam to be revealed in later times.

So, it's biased, but extremely beautiful and informative. This could have been a four or five star documentary, but because of its political correctness it gets three. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A superb visual treatment of the Bible!
If you enjoy A&E style documentaries, and want to learn more about some of the greatest Biblical mysteries, then you need to watch this series. Four topics are covered: 1)Great Mysteries 2)Angels 3)Heaven and Hell 4)Herod the Great. Each episode is lavishly produced on location in the Holy Land, and the footage is stunning. Additionally, many Biblical scholars are interviewed, and much insight can be gained on each of these subjects.

This DVD series is a must-see! ... Read more

Description

The Bible is certainly the most mysterious book ever created.The Scriptures are filled with hundreds of curious passages that have puzzled both Jews and Christians for thousands of years.In this powerful, faith-building video, respected author Grant Jeffrey takes the viewer on a journey of mystery and revelation while unconvering deep truths found in the Word of God.Key topics include: The Mystery of "Three Days and Three Nights" and Christ's Resurrection; The Mystery of the Virgin Birth and the Star of Bethlehem; The Fall of the Walls of Jericho; Ancient Egyptian Manuscript Confirms the 10 Plagues of Exodus; Joshua's Long Day; Why Christians Worship on Sunday and much more! ... Read more

Description

For 2000 years, it has stood as the ultimate expression of mankind's spirituality, even as its enigmas and mysteries have baffled scholars and intrigued the faithful. What are the facts behind the legendary figures and fabled stories of the Bible? From Michael and Gabriel to the fall of Satan, explore the amazing stories of some of the Bible's most fascinating figures. Episodes: Biblical Angels, King Herod, Heaven and Hell, The Bible's Greatest Secrets. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Facts and/ or Faith, Don't Miss this !
This series available in dvd (along with Mysteries of the Bible-2-Pack) is the best, objective study of biblical history/archaelogical fact I've ever found. Years ago I bought the entire 3 sets on vhs and was spurred thereafter to search longingly for answers to biblical questionable events.I must repeat,if you're a truth searcher, don't miss this. Comment: the editorial review for this incorrectly describes Mysteries of the Bible-2-pack, giving the same review for both sets...it pays to check the customers reviews

Heroes
This 2 disc set chronicles the lives and mysteries surrounding Abraham, Joseph, King David and Jesus. Through use of biblical references and actual historical facts the veiwer gets to know these heroic figures better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From America's documentarian Ken Burns (The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz) comes this intimate portrait of a "serene creed" whose members considered themselves America's "chosen people." They called themselves the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, but because of their ecstatic dancing, they are more popularly known as the Shakers. Its members put their "hands to work and their hearts to God," creating a legacy of fine and priceless furniture and magnificent architecture. A model for the world's utopians, the Shakers believed in social, economic, and spiritual equality, and in pacifism, feminism, and joyful personal worship. They also believed in celibacy, which is why, when Burns filmed this in 1989, there were but a dozen Shakers left in America. On-location footage, contemporary interviews with historians and present and former members, and dramatic voice-overs culled from diaries create a moving portrait of the Shakers and "[keep] the light shining bright." --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent documentary that left me wanting more
Ken Burns brings his inimitable style and "emotional archaeology" to one of the most fascinating and least understood religious sect in American history.

I love the images and the sweeping scope of the narration. But that is where I have to fault the film -- I don't think it goes deep enough. Some of the most engaging images and topics are treated with only a cursory touch. I wanted to hear and learn much more.

Unlike Burns' later work, this film actually felt a bit rushed in places.

As a primer on the Shakers, this film is virtually peerless, but I'm afraid it had me asking more questions than it answered. Still and all, it is beautiful and compelling.
****1/2

Excellent Documentary
This Shakers documentary is well done - although not long enough or detailed as I had hoped. Even so, the information presented is more than sufficient to give the viewer an understanding of the who the Shakers are and were. As a religious sect a little more than two hundred years old and dying like the Puritans and other religious experiments, there really is not much to tell about the Shakers. Hence brevity is appropriate - since added minor details might detract from the documentary.

As a person who tries to understand the origin of art, music, song, poetry, and literature I was curious about the Shakers because of Aaron Copland's piece in Applachian Spring. The music reflected a simpler time and slower pace than the technological rat race Americans know today. This film shows Shakers had the right idea of an elementary communal life style uncomplicated by unneeded private possessions. It is interesting to note that the subtitle "Hands To Work, Hearts To God" is exactly what is expressed by Catholic monks like the Benedictines and Cistercians whose theme of "Work and Prayer" is the foundation of their monasteries.

Good, but what about the Socialisim references?
This video was helpful in my studies of the Communial Communities that sprung up around the US in the advent of our country. However, I was unhappy that the director omitted the fact that these communities depict early socialist ideals. It is important in the understanding of where American Socialist movements began or where their inspiration may have come from. I recommend this movie if you are looking for religous movement info or insight on the first religous "Great Awakenning" that took place in the US.

Not worth the time!
Although this video does contain some interesting photos andmusic, it's attributes end there. As a historical work it ismisleading at best by perpetuating uninformed myths andstereotypes. He does nothing to really explore the foundations ofShaker spirtuality, which gathered thousands to Shaker Villages fromMaine to Kentucky. He neglects to give the viewer a true insight toMother Ann and the Church that she brought to America. But ratherfocuses on the temporal by products of their faith (furniture,architecture, and the like). Worst of all Mr. Burns leaves theviewer with the incorrect notion that the Shakers are about tovanish. A total misrepresentation of the facts. The community atSabbathday Lake contuines to grow and is excited about thefuture. Even at the time this video was made several new coverts hadrecently joined the community at Sabbathday Lake. It seems odd thatMr. Burns would leave such an important detail out of hisdocumentary. Or maybe editorial is a better word. The BBC did videoon the Shakers in 1990, 4 years after the Burns video. It is stillavalable, and will give you a much better picture of the Shakers pastand PRESENT.

Well done documentary on an interesting topic
While I was watching this documentary by myself (the fam is more into action packed dramas), my hubby stuck his head in the door, became interested in this video on Shakers and watched most of it with me.

Now *that's* an endorsement!

It is a very well done piece with some amazing insights into the day to day life of Shakers, with many interesting tidbits about their history and American history.

They were an ultra-strict group and they strove for perfection in everything they did. Some of the tidbits I enjoyed most - a woman Shaker is credited with inventing the circular saw and Shakers are also credited with the invention of the clothes pin.

Shakers were devoted, devout, quiet, principled and deeply religious people. Above all, they were highly disciplined, rising at 4:30 each morning to begin prayers and chores.

I highly recommend this video - even if you have only a passing interest in Shakers. It is a compelling documentary. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

If you want to learn Islam. do some where else
The video is a sole propaganda against Islam by the producton house which made it.
They dont even admit that Muhammad ( Peace be upon Him ) was a prophet.
Its totally baseless and useless effort. looks like a work of fiction then history.

Hmmm strange and misleading facts!
I would not recommend this video to anyone who wants to hear the truth. Mohammed never read the bible or anyother holy book as he was illiterate and coudnot read a single word, besides The Quran has alot of scientific facts that the world has just disovered, so how did Mohammed knew about it 1400 years ago?
If you want to know the real Islam, and educate yourself the right way, then this is not the documentary you wanna buy!

mostly propoganda by the West
This pro-Islamic western account does not do Islam Justice. It doesnt examine the inner meaning of the Koran nor does it look at the true similarities between Judaism and Islam, namely burial practices, circumcision, diet and dress.

Unfortunatly the film is meant to be viewed by westerners who want to convert, it is not an objective account of a religion that totally mystifies so many.

Probably the only accurate part of the documentary is the fact that Mohomed learned religion from the Jews and Christians. Mohomed set down to create the Koran as a new new testament, building on the flaws he saw in the Jewish and Christian Faiths. THis movie explains how his intractions with Jewish and Christian tribes heped him form a theology that married both(incorporating the life of jesus but the laws of Judaism).

Unfortunatly the documentary leaves out some essential history of Islam. It doesnt discuss the controverisal elements of the Koran that command men to 'Jihad' and the parts of the Koran that are sued to justify the suppression of women. It doesnt shed light on the enslavemend and killing of non-Muslims.

All in all this documentary lake almost all the ones that you can find is biased and not accurate, better to go buy some books on the subject.

Great Mistake
The video does make a mistake in caying that Muhammad learnt religion from christians and jews. It does go into history of islam and the caliphates. A good intro to the topic. The prophet Mohamed Peace upon to him didn't learn from Jews and Christians; Jews and christians of his Time didn't say anything. This video is propaganda of Jews and christians.

Intro to Muslim history
The video does make a mistake in caying that Muhammad learnt religion from christians and jews. It does go into history of islam and the caliphates. A good intro to the topic. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

not very informative, more interpretive than factual
i watched these movies hoping to learn some factual information about the stories of the bible. instead it was more like church preaching with faith based statements. the testamonies seemed uninformed and did not offer much. good movies for sunday school, but a horrible reference for study.

Dissapointing
The good thing about this box set is the price! That's about it. I wanted a deep and detailed documentary about the events advertised on the box, and I came away feeling that I had learned nothing. The acting is amateur but that isn't important to me. The critics demonstrated baffling ignorance, and the researchers interviewed seemed to offer only trite sound-bites. Its a pity that so much wonderful research has been done on this subject by so many people, to which this series seems to not even scratch the surface. A more accurate description for this box set would be - "Beginners guide to famous Bible events"

In Fact, A Very Good Study
While many like to heckle science if it doesn't back up a Humanistic view of the world, these DVD's will be a very helpful addition to anyone's collection. It shows good solid proofs for many of the ancient events recorded in the earliest parts of the Bible while giving detractors a voice. It's so funny that when good science is done it's called bad, but when bad science is done it's called good. Fortunetly (besides the more then 2000 years of attacks upon it) the stories of the Bible prove true.

Don't bother with people who give a silly one star rating with useless and biased comments like this: "Amateurish, dubious archelogical references, this collection is poorly performed, edited, and researched. The bible stories are typically traditional. All in all, nothing new and intellectually painful viewing. I recommend Mysteries of the Bible for substance." You can tell by the rhetorical tone of their writing that their lying and are the ones with bad research. Everything in the show's are scientifically verifiable and the top scientists (who aren't Anti-Christian) in their fields confirm the findings, even if they aren't Christians.

Excellent and Intriguing
This box set of 5 dvds actually contains 10 episodes, all about how modern science backs up the Bible. The series also visits counterviews to provide balanced arguments. You'll have your faith strengthened by this intriguing look at the ancient secrets of the Bible.

You know you want them all
You can look up the individual reviews. Of course some individual titles will go out of stock. Others may not be your favorite. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to compare various stories. This is not an evaluation of the content. A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. With the advent of multiple DVD changers you will be able to keep Secrets ready at a moments notice. Buying them individually can be expensive. Dive right in and buy the collection. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

GREAT Book Short Documentary
The book is great. The documentary was short but gave a lot to think about that was hard to concive from the book. I do not own the Dvd's but i watched them before. The documentary was great. Both my family and I watched the Dvd and thought them great. Every one needs watch this. But the books are better.

Rip off
The code of the bible?

After watching what the so called "code" is, you'll be disapointed after knowing that it is not that espectacular and the same result can be found on books such as moby dick.

It was something to think about?
When I was first asked to review this DVD by a friend I wanted to decline, but watched it anyway. It was my personal opinion that you can make anything say anything if you try hard enough.
The impression that I got afterward was that there were some very genuine people out there with far more expertise than I have in encoding and mathmatics that had found something extraordinary within the Hebrew text. So I have have elevated my opinion somewhat. There is no way I am going to be able to understand fully encryption methods..and debunkers use people's inability to grasp the mathematic concepts as a way to blast the whole thing.
I figure "out of the mouth of two or three witnesses" (add credible to that) all things will be established. These people seem competent, sincere, and not glory hounds, so I am left to think about it and wish that it would be indeed provable and acceptable in the scientific community. I would love theology and science to come together on something!
Over all if a DVD gives me ANYTHING to think about it is good. It is short documentary...and doesn't need two DVD's to show, but I didn't regret the time viewing it.

Great subject, poor production value...
This DVD, as a documentary, is very poor - conceptually and technically. First the mundane details: It appears as a "box set" with 2 DVD's, but each one of them only contains 45 minutes with none of the usual "bonus". The film itself is very unbalanced, promising way more the it delivers and mixing solid scientific research with some very questionable messianic claims. The subject itself is fascinating. Watch the DVD if you have to, but your time would be better spent reading the original book by Michael Drosnin...

GQ: What's your Gullibilty Quotient?
Another product milking the discredited psuedo-science of numerology, but if you're the uncritical, airy-fairy type that believes in whatever comes down the pike, you'll probably be slack-jawed in amazement throughout Secrets of the Bible Code Revealed.

Want to distance yourself from pseudo-scientific thinking? Pick up a copy of Sagan's Demon-Haunted World or this month's Skeptic or Skeptical Inquirer magazine. ... Read more