The so-called “epic” about the Bible on the History Channel continues to stumble along, muddle along, flail away, all the time chock full of errors, mistakes, fiction, made up stories, etc. It is a sad commentary on the use of TV to educate, when all this crap does is give people a semi-literate (with emphasis on the “semi” part) view of the Bible as it is found in any modern translation. As a skeptic, I am offended – highly offended and upset.
In the beginning of part 2, Joshua was going after the innocent Canaanites, who were ultimately slaughtered as per the Bible in Joshua 6:21. This is further confirmed in Joshua 10:40. And don’t believe me the skeptic, go and check it out for yourself.
This means that the TV Bible show did not note that Joshua killed all in the city, including old men, old women, the infirm, the disabled, babies, young women, pregnant women, etc. It is a shame that the TV show left out this little tidbit of Godly cruelty and depravity in Jericho along with 30 plus other Canaanites cities.
It also did not mention the killing of Achan’s innocent children in the theft by Achan of gold, silver and a robe, “stolen from God.” The kids did not have anything to do with their father’s crime, but they died as per God’s orders.
Then skipping even more, we go on to Samson and Delilah with her deception, learning that Samson’s prodigious strength came from his uncut hair. She prods him into revealing his secret and then arranges to have his hair cut and him blinded. Of course, the Bible mentions shaving his head, but the director of this butchered TV example of the Bible story only shows him with his braids cut short. I guess that they could not bother to read the real Bible story on which they are basing their TV shots.
In the Bible, it notes that Samson gets his revenge (or the Lord’s revenge) when he is taken out of prison to the temple of the Philistines god Dagon. Of course, the Philistines were not aware that by then his hair had grown back and that he had regained his strength. In the Bible story (the one we are supposed to be following) Samson is close enough to the temple pillars to place one hand on each of the two central pillars and push them down, killing his captors and himself.
And in an effort for truth in advertising in this column, you can check this out for yourself by reading Judges 16:25-30. Isn’t it a shame that the writers and directors of this TV movie “epic” did not have the time, interest or concern for accuracy to check out the original source – the Bible.
In the TV show, Samson runs from one pillar to the others, since they were too far away to reach with his hands.
Again, it is a shame that they did not get consummate film maker Ken Burns to make this five part so-called Bible series “documentary.” Burns, with his expertise from doing the excellent Civil War series, could have certainly saved this disaster and made it into something interesting, palatable and accurate.
As it stands and as a skeptic, I am highly offended!
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