The Bible Rules

All Episodes 2014
TV-PG

  • Ended
  • #<Network:0x00007fb5fd449610>
  • 2014-03-17T02:00:00Z
  • 1h
  • 4h 18m (6 episodes)
  • United States
  • Special Interest, Documentary
Everyone knows the Bible has Ten Commandments, but there are, in fact, more than 2000 additional rules and laws in its pages. These rules govern almost every sphere of human activity, from love and war to food and drink and from how to pray to what to wear. Yet they are also a portal to the ancient world, opening a window on civilizations that vanished thousands of years ago, whether Rome, Egypt or Mesopotamia. Each rule launches an investigation into a lost landscape of history, shining a light on the way peoples in distant times lived, loved, thought and fought. For instance, if a rule warns people that “he who curses his parents should be put to death”, the show will explore the historical reality lying behind that surprising command, delving into ancient parenthood and the role of curses in that time. We find weird rules, revealing rules, curiosity-inspiring rules—and these rules, which will help us understand history, are presented in informative, surprising and reaffirming ways.

6 episodes

Series Premiere

2014-03-17T02:00:00Z

1x01 The Curse

Series Premiere

1x01 The Curse

  • 2014-03-17T02:00:00Z43m

In this episode, we explore the ways ancient people attempted to control the dark forces in their lives. The Bible rules warn people about cursing their parents, consulting wizards, breaking their promises or even wearing blended fabrics. It's a launch pad for a deep investigation into the mindset of people who walked the earth millennia ago. Did the ancients really practice child sacrifice? One rule opens a window on this almost unimaginable practice.

2014-03-24T02:00:00Z

1x02 Sex

1x02 Sex

  • 2014-03-24T02:00:00Z43m

Understanding the reality of human sexual relationships through interpretation of The Bible, Greek statues and morality rates.

2014-03-31T02:00:00Z

1x03 War

1x03 War

  • 2014-03-31T02:00:00Z43m

By deconstructing the rules about war, this episode uncovers an entire bloody landscape of divine conquest and violent retribution. You'll be amazed at what a seemingly simple command reveals about the way nations made war–and peace.

2014-04-07T02:00:00Z

1x04 Ancient Vice

1x04 Ancient Vice

  • 2014-04-07T02:00:00Z43m

The use and abuse of alcoholic beverages goes back to deepest antiquity, and so it comes as no surprise the Bible has a lot to say on the subject. Yet wine and spirits played a very different role in the ancient world than they do today. They could be both medicine and miracle, sin and salvation. In this episode, the rules lead us to a bottomless sea of information on the importance of wine and the dangers of debauchery. If you think vampires are the only creatures to drink human blood, it's time for a voyage to the ancient world.

2014-04-14T02:00:00Z

1x05 False Prophets

1x05 False Prophets

  • 2014-04-14T02:00:00Z43m

These days, most people don't worship golden idols, but it's amazing how many of the Bible rules about graven images still sound relevant. In this episode, we plunge back into a world of otherworldly gods, who had to be fed, clothed and coddled by their believers. Yet that's just the beginning of a journey that will then shoot forward into outer space to explore the possibilities of prayer on other planets. For anyone who ever asked God to determine the outcome of a football game, this investigation into the rules is a must.

2014-04-21T02:00:00Z

1x06 Ancient Slavery

1x06 Ancient Slavery

  • 2014-04-21T02:00:00Z43m

Slavery was a fact of life in the ancient world, as the Bible rules make clear. Whether in Rome or Greece, Egypt or Israel, human beings lived under bondage, but there were surprising laws in place to regulate the practice. Some slaves could automatically be freed after six years while others actually seem to have preferred the yoke. And one astonishing Bible rule tells owners they aren't allowed to hunt down escaped slaves. We follow the trail of shackles back to a world where freedom looked very different.

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