Review for Riddles Of The Bible - Series 2

Riddle of the Bible is almost like Mythbusters for religion with a mix of Time Team and with Series 2 it is a continuation of this theme with a look at the scientific and archeological evidence behind some of the best known Biblical stories.

With four episodes all over forty minutes we get to see a lot of evidence and recreation of some important events. Unlike Mythbusters, the shows' main point is not to debunk the myths, but to look for the hard facts behind them. Sadly, because of this, it does feel that there is only one side to the argument and that is 'It is true and we will prove it and ignore all the contrary evidence.' It is hard to trust what you are watching when they are holding up minute pieces of evidence to prove their points.

Kings of Isreal looks at the stories behind David and Solomon. Both are steeped in folklore and the feeling is that they existed (if they existed) in the 10th Century BC. The story of David and Goliath is discussed aswell as his son Solomon and through excavations they find much evidence to prove that someone had existed and with a few connections with Bible verses. Watching this one, you kind of get the feeling that when they were digging they expected to find a etching in Latin saying 'David/Solomon was here!'

Dead Sea Scrolls (or Scolls as the menu puts it) was one of the most important finds of the Twentieth Century. Containing every book of the Jewish Bible and the Old Testament spread over 900 pieces and still revealing many secrets to this day. Though watching this, you wonder what exactly the riddle is they were trying to uncover other than who wrote it and why?

Hunt for the Ark of the Covenant could almost have been an extra for Raiders of the Lost Ark. The golden ark was the resting place for the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and was carried by the Israelite army, winning them the Holy Land. However, after all this, it just vanished. One of the most interesting things is that the Ark has been looked for in Ireland, Utah and even Japan? This is one of the best episodes from the series as it shows them working through all the clues and evidence and though no Ark was found at the end, there is still the feeling that the quest is still ongoing.

Lost Cities is a look at the infamous destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and Jericho by God's wrath. The episode looks at the stories behind these destructions and mostly conclude that they were probably all caused by earthquakes due to the area. An interesting look at these stories and especially the falling of the walls of Jericho.

All four of these episodes are interesting to some extent. It is true that at times they are a little too dense in their findings and to anyone who had no knowledge, may be a little confused by the stories and the theories. However, the documentaries are well made with some great footage both in the reconstructions of the times and also of the reporting of the excavations and so on. Though it won't shake your faith or even clear up the mysteries fully, Riddles of the Bible it will certainly give you something to think about.