kimape098 I only watched the first episode (up until the Israelites were enslaved by Egypt). I would have found how dramatic everything was amusing if I wasn't so embarrassed by the film in general.I am a Christian who believes that the bible is God's word. I respect the effort to inform the masses about the bible (which is why I am giving it a 2 instead of a 1), but I thought they made the stories they chose to tell seem almost silly.I also really wish they would have represented not only the easier to digest parts of the bible but also the difficult parts, like when Lot was going to send out his daughters to be violated by the crowds surrounding the house (one of many examples of parts of the bible that are difficult to read). Not including the difficult parts makes it seem as if the the people who made the series are embarrassed by what God chose to share with us. Just because an event is portrayed in the bible doesn't necessarily mean that God approved of the actions of the people involved, but they seemed to be deliberately hiding parts of the bible that might make people uncomfortable. I also don't like that they portrayed Abraham as someone who did almost nothing wrong. The stories seemed to glorify man too much. Overall, the episode didn't seem to portray very well that God's people are sinners who often fail to obey God and be faithful, but that God is always faithful, working things out for the good of those who love him and believe his promises. And I think the fact that the episode didn't portray this makes it misleading. It confirms the misconception that God chooses people who are good because they are good, rather than being merciful on sinners (which we all are) who want mercy.Also, this is much less important than the last point, but I saw a preview of an episode with Jesus in it, and even if they weren't going to make him look Middle Eastern like he actually was, I really wish they would have made him look like ANYONE else rather than the stereotypical pretty white Jesus with the smooth brown hair, just to acknowledge that we know Jesus didn't actually look like that. I mean it doesn't have to be a big deal who plays who, because with most bible characters it's not relevant to the story what they looked like, but that stereotypical incorrect image of Jesus is just so overused....I do not recommend this series at all, to a Christian or to anyone else. Please read the bible instead.

yakovskiiii To make a film of the whole bible would take some serious budget, so with that in mind, you would need to be realistic as to what to expect. However, it does provide a gentle, yet reverent account of various Biblical references, and although not in explicit word-for-word detail, it's not offensive to me as a Christian who believes in the Bible as fact. This docudrama provides a portioned overview, but not an extensive or in depth re-telling of every single biblical truth. One 'pro' would be that it engages the unbeliever and forces them to consider the truth about God and our origins. The only 'con' would be that it lacks narrative detail which could appear slightly misleading, even if it wasn't meant to. Overall though it's not bad, but not excellent either... Worth watching though.

SnoopyStyle This 10-part History Channel miniseries is produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. They are the stories from the bible starting with God telling the childless Abraham to bring his wife Sarah and tribe to new lands yet revealed. The production is workmanlike in both the good and bad sense of the word. The product looks well-made if somewhat uninspired. There are no big name stars in the series. It may be both intentional as well as budgetary. The effects are as good as can be expected. The stories have been cleaned up a bit. The first glaring example is Lot who confronts the mob outside. "Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." I understand why that has to be cut out for modern ears. So this is not a word for word reproduction which is fine by me. The end result is that this is a reasonable distillation of the Bible. It has pace. It looks good. It doesn't shy away from the violence and the grittiness. It's a good watch for young people learning the Bible.

EmpressOfTheSea Well now, I just finished watching this series. The Old Testament is mangled beyond belief & it's only the New Testament where stories of the Bible one grows up with are actually recognizable. This is why I give it half a rating.There are too many glaringly obvious deviations of the Old Testament but the one that leaps out at me the most is: Where in the hell is King Darius? HE is the one, not Cyrus, DARIUS! who tossed Daniel to the lion's den! However, this is hard to admit but, the parting of the Red Sea effects were great, probably better than Cecil B. DeMille! (This from a huge fan of the equally mangled "The Ten Commandments" movie. I like the effects & music, but that's a different story.) As for the New Testament, while the stories are finally becoming closer to 'canon from books' the settings are not. Anyone can go to Jerusalem (in times of peace) & see for themselves that Calvary Hill is not a big plain but is in fact, just as the Bible says, a large skull-shaped chunk of rock with the ancient cross-holes & sign-placement holes still there today making out the face. It is right beside the busy bus depot. Furthermore, whatever happened to "The Garden Tomb"? Not only does it say in the Bible that the tomb was part of a garden but also, again, anyone can visit it. The agreed site of the tomb of Jesus is at the edge of a lush garden. Furthermore, the tomb is about 12 to 15 feet away from the crucifying face of Calvary Hill. (In other words, if this story happened, Jesus could look right into his future tomb while hanging on the cross.) So I'm not sure where this was filmed, but definitely not on the direct locations.So, in conclusion, while the series makes from some good effects, just like the epic Ten Commandments, it still falls short of the original stories.