The Bible Rules (2014)

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.