Bible Battles (2005 TV Movie) User Reviews (2)

Intriguing look at biblical military history

[ulfhirtha · 8/10 · 26 May 2006]

Abraham and Moses...not only spiritual leaders but generals as well. A fascinating look at the state of military tactics and technology in the biblical era. The analysis of the conflicts described in the Bible from a historical/military perspective helps bring to life that portion of the text. it also offers a new appreciation of the state of affairs in Israel at the time. The additional asides on how such tales were also employed by modern commanders (Monty in WWII for example), enhances their relevance to the present day in ways more than historical or spiritual.

The film describes not only the Israelites but their chief opponents, with a description of their likely weapons and tactics. Reconstructions of combats based on the biblical descriptions help bring alive this look at a people in a strategic & economically important area awash in conflict with their neighbors. Definitely recommended viewing for a look at just what parts of the biblical texts may be describing when it speaks of the battles of Saul or Gideon's raid.

Frustrating for christians AND skeptics

[prizm4 · 1/10 · 3 April 2011]

These types of documentaries are the most frustrating of all, for both christians AND skeptics.

God is taken out of the equation as 'scholars' attempt to theorize other reasons for God's supposed miracles. For example, an easterly wind was blowing and that's what caused the tide of the "Reed" sea (sic) to recede and allow Moses to cross. Aside from failing to explain why they call it the "Reed" sea, even though the Bible says "Red" and there's evidence that Red and Reed were one and the same, their theories smack of poor investigation and poor scriptural exegesis. Instead of trying to mold God's miracles into some humanistic explanation, how about getting to the point and discussing whether the crossing actually occurred at all? Or discussing the total lack of evidence there is of Israelites wandering around in the desert for 40 years?

It's like wasting all your time theorizing the physics of whether Zeus could actually throw lighting bolts, instead of getting to the point that the evidence shows he likely doesn't exist in the first place.

Why dismiss God's actions in the biblical story, yet accept the rest of the scripture as gospel truth?

At the end of the day, this type of documentary helps no one. Skeptics are not provided with sound evidence against the biblical stories, and christians are not provide with any honest evidence that their stories are true.

I stopped watching this documentary part-way through, it was just awful.