The Bible Collection

“The Bible Collection,” produced by Turner Home Entertainment, is a wonderful collection of Biblically accurate videos. Each of the five videos brings the Bible to life, portraying the characters as real people with real emotions and real difficulties.

• “Abraham”, starring Richard Harris and Barbara Hershey (150 minutes), begins with Abraham wrestling with the decision to leave his family behind in Ur. Throughout the movie we are shown the true depth of his struggles in trying to lead life pleasing to God.

• “Joseph”, starring Ben Kingsely, Paul Mercurio, Martin Landau and Lesley Ann Warren (185 minutes), follows Joseph from his trying childhood to his ulimately triumphant life as Pharoah’s governor. Joseph’s trials are portrayed with real emotion, as are his opportunities for revenge.

• “Jacob”, starring Matthew Modine, Laura Flynn Boyle, Irene Papas and Giancarlo Giannini (94 minutes) shows Jacob as the cunning younger twin of Esau. Jacob is himself outfoxed by his uncle after working seven long years for his bride-to-be. Deception and favoritism follow Jacob throughout his life, and this movie.

• “Moses”, starring Ben Kingsley, Frank Langella, Christopher Lee and Anna Geliena (184 minutes), begins with Moses' birth and trip down the Nile and follows him, and the children of Israel, to the banks of the Jordan River. This movie is particularly enlightening for those of us raised on The Ten Commandments. Unlike its predecessor, “Moses” does not stray from Biblical text, but accurately portrays very human characters.

• “Samson and Delilah”, starring Dennis Hopper, Eric Thal and Elizabeth Hurley (182 minutes), completes this collection. Once again the Scriptures come to life in a very real and convincing manner. The most romantic of the collection, “Samson and Delilah” also graphically brings the Bible to life with lessons that are very relavant to the world in which we live.

In each movie careful attention is taken to recreate life as it would have been for the characters in the Bible, adding a richness to these familiar stories that has been long overdue. Ancient customs, dress and lifestyles are accurately portrayed giving us a fascinating glimpse into the Old Testament.

Any of these videos, or the complete collection, would be a marvelous addition to any video library.