Israel: A Journey Through Time DVD

A History of Israel

Israel: A Journey Through Time DVD

Narration: The Reverend Dr. John Tweedie
Christians For Israel
Exploration Films 6 disk set
www.explorationfilms.com
Rating: No rating but could be PG 13 for Graphic Images in disks 3-5
Running Length: Each disk is 40 minutes for a total of 240 minutes

Narrated by the Reverend Dr. John Tweedie, this six-disk set takes us from the beginnings of Israel to present-day and living day-to-day with a Palestinian country next door. Each disk has a separate topic, as follows:

"From Abraham To Jesus"
"Jesus"
"Anti-Semitism"
"Aliyah (rebirth)"
"Israel In Crisis"
"What Time Is It?"

We learn in Part One about Abraham and bits of history such as, Canaan means "low land" and that Canaan was Noah's grandson, plus a point many may have forgotten, that Ruth was David's grandmother. Part Two explores the life of Jesus from the story of Ruth and Naomi through the baptism of Jesus as depicted in art work. Caesarea Philippi, from the Bible, is now the disputed Golan Heights. A highlight is visiting the stone courtyard where Peter heard the cock crow three times.

Part Three (and going through Part Five) has graphic images because of content. Part Three concerns Anti-Semitism which was first evident in the Old Testament story of Esther and Hamann, who had ordered that the Jews be destroyed. Emperor Constantine, though embracing Christianity, also caused the Jews to be ostracized. There is a section on Martin Luther's Reformation and the "new form" of Anti-Semitism as exhibited in Middle Eastern journalism. Part Four, "The Rebirth Of A Nation," begins with Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion and his speech with Israel's freedom and founding as a nation. Then we backtrack to the Diaspora, of in ancient times, with Rome burned Jerusalem and the story of the Jews at Masada. Part Five, "Israel In Crisis," is divided into two sections. One showing how Israel has prospered as a country with farming skills, enough to export around the globe, to medical research. The second section is the rise of Hamas and the description of what happens when a suicide bomber targets your business. The last section, "What Time Is It?," tells us that the Middle East was peaceful before Arafat came on the scene. After his rise to power, there was a division that has only increased through the years. What will happen in the end? Will there be peace or annihilation? The question is unanswered, but a quote has significance: "Jews send their kids to Harvard, while the other side sends their kids to paradise."

Israel: A Journey Through Time is one part of a two-part series on Israel. The other being Israel: A Journey Through Light. The Journey Through Time set is wonderfully photographed with a comparable soundtrack. Narration is easy to listen to. Information is presented to the viewer, but you can make your own opinions and conclusions. For history fans who don't travel abroad, this is a chance to view lands as described in the Bible. This DVD set could be used in a six-part discussion about Israel, Biblical history and the current Middle East situation.

Copyright 2011 Marie Asner