This ambitious series reveals new finds in biblical archaeology. But there’s more to the story

While Land of the Bible offers Christian unearths beauty in a broken land, it also sidesteps the obvious political tensions in the Holy Land today. Viewers should be aware this is as much a promotion for tourism to Israel as it is an insight into biblical archaeology, says Chris Sinkinson

The explanations are more focused on tour guides than archaeologists. Space isn’t given to problems in interpreting the evidence or controversy over methods. For example, tunnelling is generally frowned upon in contemporary archaeology. However, the lengths that the Israeli archaeological teams have gone to stabilise the tunnels are very impressive and go some way to address those concerns. The explanations in the film are accurate, based on reliable scholarship, but don’t provide any alternative perspectives. 

The elephant in the room, both for scholarship and for tourism, are the on-going political tensions. The films focus on archaeology in the contemporary state of Israel but include more controversial locations like Hebron, Shiloh and Erfat. Any tourist would want to think very carefully about planning a trip to those sites.

Watching them, you quickly realise these films are not documentaries but promotional material to encourage tourism to return to Israel. 

There is an acknowledgement of Christian and Islamic history but the focus is very much on the origins and presence of Judaism in the land. This leads to a perspective that offers little space for understanding the present crisis. Indeed, the reference to modern Jewish settlements in Hebron and Erfat as possible tourist destinations is made without acknowledging their location in what is called West Bank. A naïve visitor could plan a trip without realising that they will be encountering significant military checkpoints along the way.