Controversy surrounding the Shroud of Turin.
Possible causes and connections between events in the Book of Exodus.
Exploring the history and religious significance of the Israelites' Ark of the Covenant, a chest built at Moses' behest (and first mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 25:16). It is said to contain testimony of God's pact with the Jews and the tablets holding the Ten Commandments. Solomon placed the Ark in the Temple at Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:6-9), but it has been missing since the Babylonians destroyed the temple in 586 B.C. This hour includes speculation as to what might have happened to it.
Tracing the history of the Knights Templar, the medieval military and monastic order founded in the early 12th century in the wake of the First Crusade. The Templars flourished under papal protection for almost 200 years, but were dissolved in 1312 by Pope Clement V after they ran afoul of the king of France. The hour also addresses speculation that the order operated later as a secret society, an idea that gained attention in recent years as a result of the popularity of “The Da Vinci Code.”
A report on sinful cities in the Bible focusing on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Joshua's victory at Jericho, as related in the Book of Genesis. The hour looks into whether these cities ever actually existed or whether the biblical accounts are simply moral fables.
Exploring some of the teachers who competed with early Christianity. Among them: Simon Magus, a Gnostic contemporary of Jesus from Samaria, who's mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles; and Apollonius of Tyana, a 1st-century Greek philosopher who was a disciple of Pythagoras. Also: Mithraism, a Persia-based religion.
Scientific tests attempt to determine whether a stone called King Solomon's Tablet is authentic.