We recently subscribed to History International, a cable channel that happened to come with the package that included TCM that I was wanting to get so I could catch up on some older movies that I’ve never seen. (I’ve got Rashomon and one of my favorite movies ever, 12 Angry Men, waiting on the ol’ Tivo to be watched.)
I was excited to get History International, as it has some programs I’ enjoy watching that you can’t get on the regular History channel. And it hasn’t disappointed.
A couple of nights ago, I caught a fascinating show called “The Naked Archaeologist”. Less titilating than it sounds, it’s about a guy named Simcha Jacobovici, a documentary producer and director, who tackles a different issue about Biblical archaeology each week.
Now, I know what you’re saying. You’re saying “Biblical archaeology? Bor. Ing.” And you might be right-it’s not for everyone. But if it’s a subject you’ve even found mildly interesting at some point, you will probably enjoy this program.
The two episodes I caught were about the oldest evidence of a person with Leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) and whether or not there were Christians at Masada, which I found particularly interesting and a concept I’d never really pondered before.
His History International page says he…
“asks the questions we all want to know the answers to: Why is it so bad to be called a Philistine? Was Jezebel really that sexy? What do you do when you find a 2,000-year-old palace under your house? And where do you stop for a good falafel when you’re on your way to find the real Mount Sinai?”
I’ve not caught his shows on any of these subjects, but I’m very much looking forward to them.
The only drawback to the program is that it’s only a half-hour long. I find myself wishing there were a little more to each episode-it’s already jam packed with really fascinating ideas.
The Angie. 