What is Wrong With THE BIBLE? part 1

What Is Wrong With THE BIBLE?

     Let us start out with what is right with THE BIBLE. THE BIBLE is a new miniseries that is supposed to be based on The Bible.  It is a very good idea to produce a show of this magnitude.  The writers and producers are Catholics, and there goal is to encourage people to read their Bibles.  That being said, it is not the purpose of this essay to tear apart their work, just to compare their show with what the Scriptures really say.  When the author of this essay posted on Facebook that the miniseries would be better if they hadn’t deviated from scripture, someone commented that “there will always be critics.”  It is easy to sit back and say that they should have done this, or shouldn’t have done that.  This author is not attempting to break down, but to build up.   Since the producers of THE BIBLE have produced this to get people to read their Bibles, then this essay can be used as a guide to see how things really were in The Bible.  It is the hope and prayer of this author that people are not offended by this essay, but rather encouraged to check everything and discouraged from blind acceptance of what others teach.  All Scripture references in this essay will be quoted from The ISR version of The Scriptures 1998 edition ©2005 Institute for Scripture Research.   You will find that our Heavenly Father’s Name and His Son’s Name are written in Hebrew.

     The show starts with people on a boat during a storm.  One of the men on the boat is telling the story of creation to a girl on the boat.  The boat is poorly constructed, and leaks.  This is supposed to represent Noah and the flood.  Let us see how this reads in The Scriptures.

“ “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with tar. “And this is how you are to make it: The length of the ark is three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. “Make a window for the ark, and complete it to a cubit from above. And set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. "

(Genesis 6:14-16 The Scriptures 1998+)

These instructions do not mention tapering off the bottom like a boat, they are uniform and consistent, box-like.  Also note that this ark is covered both inside and out with tar.  This was not represented in the show.  Let’s continue reading.

 “On that same day Noaḥ and Shĕm and Ḥam and Yepheth, the sons of Noaḥ, and Noaḥ’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark, “

(Genesis 7:13 The Scriptures 1998+)

A child is not mentioned in this scripture.  It is possible that there were children that were not included in the scripture, but it is dangerous to speculate about such and add to the scripture.  After the storm ends, we see Noah climb a ladder, and walk out to the open air.  How does this compare with scripture?  We see in the above reference (Genesis 6:16) that there was a window near the top of the arc, and a door in the side which was large enough to cover all three floors of the arc,  no mention of a ladder leading up to the roof nor any opening in the roof.  Here is the scripture reference showing what happened after the storm, and Noah leaving the arc.

 “And it came to be, at the end of forty days, that Noaḥ opened the window of the ark which he had made, and he sent out a raven, which kept going out and turning back until the waters had dried up from the earth. “

(Genesis 8:6-7 The Scriptures 1998+)

“And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. And Elohim spoke to Noaḥ, saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. “Bring out with you every living creature of all flesh that is with you: of birds, of cattle and all creeping creatures that creep on the earth. And let them teem on the earth, and bear and increase on the earth.” So Noaḥ went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him, every beast, every creeping creature, and every bird, whatever creeps on the earth, according to their kinds, went out of the ark. And Noaḥ built an altar to יהוה, and took of every clean beast and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And יהוה smelled a soothing fragrance, and יהוה said in His heart, “Never again shall I curse the ground because of man, although the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, and never again smite all living creatures, as I have done,”

(Genesis 8:14-21 The Scriptures 1998+)

     The show then jumps to the story of Abram.  There are some variances here, but poetic justice prevails here.  The time limitations, and etc considered, these are not major enough to call out.  Having said this, a reader might wonder what they are, so here is the list: Abram was not named Abraham until a while later, Abram’s father went with them as far as Haran, and this is probably where they picked up Lot.  Later, as the story progresses, it is time for Abram and Lot to separate.  The scripture says this was Abrams idea, but in the show, they show Abram protesting.  This author questions why.  Next, they show Abram rescuing Lot.  Lot was taken captive when the Eylamites came to punish the rebellion of the Sedomites.  in the opinion of this author, the key to this story was missed.  Here is the scripture that they overlooked.

 “And Malkitseḏeq sovereign of Shalĕm brought out bread and wine. Now he was the priest of the Most High Ěl. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Aḇram of the Most High Ěl, Possessor of the heavens and earth. “And blessed be the Most High Ěl who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tenth of all. And the sovereign of Seḏom said to Aḇram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.” But Aḇram said to the sovereign of Seḏom, “I have lifted my hand to יהוה, the Most High Ěl, the Possessor of the heavens and earth, not to take a thread or a sandal strap or whatever is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Aḇram rich,’”

(Genesis 14:18-23 The Scriptures 1998+)

This is the first time that our High Priest appears in the flesh.  Next in the story of the destruction of Sedom, the two angels are shown begging for Lot’s help.  This is, again, the opposite of what the scripture says.

 “And the two messengers came to Seḏom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Seḏom. And when Lot saw them, he rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground, and he said, “Look, please my masters, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet, and rise early and go your way.” And they said, “No, but let us spend the night in the open square.” But he urged them strongly, and they turned in to him and came into his house. And he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. “

(Genesis 19:1-3 The Scriptures 1998+)

This author is dismayed that they did not clearly define what the men of Sedom wanted to do to the visitors in Lot’s house, and Lot’s daughters should have been much older.  Lot offered his Daughters to the men of Sedom, and it is possible that they were married.

“And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, and let us ‘know’ them.” So Lot went out to them through the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not do evil! “Look, please, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Please, let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you wish, only do no deed to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.””

(Genesis 19:5-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

“And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place, for יהוה is going to destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be as one joking.”

(Genesis 19:14 The Scriptures 1998+)

Then the show tells the story of Yishma’el.  The scripture says that he was sent away because he was mocking Yitshak.  The show chose to imply that he was sent away because Abram loved him.

 “And the child grew and was weaned, and Aḇraham made a great feast on the day that Yitsḥaq was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Haḡar the Mitsrite, whom she had borne to Aḇraham, mocking. So she said to Aḇraham, “Drive out this female servant and her son, for the son of this female servant shall not inherit with my son, with Yitsḥaq.””

(Genesis 21:8-10 The Scriptures 1998+)

The producers of the show wanted to portray the sacrifice of Yitshak through the eyes of Sarah, but the scriptures seem to imply that Abraham was not dwelling with Sarah after the sacrifice.

“Then Aḇraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Be’ĕrsheḇa. And Aḇraham dwelt at Be’ĕrsheḇa.”

(Genesis 22:19 The Scriptures 1998+)

“And Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years, the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Qiryath Arba, that is Ḥeḇron, in the land of Kenaʽan, and Aḇraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.”

(Genesis 23:1-2 The Scriptures 1998+)

     We then fast forward to Mosheh.  Although it is very much likely the he knew he was adopted earlier than his adulthood, this was an efficient way of telling the story of his birth without using too much time.  They only have ten hours to tell everything in the Bible.  There are minor discrepancies throughout this story, but again poetic liberty must be allowed.  This author does not like Yehushua (Joshua) being portrayed as one who doubts, and Mosheh should have been told to take off his sandals, but the only major problem this story has with the scriptural account is the first meeting with Pharaoh.  Here is what the scriptures say.

 “And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and throw it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” So Mosheh and Aharon went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as יהוה commanded. And Aharon threw his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the practisers of witchcraft. And they, the magicians of Mitsrayim, also did so with their magic. And they, each one, threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But the rod of Aharon swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said. And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The heart of Pharaoh is hard, he refuses to let the people go.”

(Exodus 7:8-14 The Scriptures 1998+)

Would it not have been more awesome to show this than to have Mosheh beaten and dragged off?  This author also thinks it would have been great to show the chariot wheels getting stuck in the mud, and The Pillar of Fire leading Yisrael through the sea instead of hand-held torches.