1 00:00:01,478 --> 00:00:02,983 WILLIAM SHATNER: A great flood 2 00:00:03,082 --> 00:00:05,788 that wiped out almost all of humanity. 3 00:00:05,788 --> 00:00:05,854 that wiped out almost all of humanity. Fire and brimstone that destroyed 4 00:00:05,854 --> 00:00:08,060 Fire and brimstone that destroyed 5 00:00:08,225 --> 00:00:10,030 two ancient cities. 6 00:00:10,129 --> 00:00:14,739 And deadly plagues sent by a punishing God. 7 00:00:17,110 --> 00:00:21,452 Some of the events recorded in the Bible are so devastating 8 00:00:21,553 --> 00:00:25,562 and so awe-inspiring that for the faithful, 9 00:00:25,661 --> 00:00:29,569 they can only be described as acts of God. 10 00:00:30,704 --> 00:00:34,779 But are these tales of biblical disasters and miracles 11 00:00:34,779 --> 00:00:34,813 But are these tales of biblical disasters and miracles meant to be taken literally? 12 00:00:34,813 --> 00:00:36,382 meant to be taken literally? 13 00:00:36,515 --> 00:00:39,288 Or are they simply dramatic stories 14 00:00:39,388 --> 00:00:41,560 that were intended to teach moral lessons? 15 00:00:41,660 --> 00:00:45,934 Is it possible that these acts of God 16 00:00:46,135 --> 00:00:47,705 really happened? 17 00:00:49,241 --> 00:00:51,947 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 18 00:00:52,180 --> 00:00:54,217 ♪ ♪ 19 00:01:07,143 --> 00:01:08,280 In eastern Turkey, 20 00:01:08,412 --> 00:01:11,687 some 200 miles southeast of the Black Sea, 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,796 there is a dormant volcano that is known as Mount Ararat. 22 00:01:18,165 --> 00:01:20,504 At a height of nearly 17,000 feet, 23 00:01:20,571 --> 00:01:23,777 Mount Ararat is the highest point in Turkey. 24 00:01:24,912 --> 00:01:27,852 For centuries, this peak has been considered sacred 25 00:01:27,852 --> 00:01:27,919 For centuries, this peak has been considered sacred because according to the Bible, 26 00:01:27,919 --> 00:01:29,556 because according to the Bible, 27 00:01:29,622 --> 00:01:32,427 after God sent the Great Flood to cleanse the Earth, 28 00:01:32,595 --> 00:01:35,500 Mount Ararat is the location 29 00:01:35,601 --> 00:01:39,241 where Noah's ark finally came to rest. 30 00:01:41,178 --> 00:01:42,549 ROBERT CARGILL: The story of the Great Flood 31 00:01:42,648 --> 00:01:44,318 and Noah's ark is one of the most famous 32 00:01:44,484 --> 00:01:45,721 stories in the Bible. 33 00:01:45,721 --> 00:01:45,755 stories in the Bible. The story goes that God is 34 00:01:45,755 --> 00:01:49,528 The story goes that God is 35 00:01:49,662 --> 00:01:52,635 so disappointed at the sinfulness 36 00:01:52,635 --> 00:01:52,669 so disappointed at the sinfulness of all of humankind, 37 00:01:52,669 --> 00:01:54,238 of all of humankind, 38 00:01:54,337 --> 00:01:57,745 that he's going to flood the Earth. 39 00:01:59,347 --> 00:02:02,855 He's basically going to destroy everything. 40 00:02:04,892 --> 00:02:09,902 And he finds one righteous human... 41 00:02:09,902 --> 00:02:10,003 And he finds one righteous human... Noah, and what God wants Noah to do 42 00:02:10,003 --> 00:02:13,309 Noah, and what God wants Noah to do 43 00:02:13,409 --> 00:02:17,552 is build this massive 450-foot-long ark 44 00:02:17,651 --> 00:02:21,425 with three levels on it, and fill it with 45 00:02:21,492 --> 00:02:25,167 all of the animals of the Earth and his family, 46 00:02:25,333 --> 00:02:26,903 and those will be the only 47 00:02:26,903 --> 00:02:26,937 and those will be the only survivors of the flood. 48 00:02:26,937 --> 00:02:29,341 survivors of the flood. 49 00:02:30,376 --> 00:02:32,247 SHATNER: As the story goes, Noah loaded 50 00:02:32,347 --> 00:02:34,752 his family and two of every kind of animal 51 00:02:34,752 --> 00:02:36,756 onto the ark. 52 00:02:38,794 --> 00:02:42,702 And then, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights, 53 00:02:42,768 --> 00:02:46,409 flooding the Earth so that even the highest mountains 54 00:02:46,576 --> 00:02:47,946 were covered with water. 55 00:02:49,281 --> 00:02:54,525 After the waters subsided, Noah, his sons, and their wives 56 00:02:54,592 --> 00:02:58,934 left the ark and proceeded to repopulate the Earth. 57 00:02:59,936 --> 00:03:01,305 AMIR HUSSAIN: The Noah's Flood story 58 00:03:01,438 --> 00:03:03,343 is this really powerful story 59 00:03:03,409 --> 00:03:06,616 because here's this transcendent God who loves us, 60 00:03:06,683 --> 00:03:09,956 who's created human beings, but also has a way 61 00:03:09,956 --> 00:03:09,989 who's created human beings, but also has a way for us to behave in the world. 62 00:03:09,989 --> 00:03:11,459 for us to behave in the world. 63 00:03:11,559 --> 00:03:13,429 And when we don't behave in the right way, 64 00:03:13,597 --> 00:03:14,899 this God will punish us. 65 00:03:16,301 --> 00:03:18,673 That's the power of God. 66 00:03:18,707 --> 00:03:22,548 Sometimes doing extraordinarily horrific kinds of things. 67 00:03:23,884 --> 00:03:26,556 Sometimes doing wonderful things. 68 00:03:26,689 --> 00:03:28,392 SHATNER: Historians have long debated 69 00:03:28,425 --> 00:03:31,065 whether the story of Noah, the ark, and the Great Flood 70 00:03:31,331 --> 00:03:35,507 is only a myth, or if it was based on real events. 71 00:03:35,574 --> 00:03:38,881 There are some scholars who believe it's possible 72 00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:41,654 that a massive deluge did, in fact, take place. 73 00:03:41,753 --> 00:03:44,859 And as evidence, they point to the fact 74 00:03:44,859 --> 00:03:44,926 And as evidence, they point to the fact that the Bible isn't the only 75 00:03:44,926 --> 00:03:46,930 that the Bible isn't the only 76 00:03:46,996 --> 00:03:51,004 ancient text that contains an account of a great flood. 77 00:03:51,004 --> 00:03:51,071 ancient text that contains an account of a great flood. The flood story in the Bible 78 00:03:51,071 --> 00:03:54,010 The flood story in the Bible 79 00:03:54,010 --> 00:03:54,077 The flood story in the Bible isn't the oldest flood story. 80 00:03:54,077 --> 00:03:56,349 isn't the oldest flood story. 81 00:03:56,448 --> 00:03:58,353 The oldest flood story that we have 82 00:03:58,419 --> 00:04:02,127 in the western tradition is in the Gilgamesh story, 83 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,035 in which there's this old man, Utnapishtim, who's survived 84 00:04:06,301 --> 00:04:09,709 a flood where it's rained for 40 days and 40 nights. 85 00:04:09,809 --> 00:04:13,115 And this happens also in the story of Noah. 86 00:04:13,349 --> 00:04:16,723 So for many of us looking at these stories across cultures, 87 00:04:16,789 --> 00:04:19,027 there's this idea that, yeah, clearly this happened 88 00:04:19,027 --> 00:04:19,094 there's this idea that, yeah, clearly this happened at some point in human history, 89 00:04:19,094 --> 00:04:21,064 at some point in human history, 90 00:04:21,064 --> 00:04:21,131 at some point in human history, this flood that people remember, 91 00:04:21,131 --> 00:04:23,503 this flood that people remember, 92 00:04:23,637 --> 00:04:25,540 and they write about in different ways. 93 00:04:27,912 --> 00:04:30,651 SHATNER: In addition to historical accounts, might there also be 94 00:04:30,784 --> 00:04:33,691 geological evidence to suggest 95 00:04:33,790 --> 00:04:35,994 that the Great Flood actually happened? 96 00:04:36,061 --> 00:04:40,738 In 1997, geologists William Ryan and Walter Pittman 97 00:04:40,871 --> 00:04:42,842 published a study which concluded 98 00:04:42,908 --> 00:04:45,313 that the biblical story may have been describing 99 00:04:45,513 --> 00:04:47,618 a massive overflowing 100 00:04:47,651 --> 00:04:52,962 of the Black Sea that took place in the 6th century BC. 101 00:04:54,030 --> 00:04:55,366 DAVID MONTGOMERY: The idea that Noah's Flood 102 00:04:55,466 --> 00:04:56,936 was triggered when the Black Sea flooded 103 00:04:56,936 --> 00:04:56,970 was triggered when the Black Sea flooded is rooted in the basic 104 00:04:56,970 --> 00:04:58,774 is rooted in the basic 105 00:04:58,807 --> 00:05:01,411 geological observation that at the end of the last ice age, 106 00:05:01,511 --> 00:05:02,915 when ice melted off the poles, 107 00:05:02,915 --> 00:05:02,916 when ice melted off the poles, it raised sea level. 108 00:05:02,916 --> 00:05:05,086 it raised sea level. 109 00:05:05,086 --> 00:05:05,187 it raised sea level. And what happened when sea level rose? 110 00:05:05,187 --> 00:05:06,890 And what happened when sea level rose? 111 00:05:06,990 --> 00:05:09,228 The Mediterranean overtopped the Bosporus 112 00:05:09,394 --> 00:05:11,164 and spilled into the Black Sea. 113 00:05:11,398 --> 00:05:15,039 That event raised the level of the water in what's now 114 00:05:15,106 --> 00:05:19,014 the Black Sea by about 150 feet within weeks to months. 115 00:05:20,082 --> 00:05:22,053 It would have been catastrophic to the people at that time. 116 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,561 It would have literally flooded the world known to them. 117 00:05:25,627 --> 00:05:28,900 Perhaps it actually seeded the story of Noah's Flood. 118 00:05:31,138 --> 00:05:34,579 SHATNER: Was the biblical flood based on the actual deluge 119 00:05:34,745 --> 00:05:36,148 of the Black Sea? 120 00:05:36,148 --> 00:05:36,182 of the Black Sea? It's an intriguing notion. 121 00:05:36,182 --> 00:05:38,185 It's an intriguing notion. 122 00:05:38,452 --> 00:05:41,458 But if the flood really took place, then is it possible 123 00:05:41,559 --> 00:05:44,566 that we might be able to find Noah's ark? 124 00:05:44,699 --> 00:05:48,005 Well, some researchers argue 125 00:05:48,105 --> 00:05:50,978 that the ark may have actually been discovered 126 00:05:51,078 --> 00:05:53,315 in a photograph taken near Mount Ararat 127 00:05:53,449 --> 00:05:57,491 by the Turkish military in 1959. 128 00:05:57,591 --> 00:06:01,633 It revealed a boat-shaped formation embedded 129 00:06:01,766 --> 00:06:03,670 in the surface of the mountain. 130 00:06:03,737 --> 00:06:05,908 There are those who believe that this rocky structure 131 00:06:06,008 --> 00:06:08,614 was once Noah's ark and that the wood 132 00:06:08,713 --> 00:06:12,888 hardened and turned to stone over time, 133 00:06:12,988 --> 00:06:16,495 a process that is known as petrification. 134 00:06:16,696 --> 00:06:20,571 ANDREW JONES: It's a streamlined, boat-shaped object that's sitting there. 135 00:06:20,637 --> 00:06:23,376 And there's nothing else in the region that matches that. 136 00:06:23,509 --> 00:06:25,747 So this is a very distinct object. 137 00:06:26,949 --> 00:06:28,452 According to the Bible, 138 00:06:28,553 --> 00:06:31,191 the ark landed in the mountains of Ararat. 139 00:06:31,191 --> 00:06:31,225 the ark landed in the mountains of Ararat. And in Genesis chapter 6, 140 00:06:31,225 --> 00:06:33,162 And in Genesis chapter 6, 141 00:06:33,162 --> 00:06:33,195 And in Genesis chapter 6, the ark was 300 cubits long. 142 00:06:33,195 --> 00:06:36,001 the ark was 300 cubits long. 143 00:06:36,034 --> 00:06:40,977 Now, if you do the conversion, 300 cubits equals 515 feet 144 00:06:41,044 --> 00:06:44,820 and that is exactly the length of this boat formation. 145 00:06:44,919 --> 00:06:47,090 SHATNER: Does the remarkable similarity 146 00:06:47,156 --> 00:06:50,998 between this rocky structure and what's written in the Bible 147 00:06:51,098 --> 00:06:54,404 suggest that it is the remains of Noah's ark? 148 00:06:54,638 --> 00:06:56,308 Since 2019, 149 00:06:56,475 --> 00:06:57,778 a group of archaeologists 150 00:06:57,878 --> 00:07:00,651 leading the Noah's Ark Scientific Project 151 00:07:00,817 --> 00:07:03,623 have used new technology 152 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:06,829 to learn more about this mysterious formation. 153 00:07:06,863 --> 00:07:10,705 JONES: We hired an American ground penetrating radar team to create 154 00:07:10,804 --> 00:07:13,075 3D images of what is below the ground. 155 00:07:14,177 --> 00:07:16,749 About 20 feet down, they found what looked to be 156 00:07:16,916 --> 00:07:18,185 three different layers. 157 00:07:18,185 --> 00:07:18,252 three different layers. In the Bible, the ark had three decks. 158 00:07:18,252 --> 00:07:20,891 In the Bible, the ark had three decks. 159 00:07:20,924 --> 00:07:25,734 And according to the scans, you can see the three decks 160 00:07:25,834 --> 00:07:28,807 that the Bible says this giant boat had. 161 00:07:28,940 --> 00:07:30,644 We are hoping will happen next year, 162 00:07:30,711 --> 00:07:33,717 is the Turkish government would then proceed on... 163 00:07:33,817 --> 00:07:35,921 with a small-scale excavation of the site 164 00:07:35,987 --> 00:07:39,027 to show what we're looking at below the surface. 165 00:07:40,697 --> 00:07:45,473 This would be a very exciting, worldwide headline discovery 166 00:07:45,607 --> 00:07:47,511 if this is proven to be Noah's ark. 167 00:07:47,578 --> 00:07:50,016 If you could find evidence for this story, 168 00:07:50,082 --> 00:07:51,853 that would actually prove the biblical account 169 00:07:51,953 --> 00:07:53,724 and maybe get people more interested 170 00:07:53,823 --> 00:07:56,930 in what is written in these holy books. 171 00:07:58,065 --> 00:08:00,036 SHATNER: For the faithful, the search for definitive evidence 172 00:08:00,136 --> 00:08:02,574 of either Noah's ark or the Great Flood 173 00:08:02,708 --> 00:08:04,879 is not only about archaeology. 174 00:08:05,012 --> 00:08:08,787 It's also a quest to understand 175 00:08:08,887 --> 00:08:12,761 how the power of God works in our world. 176 00:08:12,861 --> 00:08:14,765 An act of God is precisely something 177 00:08:14,832 --> 00:08:18,840 that we cannot explain in rational, scientific terms. 178 00:08:19,975 --> 00:08:21,946 HUSSEIN: The Bible tells us that Noah's a righteous man, 179 00:08:21,979 --> 00:08:24,885 it tells us God orders Noah to build the ark, 180 00:08:25,019 --> 00:08:28,225 but doesn't tell anyone else. 181 00:08:28,292 --> 00:08:32,668 It's this miraculous act of God that, by definition, 182 00:08:32,801 --> 00:08:34,839 goes beyond the flooding of the Earth 183 00:08:34,939 --> 00:08:38,212 where God allows God's chosen people to live. 184 00:08:38,278 --> 00:08:41,485 And so there are these astonishing kinds of things 185 00:08:41,619 --> 00:08:43,355 where God intervenes in human history. 186 00:08:43,355 --> 00:08:43,456 where God intervenes in human history. So it's that balance of the divine favor 187 00:08:43,456 --> 00:08:46,495 So it's that balance of the divine favor 188 00:08:46,662 --> 00:08:48,299 with the divine wrath. 189 00:08:48,332 --> 00:08:51,907 If the story of the Great Flood was ever proven to be true, 190 00:08:52,039 --> 00:08:54,078 it would be a validation of faith 191 00:08:54,177 --> 00:08:56,314 for billions of people, all over the world. 192 00:08:58,152 --> 00:09:00,891 But what about some of the other acts of God 193 00:09:01,024 --> 00:09:03,329 that are recorded in the Bible? 194 00:09:03,596 --> 00:09:06,803 Is there any evidence to support those stories, too? 195 00:09:07,905 --> 00:09:12,648 Well, a group of archaeologists claim there is, 196 00:09:12,748 --> 00:09:15,654 and point to the ruins of an ancient city 197 00:09:15,787 --> 00:09:17,323 that, according to scripture, 198 00:09:17,323 --> 00:09:17,390 that, according to scripture, God destroyed with fire and brimstone. 199 00:09:17,390 --> 00:09:21,799 God destroyed with fire and brimstone. 200 00:09:24,672 --> 00:09:27,043 SHATNER: In the lower Jordan River Valley, 201 00:09:27,176 --> 00:09:29,782 eight miles north of the Dead Sea, 202 00:09:29,882 --> 00:09:33,656 a distinct ridge rises from the landscape. 203 00:09:33,790 --> 00:09:36,027 But this is no ordinary ridge... 204 00:09:37,230 --> 00:09:40,035 ...because buried under layers of dirt and rock 205 00:09:40,202 --> 00:09:42,708 are the ruins of an ancient city 206 00:09:42,808 --> 00:09:46,181 that dates back almost 4,000 years. 207 00:09:47,216 --> 00:09:50,155 Modern archaeologists have named the site 208 00:09:50,155 --> 00:09:50,156 Modern archaeologists have named the site Tall el-Hammam. 209 00:09:50,156 --> 00:09:52,895 Tall el-Hammam. 210 00:09:54,130 --> 00:09:57,504 When you look at Tall el-Hammam from satellite imagery, 211 00:09:57,671 --> 00:09:59,440 it's long and it's narrow. 212 00:10:00,442 --> 00:10:02,480 It's about a mile from end to end. 213 00:10:02,681 --> 00:10:06,623 We believe that as many as 50,000 people occupied the city. 214 00:10:06,822 --> 00:10:08,026 According to experts, 215 00:10:08,125 --> 00:10:11,566 Tall el-Hammam is shrouded in mystery. 216 00:10:11,699 --> 00:10:13,368 We don't know what it was named 217 00:10:13,368 --> 00:10:13,469 We don't know what it was named in ancient times or who lived there. 218 00:10:13,469 --> 00:10:15,105 in ancient times or who lived there. 219 00:10:15,105 --> 00:10:15,140 in ancient times or who lived there. But in recent years, 220 00:10:15,140 --> 00:10:16,909 But in recent years, 221 00:10:16,976 --> 00:10:20,751 some archaeologists have theorized that Tall el-Hammam 222 00:10:20,817 --> 00:10:25,093 is actually the ruins of the biblical city of Sodom. 223 00:10:25,125 --> 00:10:29,367 HUSSAIN: In Genesis, you have these cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, 224 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,939 and there's wickedness, there's iniquity in the city. 225 00:10:32,106 --> 00:10:34,612 But then God decides, no. 226 00:10:34,678 --> 00:10:37,416 This city is doing horrible kinds of things, 227 00:10:37,416 --> 00:10:37,484 This city is doing horrible kinds of things, so I'm literally gonna rain fire, 228 00:10:37,484 --> 00:10:40,422 so I'm literally gonna rain fire, 229 00:10:40,422 --> 00:10:40,423 so I'm literally gonna rain fire, sulfur down. 230 00:10:40,423 --> 00:10:41,893 sulfur down. 231 00:10:42,059 --> 00:10:43,830 I'm gonna destroy this city. 232 00:10:46,268 --> 00:10:48,172 COLLINS: God said enough is enough. 233 00:10:48,238 --> 00:10:52,180 Fire and burning stone came forth out of the heavens 234 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,718 from Yahweh and consumed the city. 235 00:10:55,921 --> 00:10:59,228 In fact, the Bible says that every person, 236 00:10:59,294 --> 00:11:03,770 crop, plant, tree, twig, anything that was living 237 00:11:03,970 --> 00:11:05,072 was destroyed. 238 00:11:05,205 --> 00:11:06,709 HUSSAIN: The Sodom and Gomorrah 239 00:11:06,809 --> 00:11:08,846 story's fascinating in that it's meant to be 240 00:11:09,013 --> 00:11:11,351 a metaphor, an understanding of, 241 00:11:11,418 --> 00:11:15,026 oh, when human beings don't do what they should do, 242 00:11:15,159 --> 00:11:17,129 here's what God does to destroy us. 243 00:11:18,131 --> 00:11:20,169 It's God's power being manifested. 244 00:11:20,169 --> 00:11:20,203 It's God's power being manifested. It's an act of God. 245 00:11:20,203 --> 00:11:21,806 It's an act of God. 246 00:11:23,208 --> 00:11:24,778 SHATNER: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah 247 00:11:24,878 --> 00:11:27,952 has long been associated with the Wrath of God. 248 00:11:28,051 --> 00:11:30,356 Until recently, many scholars thought 249 00:11:30,356 --> 00:11:30,423 Until recently, many scholars thought that the story was only a myth. 250 00:11:30,423 --> 00:11:32,326 that the story was only a myth. 251 00:11:33,997 --> 00:11:37,136 So why do some experts now believe that Tall el-Hammam 252 00:11:37,236 --> 00:11:42,013 could be the remains of the city of Sodom? 253 00:11:43,081 --> 00:11:44,318 COLLINS: There is more 254 00:11:44,450 --> 00:11:46,388 geographical data in the biblical text 255 00:11:46,388 --> 00:11:46,421 geographical data in the biblical text for the location of Sodom 256 00:11:46,421 --> 00:11:47,891 for the location of Sodom 257 00:11:47,991 --> 00:11:50,664 than there is for any other biblical site. 258 00:11:50,797 --> 00:11:53,135 The Bible was very, very clear 259 00:11:53,235 --> 00:11:56,474 that it was north and east of the Dead Sea, 260 00:11:56,474 --> 00:11:56,475 that it was north and east of the Dead Sea, and it was very clear 261 00:11:56,475 --> 00:11:57,911 and it was very clear 262 00:11:58,078 --> 00:12:00,617 that it was east of Jerusalem. 263 00:12:00,884 --> 00:12:04,490 And Tall el-Hammam matches the geographics of the text, 264 00:12:04,490 --> 00:12:04,559 And Tall el-Hammam matches the geographics of the text, it matches the time frame of the text, 265 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:06,696 it matches the time frame of the text, 266 00:12:06,829 --> 00:12:09,033 it matches all the possible descriptions 267 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,337 as the text describes it. 268 00:12:11,338 --> 00:12:14,946 SHATNER: The idea that Tall el-Hammam matches the location of Sodom 269 00:12:15,079 --> 00:12:18,018 in the Bible is intriguing. 270 00:12:19,153 --> 00:12:20,522 And researchers also claim 271 00:12:20,522 --> 00:12:20,624 And researchers also claim that there is physical evidence on site 272 00:12:20,624 --> 00:12:23,495 that there is physical evidence on site 273 00:12:23,495 --> 00:12:23,563 that there is physical evidence on site that confirms the biblical description 274 00:12:23,563 --> 00:12:27,571 that confirms the biblical description 275 00:12:27,571 --> 00:12:27,604 that confirms the biblical description of Sodom's destruction. 276 00:12:27,604 --> 00:12:29,407 of Sodom's destruction. 277 00:12:29,507 --> 00:12:31,979 The actual destruction event is recorded 278 00:12:32,013 --> 00:12:35,954 in just two verses in Genesis chapter 19, verses 24 and 25... 279 00:12:37,591 --> 00:12:40,129 ...where it talks about the fact that rock and fire 280 00:12:40,162 --> 00:12:42,533 came down from the heavens and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 281 00:12:42,533 --> 00:12:42,534 came down from the heavens and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. One theory 282 00:12:42,534 --> 00:12:43,903 One theory 283 00:12:44,070 --> 00:12:46,943 is that an incoming meteor, 284 00:12:47,143 --> 00:12:49,014 or meteor fragment, 285 00:12:49,113 --> 00:12:52,420 exploded over the north end of the Dead Sea... 286 00:12:54,123 --> 00:12:56,862 ...and destroyed Tall el-Hammam. 287 00:12:58,532 --> 00:13:01,205 There are numerous proxies that 288 00:13:01,304 --> 00:13:03,008 give strong indication that an airburst 289 00:13:03,141 --> 00:13:04,477 or impact event have occurred. 290 00:13:04,578 --> 00:13:09,154 The first is the evidence of thermal damage 291 00:13:09,220 --> 00:13:12,828 that's represented through melted building materials 292 00:13:13,028 --> 00:13:14,297 and partially melted 293 00:13:14,297 --> 00:13:14,330 and partially melted pottery fragments. 294 00:13:14,330 --> 00:13:16,367 pottery fragments. 295 00:13:17,303 --> 00:13:19,540 The second is the appearance 296 00:13:19,540 --> 00:13:19,608 The second is the appearance and occurrence of microspherules-- 297 00:13:19,608 --> 00:13:22,480 and occurrence of microspherules-- 298 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:22,548 and occurrence of microspherules-- very, very tiny, spherical-shaped, 299 00:13:22,548 --> 00:13:25,253 very, very tiny, spherical-shaped, 300 00:13:25,352 --> 00:13:29,460 melted pieces of mineral, grains, and sands. 301 00:13:29,460 --> 00:13:31,297 And the third is 302 00:13:31,297 --> 00:13:31,332 And the third is a high concentration 303 00:13:31,332 --> 00:13:34,404 a high concentration 304 00:13:34,404 --> 00:13:34,437 a high concentration of rare earth elements. 305 00:13:34,437 --> 00:13:37,444 of rare earth elements. 306 00:13:37,510 --> 00:13:40,449 Rare earth elements are very common in asteroids, 307 00:13:40,449 --> 00:13:40,483 Rare earth elements are very common in asteroids, not so common on the Earth. 308 00:13:40,483 --> 00:13:43,088 not so common on the Earth. 309 00:13:43,155 --> 00:13:44,625 COLLINS: What's interesting is that the middle layer 310 00:13:44,625 --> 00:13:46,061 of Tall el-Hammam 311 00:13:46,194 --> 00:13:48,465 has a really high salt concentration. 312 00:13:48,498 --> 00:13:53,409 It's so salty that, a lot of times, we excavate pottery 313 00:13:53,508 --> 00:13:56,916 that's just coated with thick salt crystals. 314 00:13:57,083 --> 00:13:58,653 That's pretty unusual. 315 00:13:58,653 --> 00:13:58,687 That's pretty unusual. Why is that layer so salty? 316 00:13:58,687 --> 00:14:00,557 Why is that layer so salty? 317 00:14:00,590 --> 00:14:04,832 Well, it's the same salt that's found in the Dead Sea. 318 00:14:04,932 --> 00:14:06,635 Probably because this airburst event 319 00:14:06,635 --> 00:14:06,736 Probably because this airburst event pushed a massive amount of dirt, water, 320 00:14:06,736 --> 00:14:11,913 pushed a massive amount of dirt, water, 321 00:14:12,079 --> 00:14:14,918 and salt over the landscape. 322 00:14:16,087 --> 00:14:17,958 SHATNER: A meteor explosion in the sky? 323 00:14:18,091 --> 00:14:21,231 If Tall el-Hammam really was Sodom, 324 00:14:21,297 --> 00:14:24,171 could such an explosion be the reason why the city 325 00:14:24,203 --> 00:14:28,512 is now buried in dirt that has a high concentration of salt? 326 00:14:28,579 --> 00:14:32,019 Some experts believe the answer is "yes," 327 00:14:32,119 --> 00:14:33,890 and they point to the biblical story 328 00:14:33,990 --> 00:14:36,161 for further evidence of the connection 329 00:14:36,261 --> 00:14:39,500 between the destruction of Sodom and salt. 330 00:14:40,502 --> 00:14:41,839 CARGILL: The story of Sodom 331 00:14:41,972 --> 00:14:43,977 essentially picks up in Genesis 19, 332 00:14:44,043 --> 00:14:46,514 where you have these two angels that look like men 333 00:14:46,549 --> 00:14:52,059 who travel down to visit Lot, who's living down in Sodom. 334 00:14:52,159 --> 00:14:55,499 And Lot shows them tremendous hospitality, 335 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,140 and you are supposed to be kind to immigrants. 336 00:14:59,207 --> 00:15:03,616 You're supposed to be kind to foreigners, as Lot has done. 337 00:15:04,651 --> 00:15:07,825 God has decided to destroy the city 338 00:15:07,991 --> 00:15:09,460 because of its wickedness. 339 00:15:10,663 --> 00:15:13,135 So the angels grab Lot and his family, 340 00:15:13,268 --> 00:15:15,038 and as they're leaving Sodom, 341 00:15:15,172 --> 00:15:16,842 the angels give them the command, 342 00:15:17,009 --> 00:15:18,446 "Don't even look back." 343 00:15:18,546 --> 00:15:20,683 And then you have this fascinating detail, 344 00:15:20,683 --> 00:15:20,750 And then you have this fascinating detail, where it says that Lot's wife 345 00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:23,756 where it says that Lot's wife 346 00:15:23,756 --> 00:15:23,790 where it says that Lot's wife turned and looked back, 347 00:15:23,790 --> 00:15:25,927 turned and looked back, 348 00:15:26,027 --> 00:15:28,431 and she turned into a pillar of salt. 349 00:15:29,735 --> 00:15:32,106 SHATNER: What could be the significance 350 00:15:32,172 --> 00:15:35,547 of Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt? 351 00:15:37,149 --> 00:15:40,724 Does this detail from the story support the theory that a meteor 352 00:15:40,990 --> 00:15:45,667 explosion in the sky buried Sodom in dirt and salt? 353 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:47,170 Perhaps. 354 00:15:47,303 --> 00:15:51,612 But is a meteor explosion a natural event 355 00:15:51,612 --> 00:15:51,645 But is a meteor explosion a natural event or is it an act of God? 356 00:15:51,645 --> 00:15:54,450 or is it an act of God? 357 00:15:54,517 --> 00:15:58,325 There's been a lot of question about fire and brimstone 358 00:15:58,458 --> 00:16:00,496 coming down from the heavens. 359 00:16:00,563 --> 00:16:03,301 Right? This is one of these unexplained mysteries. 360 00:16:04,337 --> 00:16:06,108 And there have been a lot of theories 361 00:16:06,207 --> 00:16:08,980 and this probably has something to do 362 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:14,023 with wanting evidence that proves faith. 363 00:16:14,123 --> 00:16:17,898 A lot of people believe in these stories, 364 00:16:18,031 --> 00:16:21,170 and archaeology can confirm them. 365 00:16:22,172 --> 00:16:23,743 I think from a point of view of sciences, 366 00:16:23,776 --> 00:16:26,315 we look at the biblical text and we look at the statement of 367 00:16:26,481 --> 00:16:27,617 this was fire and burning stone 368 00:16:27,617 --> 00:16:27,651 this was fire and burning stone from God out of the heavens. 369 00:16:27,651 --> 00:16:29,755 from God out of the heavens. 370 00:16:29,755 --> 00:16:29,855 from God out of the heavens. If such an event actually occurred, 371 00:16:29,855 --> 00:16:31,659 If such an event actually occurred, 372 00:16:31,759 --> 00:16:33,763 would it have left some evidences around? 373 00:16:33,763 --> 00:16:35,132 Well, of course, yes. 374 00:16:35,232 --> 00:16:37,036 That's all confirmed by the science. 375 00:16:37,102 --> 00:16:39,841 Now, science can't tell me one way or the other 376 00:16:39,841 --> 00:16:39,875 Now, science can't tell me one way or the other whether it's an act of God. 377 00:16:39,875 --> 00:16:42,346 whether it's an act of God. 378 00:16:42,479 --> 00:16:44,350 But the event is confirmed. 379 00:16:45,485 --> 00:16:48,258 For the faithful, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah 380 00:16:48,358 --> 00:16:50,530 is a powerful demonstration of the wrath of God. 381 00:16:50,630 --> 00:16:52,901 And there's a group of archaeologists 382 00:16:53,134 --> 00:16:56,643 who claim to have found evidence to suggest that another story 383 00:16:56,775 --> 00:16:59,648 of divine destruction really happened. 384 00:16:59,648 --> 00:16:59,682 of divine destruction really happened. One that involves a stairway 385 00:16:59,682 --> 00:17:02,019 One that involves a stairway 386 00:17:02,186 --> 00:17:04,658 built to reach the heavens. 387 00:17:08,766 --> 00:17:10,069 SHATNER: In central Iraq, 388 00:17:10,235 --> 00:17:14,210 60 miles south of Baghdad, 389 00:17:14,276 --> 00:17:18,653 lie the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, 390 00:17:18,719 --> 00:17:21,725 which was once the capital of the Babylonian Empire. 391 00:17:21,825 --> 00:17:26,435 At its height in 600 BC, Babylon was estimated 392 00:17:26,534 --> 00:17:29,173 to have been the largest city in the world, 393 00:17:29,273 --> 00:17:32,748 with a population of more than 200,000 inhabitants. 394 00:17:33,816 --> 00:17:37,289 Perhaps the most intriguing ruin that remains in Babylon 395 00:17:37,423 --> 00:17:39,361 is the foundation of an ancient, 396 00:17:39,460 --> 00:17:42,099 crumbled brick tower that was known as 397 00:17:42,299 --> 00:17:44,437 the Etemenanki Ziggurat. 398 00:17:45,439 --> 00:17:46,776 And there those who believe 399 00:17:46,842 --> 00:17:49,114 that the giant ziggurat may have actually been 400 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,252 the Tower of Babel. 401 00:17:53,421 --> 00:17:55,359 IRVING FINKEL: The real Tower of Babel, 402 00:17:55,425 --> 00:17:58,600 from which the account in the Bible derives, 403 00:17:58,699 --> 00:18:02,741 was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II 404 00:18:02,841 --> 00:18:05,780 at the beginning of the 6th century BC. 405 00:18:05,780 --> 00:18:05,814 at the beginning of the 6th century BC. If you go to Babylon today, 406 00:18:05,814 --> 00:18:08,318 If you go to Babylon today, 407 00:18:08,385 --> 00:18:13,863 you can easily see on the ground where the ziggurat was, 408 00:18:13,863 --> 00:18:13,930 you can easily see on the ground where the ziggurat was, because it is a rectangular ditch 409 00:18:13,930 --> 00:18:16,434 because it is a rectangular ditch 410 00:18:16,602 --> 00:18:19,307 with a kind of black square 411 00:18:19,473 --> 00:18:22,548 full of mud and oily water 412 00:18:22,647 --> 00:18:25,419 which delineates the entire profile 413 00:18:25,586 --> 00:18:27,123 of this great tower of which 414 00:18:27,322 --> 00:18:30,195 nothing else is left. 415 00:18:31,197 --> 00:18:34,070 The tower was built and made of mud brick. 416 00:18:34,203 --> 00:18:36,775 The building was seven stories 417 00:18:36,775 --> 00:18:36,842 The building was seven stories with a little temple at the top. 418 00:18:36,842 --> 00:18:38,613 with a little temple at the top. 419 00:18:38,679 --> 00:18:42,320 And there was a brick staircase without banisters 420 00:18:42,352 --> 00:18:46,094 so that king Nebuchadnezzar II could mount the staircase 421 00:18:46,227 --> 00:18:48,867 and go up and up to the very top. 422 00:18:48,966 --> 00:18:52,339 So, it was definitely the national monument 423 00:18:52,506 --> 00:18:54,276 of the greatest amount of pride. 424 00:18:55,379 --> 00:18:57,717 SHATNER: Historians have estimated that the ziggurat 425 00:18:57,717 --> 00:18:57,751 SHATNER: Historians have estimated that the ziggurat stood nearly 300 feet high 426 00:18:57,751 --> 00:18:59,655 stood nearly 300 feet high 427 00:18:59,755 --> 00:19:03,294 or roughly as tall as the Statue of Liberty. 428 00:19:03,361 --> 00:19:06,902 But is it possible that this Babylonian structure was, 429 00:19:06,902 --> 00:19:06,936 But is it possible that this Babylonian structure was, in fact, the real tower of Babel? 430 00:19:06,936 --> 00:19:10,644 in fact, the real tower of Babel? 431 00:19:10,743 --> 00:19:13,148 Perhaps the answer can be found by examining 432 00:19:13,248 --> 00:19:16,555 the story that is recorded in the Bible. 433 00:19:16,688 --> 00:19:18,158 HUSSAIN: In Genesis chapter 11, 434 00:19:18,258 --> 00:19:20,763 you have the story of the Tower of Babel. 435 00:19:20,797 --> 00:19:24,270 Human beings are united, they speak the same language, 436 00:19:24,437 --> 00:19:26,541 they build this tower... 437 00:19:28,244 --> 00:19:30,215 ...to go up into the heavens. 438 00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:33,222 But then you have God saying, 439 00:19:33,321 --> 00:19:35,092 "Wait a minute, what are these people doing? 440 00:19:35,258 --> 00:19:36,562 They're going to build this 441 00:19:36,662 --> 00:19:38,700 and they're going to come up to where I am." 442 00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:43,275 And so, God basically confounds these people 443 00:19:43,374 --> 00:19:45,780 by having them speak different languages, 444 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,652 so they're not able to understand each other. 445 00:19:48,719 --> 00:19:52,594 CARGILL: God says, "Let's scramble their languages, 446 00:19:52,694 --> 00:19:54,363 "and then they won't be able to communicate 447 00:19:54,564 --> 00:19:56,067 with one another." 448 00:19:56,334 --> 00:19:59,908 This is one of the most famous stories of the Bible. 449 00:19:59,975 --> 00:20:04,316 I think that the Tower of Babel is based on a ziggurat. 450 00:20:05,753 --> 00:20:08,459 If you're an ancient Hebrew, an Israelite, 451 00:20:08,592 --> 00:20:11,699 and you walk up to one of these 452 00:20:11,765 --> 00:20:15,574 large ziggurats, you're gonna be overwhelmed. Right? 453 00:20:15,706 --> 00:20:17,810 You've never seen anything like this. 454 00:20:19,046 --> 00:20:21,518 MARK ALTAWEEL: It's very possible that the ziggurat of Babylon 455 00:20:21,618 --> 00:20:24,424 may be associated with the Tower of Babel. 456 00:20:24,591 --> 00:20:25,993 There's a lot of parallels. 457 00:20:25,993 --> 00:20:26,028 There's a lot of parallels. One is the location. 458 00:20:26,028 --> 00:20:27,798 One is the location. 459 00:20:27,931 --> 00:20:30,001 Babel is another name for Babylon. 460 00:20:30,001 --> 00:20:30,068 Babel is another name for Babylon. That's more of a Semitic name. 461 00:20:30,068 --> 00:20:31,839 That's more of a Semitic name. 462 00:20:31,872 --> 00:20:34,543 So the location's certainly correct and it certainly was 463 00:20:34,611 --> 00:20:37,817 a very tall tower, as suggested by biblical sources. 464 00:20:38,986 --> 00:20:41,625 SHATNER: Some archaeologists claim that the most intriguing 465 00:20:41,692 --> 00:20:45,532 connection between this structure and the Tower of Babel 466 00:20:45,633 --> 00:20:48,204 can be found in the remaining bricks 467 00:20:48,338 --> 00:20:51,511 from the foundation of the ziggurat. 468 00:20:51,612 --> 00:20:54,350 FINKEL: Some of the bricks that we have 469 00:20:54,483 --> 00:20:56,788 have on the upper or lower surface 470 00:20:56,788 --> 00:20:56,822 have on the upper or lower surface a thick black deposit. 471 00:20:56,822 --> 00:20:59,527 a thick black deposit. 472 00:20:59,628 --> 00:21:01,699 And this is the remains of bitumen, 473 00:21:01,765 --> 00:21:04,504 which, when the original building was put together, 474 00:21:04,671 --> 00:21:06,742 functioned as cement. 475 00:21:07,844 --> 00:21:11,852 And in the account in Genesis, it is pointed out 476 00:21:11,919 --> 00:21:14,357 that the Tower of Babel was built of mud brick 477 00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:16,696 with bitumen in between. 478 00:21:17,764 --> 00:21:20,536 So this is a very convincing piece of evidence 479 00:21:20,603 --> 00:21:24,076 that the one building is predicated on the other. 480 00:21:25,546 --> 00:21:28,385 SHATNER: But if this ziggurat was the Tower of Babel, 481 00:21:28,552 --> 00:21:31,057 then how was it destroyed? 482 00:21:31,057 --> 00:21:31,124 then how was it destroyed? According to an ancient Hebrew text 483 00:21:31,124 --> 00:21:32,861 According to an ancient Hebrew text 484 00:21:32,927 --> 00:21:36,836 known as The Book of Jubilees, God was so angry with humans 485 00:21:36,868 --> 00:21:40,476 for building the Tower of Babel that he summoned a mighty wind 486 00:21:40,676 --> 00:21:42,748 to knock over the tower. 487 00:21:42,847 --> 00:21:47,223 Is it possible it was brought down 488 00:21:47,389 --> 00:21:49,327 by the power of God? 489 00:21:49,460 --> 00:21:50,663 PHILLIPS: Some experts believe 490 00:21:50,796 --> 00:21:53,736 that the story of the Tower of Babel 491 00:21:53,802 --> 00:21:58,813 and its destruction by God is based on an historical event, 492 00:21:58,946 --> 00:22:02,587 an earthquake in ancient times. 493 00:22:03,689 --> 00:22:07,430 In fact, quite a few ancient towers in the city of Babylon, 494 00:22:07,496 --> 00:22:11,137 in what's now Iraq, were destroyed by earthquakes. 495 00:22:12,740 --> 00:22:17,316 Archaeologists know that that area was and still is 496 00:22:17,416 --> 00:22:22,359 prone to earthquakes, because in the year 2017, 497 00:22:22,459 --> 00:22:25,933 there was the largest magnitude earthquake 498 00:22:25,933 --> 00:22:25,967 there was the largest magnitude earthquake in the world in that year 499 00:22:25,967 --> 00:22:28,438 in the world in that year 500 00:22:28,572 --> 00:22:32,513 and the epicenter was only 100 miles 501 00:22:32,614 --> 00:22:35,553 from what was the ancient city of Babylon. 502 00:22:36,722 --> 00:22:39,661 SHATNER: If an earthquake did destroy the ziggurat, 503 00:22:39,728 --> 00:22:43,134 that could lend support to the theory that it was 504 00:22:43,134 --> 00:22:43,201 that could lend support to the theory that it was the legendary Tower of Babel. 505 00:22:43,201 --> 00:22:45,806 the legendary Tower of Babel. 506 00:22:46,775 --> 00:22:48,111 But many experts believe 507 00:22:48,211 --> 00:22:50,683 the true power of the Tower of Babel story 508 00:22:50,750 --> 00:22:54,658 is that thousands of years later, its warning 509 00:22:54,724 --> 00:22:59,533 about the consequences of challenging God still endures. 510 00:22:59,601 --> 00:23:02,472 CARGILL: The story of the Tower of Babel is 511 00:23:02,607 --> 00:23:04,778 absolutely fascinating because 512 00:23:04,878 --> 00:23:08,385 you have God basically curse all of humankind 513 00:23:08,484 --> 00:23:10,623 by scrambling all of the language. 514 00:23:10,756 --> 00:23:12,259 And the moral to the story being 515 00:23:12,526 --> 00:23:14,397 you're not supposed to show that kind of arrogance. 516 00:23:14,530 --> 00:23:16,768 You shouldn't try to be like God. 517 00:23:17,770 --> 00:23:21,745 Did an earthquake topple the Tower of Babel? 518 00:23:21,778 --> 00:23:25,452 And if so, is it possible that catastrophic disasters 519 00:23:25,553 --> 00:23:28,124 can actually be directed by the hand of God? 520 00:23:29,159 --> 00:23:31,932 Perhaps further clues can be found by examining 521 00:23:31,932 --> 00:23:31,966 Perhaps further clues can be found by examining the Plagues of Egypt, 522 00:23:31,966 --> 00:23:33,736 the Plagues of Egypt, 523 00:23:33,769 --> 00:23:36,173 where God is said to have harnessed the power of nature 524 00:23:36,173 --> 00:23:36,207 where God is said to have harnessed the power of nature not once but ten times. 525 00:23:36,207 --> 00:23:39,581 not once but ten times. 526 00:23:44,023 --> 00:23:46,562 SHATNER: The Nile River, Egypt. 527 00:23:46,728 --> 00:23:50,402 At a staggering 4,130 miles, 528 00:23:50,569 --> 00:23:51,873 this river that winds 529 00:23:51,972 --> 00:23:53,976 through the deserts of northern Africa 530 00:23:54,076 --> 00:23:56,915 is considered to be the longest in the world. 531 00:23:57,015 --> 00:23:59,788 In ancient times, the Nile was the center 532 00:23:59,921 --> 00:24:01,725 of the Egyptian civilization. 533 00:24:01,792 --> 00:24:04,397 But the Nile is perhaps most famous for being the site 534 00:24:04,564 --> 00:24:07,604 of the Plagues of Egypt, 535 00:24:07,670 --> 00:24:10,375 a miraculous series of events that is recorded 536 00:24:10,542 --> 00:24:12,512 in the Book of Exodus. 537 00:24:13,582 --> 00:24:15,151 HUSSEIN: In the Book of Exodus, 538 00:24:15,218 --> 00:24:17,758 the chosen people of God, the Israelites, are in Egypt 539 00:24:17,857 --> 00:24:20,429 and they've become enslaved by Pharaoh. 540 00:24:20,563 --> 00:24:22,668 And so here's God, who sends Moses 541 00:24:22,834 --> 00:24:24,738 to Pharaoh, saying, 542 00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:28,178 "Let my people, my chosen people, go." 543 00:24:29,213 --> 00:24:32,419 Pharaoh, of course, isn't going to let his workforce go. 544 00:24:32,553 --> 00:24:35,058 And so God sends these ten plagues. 545 00:24:36,527 --> 00:24:40,001 SHATNER: As the story goes, God turned the water of the Nile River 546 00:24:40,034 --> 00:24:41,972 to blood. 547 00:24:43,107 --> 00:24:44,878 When that didn't convince the pharaoh, 548 00:24:44,978 --> 00:24:47,950 God rained down frogs from the sky. 549 00:24:48,986 --> 00:24:52,861 And he sent lice, flies, pestilence, and boils 550 00:24:52,994 --> 00:24:55,232 to harm the people and animals. 551 00:24:55,265 --> 00:24:59,974 Then God summoned a mighty thunderstorm of hail and fire, 552 00:25:00,141 --> 00:25:02,647 followed by a swarm of locusts 553 00:25:02,747 --> 00:25:04,249 that covered the land of Egypt. 554 00:25:05,118 --> 00:25:07,523 When Pharaoh still didn't listen, 555 00:25:07,723 --> 00:25:09,895 God created a darkness 556 00:25:09,928 --> 00:25:14,036 that lasted three days to fill the people's hearts with dread. 557 00:25:16,741 --> 00:25:19,513 Finally, God sent the angel of death 558 00:25:19,647 --> 00:25:22,887 to claim Egypt's firstborn sons, 559 00:25:23,020 --> 00:25:25,258 including the pharaoh's oldest son. 560 00:25:26,595 --> 00:25:28,498 Only then did the pharaoh 561 00:25:28,632 --> 00:25:31,872 finally set Moses and his people free. 562 00:25:34,209 --> 00:25:36,113 CARGILL: According to the Bible, 563 00:25:36,180 --> 00:25:39,587 God is clearly responsible for the plagues. 564 00:25:40,355 --> 00:25:41,992 However, 565 00:25:42,058 --> 00:25:45,866 you might be able to understand how the pharaoh 566 00:25:46,033 --> 00:25:48,305 might see these plagues 567 00:25:48,371 --> 00:25:52,847 as coincidence, as naturally occurring phenomenon. 568 00:25:54,283 --> 00:25:58,324 But when so many plagues occur back-to-back, 569 00:25:58,324 --> 00:25:58,358 But when so many plagues occur back-to-back, then he's convinced. 570 00:25:58,358 --> 00:26:00,128 then he's convinced. 571 00:26:00,195 --> 00:26:05,338 It's a story about how God wants people to be free, 572 00:26:05,338 --> 00:26:05,405 It's a story about how God wants people to be free, and not oppressed and not exploited. 573 00:26:05,405 --> 00:26:08,144 and not oppressed and not exploited. 574 00:26:09,681 --> 00:26:12,687 SHATNER: Were the ten plagues really acts of God? 575 00:26:12,787 --> 00:26:15,793 Or can they be explained by other means? 576 00:26:15,926 --> 00:26:17,831 Many biblical historians agree 577 00:26:17,930 --> 00:26:20,703 that before that question can even be answered, 578 00:26:20,870 --> 00:26:22,874 it must first be established 579 00:26:22,940 --> 00:26:26,548 whether the ten plagues actually happened at all. 580 00:26:26,681 --> 00:26:28,417 PHILLIPS: There exists an ancient 581 00:26:28,417 --> 00:26:28,518 PHILLIPS: There exists an ancient Egyptian text called the Ipuwer manuscript... 582 00:26:28,518 --> 00:26:33,227 Egyptian text called the Ipuwer manuscript... 583 00:26:35,198 --> 00:26:38,906 ...written at the time that the Exodus is supposed 584 00:26:38,972 --> 00:26:43,181 to have occurred, that tells us that Egypt was 585 00:26:43,214 --> 00:26:46,788 afflicted by what the Bible describes as plagues. 586 00:26:47,957 --> 00:26:52,299 It talks about the river Nile turning blood red. 587 00:26:53,367 --> 00:26:56,440 It talks about plagues of flies and locusts. 588 00:26:57,375 --> 00:27:00,182 It talks about boils on people's skins, 589 00:27:00,248 --> 00:27:03,387 and it talks about cattle dying in the fields. 590 00:27:03,387 --> 00:27:03,488 and it talks about cattle dying in the fields. So, according to the Ipuwer manuscript 591 00:27:03,488 --> 00:27:07,831 So, according to the Ipuwer manuscript 592 00:27:07,863 --> 00:27:11,170 the plagues of the Exodus could actually have happened. 593 00:27:12,439 --> 00:27:15,312 SHATNER: But if the Plagues of Egypt did in fact take place, 594 00:27:15,411 --> 00:27:19,086 then how did so many different calamities occur 595 00:27:19,186 --> 00:27:22,025 in such a relatively short period of time? 596 00:27:23,862 --> 00:27:28,004 Some researchers suggest that a natural disaster 597 00:27:28,137 --> 00:27:31,010 may have been the cause of the plagues. 598 00:27:32,279 --> 00:27:34,985 PHILLIPS: What's fascinating is that many of the plagues 599 00:27:35,151 --> 00:27:38,057 described in the book of Exodus 600 00:27:38,224 --> 00:27:40,830 bear an uncanny resemblance 601 00:27:40,930 --> 00:27:43,869 to the effects of a volcanic eruption. 602 00:27:45,305 --> 00:27:47,242 For example, when volcanoes go off, 603 00:27:47,309 --> 00:27:51,585 you get volcanic ash clouds that cover the skies, 604 00:27:51,751 --> 00:27:53,855 day turns to night. 605 00:27:54,958 --> 00:27:57,564 And then you get something called iron oxide, 606 00:27:57,763 --> 00:27:58,966 which is a red substance 607 00:27:59,099 --> 00:28:01,236 that can be thrown out of volcanoes, 608 00:28:01,303 --> 00:28:04,443 and when it goes into the water, turns the water red. 609 00:28:04,443 --> 00:28:04,543 and when it goes into the water, turns the water red. You might think that frogs and flies 610 00:28:04,543 --> 00:28:09,788 You might think that frogs and flies 611 00:28:09,887 --> 00:28:13,127 are nothing to do with a volcanic eruption. 612 00:28:13,227 --> 00:28:17,069 But what happens is when a volcano goes off, 613 00:28:17,202 --> 00:28:19,841 the larger predators are killed 614 00:28:19,974 --> 00:28:23,481 by inhaling the volcanic dust. 615 00:28:24,951 --> 00:28:26,287 And because of this, 616 00:28:26,387 --> 00:28:28,457 smaller animals that would have been eaten 617 00:28:28,457 --> 00:28:28,524 smaller animals that would have been eaten by the larger predators survive. 618 00:28:28,524 --> 00:28:30,796 by the larger predators survive. 619 00:28:30,929 --> 00:28:34,169 So you end up with millions of frogs, 620 00:28:34,169 --> 00:28:34,170 So you end up with millions of frogs, flies, locusts, 621 00:28:34,170 --> 00:28:36,741 flies, locusts, 622 00:28:36,941 --> 00:28:38,145 other insects 623 00:28:38,244 --> 00:28:39,681 that you wouldn't have had otherwise, 624 00:28:39,814 --> 00:28:42,485 just like the plagues in the Bible. 625 00:28:44,056 --> 00:28:46,227 MICHIO KAKU: If you have atmospheric anomalies 626 00:28:46,327 --> 00:28:49,066 created by the eruption of this volcano, 627 00:28:49,099 --> 00:28:51,705 all of a sudden, everything you're accustomed to seeing, 628 00:28:51,805 --> 00:28:55,011 night and day and cycles of temperature, 629 00:28:55,078 --> 00:28:57,817 get thrown out of kilter because of a major eruption 630 00:28:57,984 --> 00:28:59,219 that has taken place. 631 00:28:59,353 --> 00:29:01,859 That may have caused the ten plagues 632 00:29:01,958 --> 00:29:05,365 mentioned in the Bible that afflicted Egypt. 633 00:29:06,968 --> 00:29:09,140 SHATNER: Is it possible that the Plagues of Egypt 634 00:29:09,239 --> 00:29:12,446 were caused by fallout from a volcanic eruption? 635 00:29:12,479 --> 00:29:13,582 Perhaps. 636 00:29:14,917 --> 00:29:17,156 But what could explain the tenth and final plague: 637 00:29:17,288 --> 00:29:20,228 the death of Egypt's firstborn? 638 00:29:21,898 --> 00:29:23,167 HUSSEIN: There's no easy explanation 639 00:29:23,267 --> 00:29:25,806 for this angel of the Lord who slays 640 00:29:26,006 --> 00:29:28,646 the firstborn of Egypt 641 00:29:28,879 --> 00:29:31,417 or why this happens, other than this is God saying, 642 00:29:31,417 --> 00:29:31,483 or why this happens, other than this is God saying, "Okay, here's the last straw." 643 00:29:31,483 --> 00:29:34,356 "Okay, here's the last straw." 644 00:29:36,126 --> 00:29:38,732 But oftentimes, the point of the story 645 00:29:38,865 --> 00:29:41,204 isn't to talk about scientific truths. 646 00:29:41,303 --> 00:29:43,608 It's to talk about human relationships. 647 00:29:45,011 --> 00:29:48,318 It's about what do we do when we're not living 648 00:29:48,384 --> 00:29:50,455 in right relationship with God or with each other. 649 00:29:51,423 --> 00:29:53,261 The story of the ten plagues 650 00:29:53,294 --> 00:29:58,972 persists because it's not about the science of the miracle. 651 00:29:59,941 --> 00:30:01,477 It's about freedom. 652 00:30:01,543 --> 00:30:06,822 When God successfully gets the Hebrews out of Egypt, 653 00:30:06,888 --> 00:30:09,560 that's when they turn to the heavens and say, 654 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:09,628 that's when they turn to the heavens and say, "God works in mysterious ways." 655 00:30:09,628 --> 00:30:12,132 "God works in mysterious ways." 656 00:30:12,298 --> 00:30:14,337 Were the ten plagues caused 657 00:30:14,436 --> 00:30:17,042 by a naturally occurring volcanic eruption 658 00:30:17,208 --> 00:30:19,681 or by an act of God? 659 00:30:19,914 --> 00:30:24,155 For many, the answer may simply come down to a matter of faith. 660 00:30:24,189 --> 00:30:28,064 But perhaps we can learn more about the power of faith 661 00:30:28,130 --> 00:30:31,503 by examining how the ancient Hebrews escaped Egypt 662 00:30:31,503 --> 00:30:31,571 by examining how the ancient Hebrews escaped Egypt when Moses held out his staff 663 00:30:31,571 --> 00:30:34,076 when Moses held out his staff 664 00:30:34,209 --> 00:30:37,449 and God parted the Red Sea. 665 00:30:40,656 --> 00:30:42,125 SHATNER: In northeastern Egypt, 666 00:30:42,225 --> 00:30:44,965 there's a 120-mile stretch of the Red Sea 667 00:30:45,064 --> 00:30:48,638 that separates Africa from the Sinai Peninsula. 668 00:30:48,638 --> 00:30:48,673 that separates Africa from the Sinai Peninsula. In addition to being 669 00:30:48,673 --> 00:30:50,308 In addition to being 670 00:30:50,374 --> 00:30:52,947 one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, 671 00:30:53,013 --> 00:30:56,187 the Red Sea is also widely believed to be the site 672 00:30:56,220 --> 00:31:00,696 of a miracle that continues to capture our imagination. 673 00:31:02,265 --> 00:31:04,838 CARGILL: Following the story of the Exodus, 674 00:31:04,971 --> 00:31:09,246 Moses successfully gets the Hebrews 675 00:31:09,346 --> 00:31:11,618 out of Egypt and they take off, 676 00:31:11,618 --> 00:31:11,718 out of Egypt and they take off, but then the pharaoh, in his anger 677 00:31:11,718 --> 00:31:13,755 but then the pharaoh, in his anger 678 00:31:14,022 --> 00:31:16,795 and in the realization that he's lost his free labor, 679 00:31:16,961 --> 00:31:18,632 says, "I changed my mind, 680 00:31:18,632 --> 00:31:18,666 says, "I changed my mind, go get those guys." 681 00:31:18,666 --> 00:31:20,468 go get those guys." 682 00:31:21,604 --> 00:31:25,145 And so now the Hebrews find themselves on the run, 683 00:31:25,244 --> 00:31:28,050 with this massive body of water ahead of them-- 684 00:31:28,184 --> 00:31:31,892 understood to be "the Red Sea"-- 685 00:31:31,991 --> 00:31:34,964 and the Egyptian army behind them. 686 00:31:36,668 --> 00:31:38,538 SHATNER: According to the Bible, 687 00:31:38,572 --> 00:31:41,578 as the Egyptian soldiers were closing in on the Israelites, 688 00:31:41,678 --> 00:31:45,652 Moses held out his staff across the waters 689 00:31:45,652 --> 00:31:45,719 Moses held out his staff across the waters and God parted the Red Sea. 690 00:31:45,719 --> 00:31:48,992 and God parted the Red Sea. 691 00:31:50,696 --> 00:31:52,499 HUSSEIN: The Israelites are able 692 00:31:52,566 --> 00:31:55,673 to walk across the sea, and then Pharaoh's army 693 00:31:55,739 --> 00:31:58,544 comes rushing in after them, and the sea closes in, 694 00:31:58,544 --> 00:31:58,578 comes rushing in after them, and the sea closes in, collapses and kills them. 695 00:31:58,578 --> 00:32:01,885 collapses and kills them. 696 00:32:02,018 --> 00:32:03,656 And so the story gets resolved 697 00:32:03,688 --> 00:32:06,227 by Moses and the Israelites escaping through the miracle 698 00:32:06,326 --> 00:32:07,763 of God with the parting of the Red Sea. 699 00:32:10,301 --> 00:32:13,440 SHATNER: Biblical scholars point to the parting of the Red Sea 700 00:32:13,507 --> 00:32:17,382 as a story that is meant to show that the power of God 701 00:32:17,448 --> 00:32:21,256 can bring salvation to those who are downtrodden. 702 00:32:22,425 --> 00:32:24,631 HUSSEIN: The parting of the Red Sea, 703 00:32:24,697 --> 00:32:27,770 it's this amazing kind of story because it very much is 704 00:32:27,770 --> 00:32:31,176 this vengeful God 705 00:32:31,310 --> 00:32:34,550 who has this extraordinary power 706 00:32:34,617 --> 00:32:38,157 saying, "Okay, here's the reward for the righteous." 707 00:32:38,257 --> 00:32:40,762 Moses and his people are able to get free. 708 00:32:40,762 --> 00:32:40,863 Moses and his people are able to get free. Here's the punishment for the wicked, 709 00:32:40,863 --> 00:32:42,232 Here's the punishment for the wicked, 710 00:32:42,365 --> 00:32:43,768 you know, Pharaoh and his army. 711 00:32:46,073 --> 00:32:47,509 SHATNER: On the surface, 712 00:32:47,610 --> 00:32:50,414 the parting of the Red Sea may seem farfetched 713 00:32:50,582 --> 00:32:52,786 compared to other acts of God 714 00:32:52,786 --> 00:32:52,854 compared to other acts of God that resemble natural occurrences, 715 00:32:52,854 --> 00:32:55,258 that resemble natural occurrences, 716 00:32:55,324 --> 00:33:00,534 such as the Great Flood or the ten plagues. 717 00:33:01,571 --> 00:33:03,675 But there are some researchers who believe 718 00:33:03,742 --> 00:33:07,349 that there is evidence to suggest that the literal parting 719 00:33:07,415 --> 00:33:10,789 of an enormous body of water is actually possible. 720 00:33:12,091 --> 00:33:14,162 And they claim a clue can be found in the way 721 00:33:14,229 --> 00:33:19,339 the Bible says God used his power to part the Red Sea. 722 00:33:19,472 --> 00:33:21,310 CARL DREWS: The biblical account 723 00:33:21,376 --> 00:33:24,651 of the parting of the water is told in Exodus chapter 14. 724 00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,522 And there's two key verses. I will read them. 725 00:33:28,758 --> 00:33:31,698 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea..." 726 00:33:42,753 --> 00:33:46,160 So there's this detail in the account that says 727 00:33:46,259 --> 00:33:48,231 how the wind blew, and the water shifted, 728 00:33:48,330 --> 00:33:52,438 and the dry land emerged from the sea bottom. 729 00:33:53,808 --> 00:33:55,445 SHATNER: But what was the mysterious wind 730 00:33:55,544 --> 00:33:58,384 that God used to part the Red Sea? 731 00:33:58,517 --> 00:34:02,760 Well, according to some scientists, 732 00:34:02,826 --> 00:34:05,799 it could have been an unusual weather phenomenon 733 00:34:05,799 --> 00:34:05,832 it could have been an unusual weather phenomenon that is known as "wind setdown." 734 00:34:05,832 --> 00:34:09,707 that is known as "wind setdown." 735 00:34:12,145 --> 00:34:13,414 DREWS: When a strong wind blows 736 00:34:13,514 --> 00:34:15,819 on a body of water, the body of water shifts, 737 00:34:15,819 --> 00:34:15,886 on a body of water, the body of water shifts, all the water in one direction. 738 00:34:15,886 --> 00:34:17,890 all the water in one direction. 739 00:34:19,426 --> 00:34:21,765 Now, on one side it's called "storm surge," 740 00:34:21,864 --> 00:34:24,303 because the waters are gonna build up there. 741 00:34:24,436 --> 00:34:26,407 On the other side, the level drops, 742 00:34:26,540 --> 00:34:28,544 and that's called "wind setdown." 743 00:34:28,611 --> 00:34:32,653 Then, when the wind stops, the waters come back again 744 00:34:32,653 --> 00:34:32,686 Then, when the wind stops, the waters come back again just like the Bible says. 745 00:34:32,686 --> 00:34:34,690 just like the Bible says. 746 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:40,435 One theory is that Moses could have timed it. 747 00:34:40,501 --> 00:34:44,510 He knew when the next rush of water would come in. 748 00:34:44,643 --> 00:34:47,348 And the Egyptians would blindly walk 749 00:34:47,482 --> 00:34:49,687 into the trap and get flooded. 750 00:34:50,789 --> 00:34:54,598 DREWS: This kind of event happens only by hourly timing, 751 00:34:54,630 --> 00:34:58,605 and the Bible reports that God told Moses to be at this place 752 00:34:58,671 --> 00:35:02,245 and at this time and be ready for what's gonna happen. 753 00:35:02,345 --> 00:35:05,886 So, the mystery here is really in the timing. 754 00:35:07,488 --> 00:35:09,860 Could the parting of the Red Sea have been the result 755 00:35:09,860 --> 00:35:09,861 Could the parting of the Red Sea have been the result of a weather phenomenon? 756 00:35:09,861 --> 00:35:11,530 of a weather phenomenon? 757 00:35:11,597 --> 00:35:14,871 Some scientists believe that it's plausible, 758 00:35:14,937 --> 00:35:18,144 particularly since there are multiple historical accounts 759 00:35:18,243 --> 00:35:21,718 of strange wind activity in this area. 760 00:35:22,686 --> 00:35:25,024 In the year 1798, 761 00:35:25,191 --> 00:35:27,161 Napoleon and his troops 762 00:35:27,261 --> 00:35:30,636 were crossing over the Red Sea area. 763 00:35:30,769 --> 00:35:34,577 But then, water suddenly rushes in, 764 00:35:34,643 --> 00:35:38,752 and Napoleon's troops almost drowned as a consequence. 765 00:35:40,254 --> 00:35:41,524 So, some people think that what happened 766 00:35:41,691 --> 00:35:43,728 to Napoleon and his troops 767 00:35:43,828 --> 00:35:46,433 might have happened on a much larger scale 768 00:35:46,634 --> 00:35:48,705 to the Egyptian army. 769 00:35:51,243 --> 00:35:54,383 DREWS: There is an account from 1882 770 00:35:54,516 --> 00:35:56,988 where a British general, Major Tulloch, 771 00:35:57,255 --> 00:35:59,860 was surveying along the shores of the Suez Canal 772 00:35:59,860 --> 00:35:59,894 was surveying along the shores of the Suez Canal in the eastern Nile Delta. 773 00:35:59,894 --> 00:36:01,096 in the eastern Nile Delta. 774 00:36:02,432 --> 00:36:07,577 He describes how the wind blew all night long from the east, 775 00:36:07,676 --> 00:36:09,880 and he had to go into his tent and hunker down. 776 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:09,881 and he had to go into his tent and hunker down. The next morning, 777 00:36:09,881 --> 00:36:11,751 The next morning, 778 00:36:11,784 --> 00:36:15,659 he reports that the natives were walking around on dry ground 779 00:36:15,725 --> 00:36:19,165 where the previous day they had been in their boats. 780 00:36:19,265 --> 00:36:21,436 Immediately, it flashed to his mind: 781 00:36:21,536 --> 00:36:23,942 this is like Moses and the Israelites 782 00:36:23,942 --> 00:36:24,009 this is like Moses and the Israelites and the parting of the Red Sea. 783 00:36:24,009 --> 00:36:25,511 and the parting of the Red Sea. 784 00:36:26,814 --> 00:36:29,486 ROBERT RUSSELL: The miracles of the Bible 785 00:36:29,587 --> 00:36:32,392 in some way reflect our limited knowledge 786 00:36:32,559 --> 00:36:33,728 of the way the world works. 787 00:36:34,697 --> 00:36:36,267 People didn't have the science 788 00:36:36,366 --> 00:36:38,972 to describe the underlying events in nature. 789 00:36:38,972 --> 00:36:39,039 to describe the underlying events in nature. And even now, we don't have 790 00:36:39,039 --> 00:36:41,510 And even now, we don't have 791 00:36:41,577 --> 00:36:44,784 enough knowledge to know why some events happen. 792 00:36:44,817 --> 00:36:48,625 The point is that scientific knowledge of natural processes 793 00:36:48,725 --> 00:36:51,029 doesn't exclude God bringing them about. 794 00:36:52,298 --> 00:36:54,402 God acts through these events. 795 00:36:55,839 --> 00:36:59,212 The debate as to whether God could be responsible 796 00:36:59,345 --> 00:37:01,884 for inexplicable natural phenomena 797 00:37:01,984 --> 00:37:04,590 is not limited to stories from the Bible. 798 00:37:04,690 --> 00:37:07,094 In fact, there are many who wonder whether 799 00:37:07,328 --> 00:37:11,036 some of the most powerful disasters in our world today 800 00:37:11,036 --> 00:37:11,070 some of the most powerful disasters in our world today could also be signs 801 00:37:11,070 --> 00:37:13,608 could also be signs 802 00:37:13,775 --> 00:37:15,812 of divine intervention. 803 00:37:23,728 --> 00:37:28,003 SHATNER: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake levels the country, 804 00:37:28,003 --> 00:37:28,070 SHATNER: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake levels the country, and more than 2,000 people are killed. 805 00:37:28,070 --> 00:37:31,076 and more than 2,000 people are killed. 806 00:37:32,512 --> 00:37:34,116 In the hours following the initial jolt, 807 00:37:34,349 --> 00:37:38,892 aftershocks collapse hundreds of thousands of weakened buildings 808 00:37:39,025 --> 00:37:42,532 and torrential rains flood the streets, 809 00:37:42,633 --> 00:37:45,772 causing billions of dollars in damages. 810 00:37:46,908 --> 00:37:49,614 HUSSEIN: Haiti is an example of good people 811 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,918 who have horrible things happen to them. 812 00:37:52,986 --> 00:37:56,026 The fact that you have people who are religious... 813 00:37:58,765 --> 00:38:02,004 ...having to do burials literally in the rubble... 814 00:38:03,841 --> 00:38:07,381 ...and as they're doing the burials, a flood comes. 815 00:38:07,515 --> 00:38:09,018 How do you make sense of this? 816 00:38:11,389 --> 00:38:13,895 Why does this happen if God is just? 817 00:38:15,064 --> 00:38:16,734 If God is powerful, you know, 818 00:38:16,734 --> 00:38:18,671 are we cursed? 819 00:38:22,579 --> 00:38:26,052 SHATNER: It can sometimes seem like our world is being 820 00:38:26,052 --> 00:38:26,119 SHATNER: It can sometimes seem like our world is being constantly rocked by cataclysms. 821 00:38:26,119 --> 00:38:28,591 constantly rocked by cataclysms. 822 00:38:29,660 --> 00:38:31,463 Disasters such as tsunamis, 823 00:38:31,564 --> 00:38:34,938 tornados and hurricanes often devastate 824 00:38:35,070 --> 00:38:37,509 vulnerable communities, wreaking havoc 825 00:38:37,676 --> 00:38:39,980 on innocent people's lives. 826 00:38:40,982 --> 00:38:42,887 It's easy to see how these events 827 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:46,661 might have been interpreted as acts of God in biblical times 828 00:38:46,727 --> 00:38:49,767 when our scientific understanding was more limited. 829 00:38:49,833 --> 00:38:53,106 But there's many who believe that a higher power 830 00:38:53,106 --> 00:38:53,173 But there's many who believe that a higher power continues to influence our world 831 00:38:53,173 --> 00:38:55,511 continues to influence our world 832 00:38:55,578 --> 00:39:00,087 in mysterious ways that we don't fully understand. 833 00:39:00,087 --> 00:39:00,154 in mysterious ways that we don't fully understand. Our brain cannot stand chaos. 834 00:39:00,154 --> 00:39:02,960 Our brain cannot stand chaos. 835 00:39:03,093 --> 00:39:05,699 We hate it when natural disasters happen 836 00:39:05,832 --> 00:39:07,669 and there's no meaning at all. 837 00:39:08,972 --> 00:39:12,646 And so we interpret our religious, our ethical 838 00:39:12,846 --> 00:39:15,018 standards to that event, 839 00:39:15,117 --> 00:39:17,088 and we try to make a lesson out of it. 840 00:39:17,121 --> 00:39:21,529 It was the will of God himself that created that disaster, 841 00:39:21,731 --> 00:39:23,802 or that anomaly. 842 00:39:23,901 --> 00:39:25,839 And so, we're hardwired to do this. 843 00:39:25,839 --> 00:39:27,141 We can't help it. 844 00:39:27,141 --> 00:39:27,208 We can't help it. Because a feature of the human brain 845 00:39:27,208 --> 00:39:29,647 Because a feature of the human brain 846 00:39:29,747 --> 00:39:31,316 is that we try to find meaning. 847 00:39:31,516 --> 00:39:33,588 To this very day, 848 00:39:33,688 --> 00:39:35,358 there are people, when there's a drought, 849 00:39:35,491 --> 00:39:37,596 who get together to pray for rain. 850 00:39:38,865 --> 00:39:40,736 When people feel helpless, 851 00:39:40,869 --> 00:39:43,775 when people have nowhere to turn, 852 00:39:43,875 --> 00:39:46,882 especially during natural disasters, 853 00:39:47,014 --> 00:39:49,318 that's when they turn to the heavens. 854 00:39:49,452 --> 00:39:51,991 We still call them "acts of God." 855 00:39:52,024 --> 00:39:57,168 And it goes back to all of these ancient stories in the Bible. 856 00:39:58,905 --> 00:40:00,942 SHATNER: Biblical scholars and historians 857 00:40:01,042 --> 00:40:03,614 suggest that humanity's search for meaning 858 00:40:03,648 --> 00:40:06,152 is one reason why the acts of God from the Bible 859 00:40:06,152 --> 00:40:06,220 is one reason why the acts of God from the Bible continue to have relevance today, 860 00:40:06,220 --> 00:40:08,524 continue to have relevance today, 861 00:40:08,624 --> 00:40:11,063 thousands of years after they were recorded. 862 00:40:11,162 --> 00:40:13,702 COLLINS: Science can tell us a lot of things 863 00:40:13,901 --> 00:40:15,673 about the ancient world, 864 00:40:15,772 --> 00:40:20,514 but can science say that the Bible is 865 00:40:20,648 --> 00:40:22,587 factual, historically factual? 866 00:40:22,686 --> 00:40:25,859 That's why archaeologists continue to dig. 867 00:40:25,959 --> 00:40:28,230 Because if we thought we were satisfied 868 00:40:28,230 --> 00:40:28,331 Because if we thought we were satisfied with what we know at the present time, 869 00:40:28,331 --> 00:40:30,501 with what we know at the present time, 870 00:40:30,702 --> 00:40:31,771 we'd stop. 871 00:40:32,839 --> 00:40:34,242 CARGILL: For the believer, 872 00:40:34,542 --> 00:40:37,482 there's faith-affirming power in these ancient 873 00:40:37,649 --> 00:40:40,722 stories in the Bible 874 00:40:40,822 --> 00:40:45,765 about a flood, or a hailstorm, or a plague, 875 00:40:45,865 --> 00:40:50,742 or fire and brimstone that destroys a city 876 00:40:50,809 --> 00:40:53,749 when there's lots of scientific evidence that supports it. 877 00:40:53,848 --> 00:40:57,088 Because at the end of the day, they can say 878 00:40:57,088 --> 00:40:58,424 this is the hand of God. 879 00:40:58,591 --> 00:41:00,027 (man chanting prayer) 880 00:41:00,094 --> 00:41:02,432 HUSSEIN: We talk about the mystery of faith 881 00:41:02,566 --> 00:41:03,901 because we're human beings. 882 00:41:04,870 --> 00:41:06,440 What's really key here is that 883 00:41:06,574 --> 00:41:09,379 the hand of God is at work all around, 884 00:41:09,580 --> 00:41:13,153 whether it's in wonderful, we would call blessed events, 885 00:41:13,153 --> 00:41:13,220 whether it's in wonderful, we would call blessed events, or whether it's in horrific events. 886 00:41:13,220 --> 00:41:15,859 or whether it's in horrific events. 887 00:41:15,959 --> 00:41:18,631 Is God there in the hurricane? Yeah. 888 00:41:18,698 --> 00:41:21,604 Is God there in the birth of the new child? Yeah. 889 00:41:21,670 --> 00:41:24,743 And both these things are examples of the hand of God. 890 00:41:25,979 --> 00:41:28,150 The power is God all around us. 891 00:41:30,622 --> 00:41:32,358 So, what do you think? 892 00:41:32,626 --> 00:41:35,130 Were some of the most famous disasters and miracles 893 00:41:35,230 --> 00:41:39,205 described in the Bible really acts of God? 894 00:41:39,272 --> 00:41:42,712 Well, at the very least, there are plenty of reasons 895 00:41:42,779 --> 00:41:45,819 to think that these events did, in fact, happen. 896 00:41:45,952 --> 00:41:48,123 But as to whether they were caused 897 00:41:48,123 --> 00:41:48,157 But as to whether they were caused by a higher power... 898 00:41:48,157 --> 00:41:49,961 by a higher power... 899 00:41:49,993 --> 00:41:53,266 that, my friends, is a question that will continue to remain 900 00:41:53,266 --> 00:41:53,267 that, my friends, is a question that will continue to remain unexplained. 901 00:41:53,267 --> 00:41:55,071 unexplained. 902 00:41:55,204 --> 00:41:58,778 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS