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the ancient world on television             december 22-28, 2003
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All times Eastern

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Season's Greetings Everyone!!! And a happy and prosperous New
Year!!
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Monday, December 22
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4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Great Sphinx: Lord of the Pyramids
dna

7.00 p.m. |HISTU| The History of Christmas
"Fascinating story of how the bawdy Roman Saturnalia, a week-
long festival of food and drink that culminated on December 25,
became the centerpiece of the Christian year, and why the
holiday is known as much for shopping as the birth of Christ.
Interviews with experts, harried bargain hunters, and excited
children round out the program. "

9.00 p.m. |HISTU| In Search of Christmas
"Is there actual evidence of the birth of Jesus? Was he born in
Bethlehem or Nazareth, in December or April? Were the 3 wise men
kings or Babylonian astrologers? What compelled Joseph to
believe Mary's implausible tale of a divine impregnation? We'll
journey back 2,000 years in a quest for the answer to these and
other conundrums. We retrace Mary's arduous odyssey across
ancient Israel as a host of scholars attempt to uncover the
historical truth of an event as mysterious as it was momentous."
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Tuesday, December 23
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2.00 p.m. |A&E| Helen of Troy (part 1)
"Movie. A very special take on the story of one of the most
powerful, yet traditionally unexplored women in Greek history,
going beyond the myth of "the face that launched a 1,000 ships"
and started the 10-year-long Trojan War. Starring Sienna
Guillory as Helen, Matthew Marsden as Paris, Rufus Sewell as
Agamemnon, Stellan Skarsgard as Theseus, and John Rhys-Davies as
King Priam of Troy."

2.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Real Scorpion King
"It's 3,450 BC and Egypt is in chaos. Nomadic tribes roam the
desert, clashing in bitter conflict for control of land and
wealth. Into the struggle steps one man who unites the warring
factions and lays the foundation for the greatness of Egyptian
civilization--King Scorpion. Evidence in his recently discovered
tomb and primitive writing in a remote location in the western
desert reveal that Pharaonic Egypt began earlier than previously
thought--with a whole new dynasty called Dynasty Zero."

4.00 p.m. |HISTU| Gods & Goddesses
"The world of the Ancient Greeks lives on today through its
mythology. For countless generations prior to biblical times,
tales of gods and goddesses were passed down by storytellers and
interwoven into traditions and philosophies. Each city devoted
itself to particular gods. But these gods also had human
frailties. Where did the pantheon originate? Did any of the
stories in Greek mythology actually occur? We look at new
archaeological evidence that supports the possibility. "

6.00 p.m. |HISTU| Saints Preserved!
"A select group of saints shares a bizarre common bond. Their
corpses are said to exhibit supernatural characteristics--an
eerie aura, blood and oil oozing from lifelike flesh, a sweet
smell that makes passersby swoon. Many of these bodies
reportedly remained fresh for years, even centuries. Seeming to
contradict the laws of nature, could these corpses of saints and
holy persons, once acknowledged as incorrupt by the Catholic
Church, actually be the result of a divine miracle?"

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Noah and the Flood
"Explores the story of the Great Flood and compares it with
deluge stories in other religions and cultures, including some
American Indian tribes"
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Wednesday, December 24
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2.00 p.m. |A&E| Helen of Troy (part 2)
"Movie. In this epic story of love and war, a young Trojan
warrior Paris and the beautiful Helen risk everything to be
together, sparking ancient history's greatest war. After
countless warriors had died on both sides, the Greeks, led by
Agamemnon, use history's most infamous trick--the Trojan Horse--
to breach the walls of Troy. Starring Sienna Guillory as Helen,
Matthew Marsden as Paris, Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon, Stellan
Skarsgard as Theseus, and John Rhys-Davies as King Priam of
Troy."

4.00 p.m. |HISTU| Jesus of Nazareth, Pt. 1-4
"Movie. In this reverent depiction of the life of Christ,
director Franco Zeffirelli uses the Gospel accounts and an all-
star cast to mighty effect. Beginning before the Nativity, Part
1 stars Olivia Hussey as Mary and Yorgo Voyagis as Joseph. The 3
wise men are portrayed by James Earl Jones, Donald Pleasence,
and Fernando Rey. Christopher Plummer plays King Herod Antipas,
who has John the Baptist (Michael York) put to death. (1977)
[they're showing all four parts one after the other]

7.00 p.m. |HINT| Guardian of the Ages: The Great Sphinx
"A visit to the famed ancient monument that combines the body
of a cat and the head of an Egyptian pharaoh. Computers recreate
the statue's original appearance, while experts try to identify
the ruler."

9.00 p.m. |HINT| Time Team: Cirencester
"Around 1,700 years ago, Corinium--modern day Cirencester--was
the second-most important city in Roman Britain after Londinium.
By about 300 AD, it had developed into a bustling, wealthy city.
Time Team was drawn to Cirencester by the opportunity to
excavate in the gardens of a number of properties near the
center of old Corinium. Though it has been said that you can't
put a shovel into the ground in Cirencester without unearthing
Roman relics, Time Team adds their 2-spades worth! "

10.00 p.m. |HINT| Time Team: Elveden, Suffolk
"Time Team goes on a hunt for real-life Flintstones at one of
Britain's major Stone Age sites--a holiday camp at Elveden in
Suffolk. The site dates back 400,000 years when our early
ancestors shared the country with lions, rhinos, and elephants--
but, contrary to Hollywood, no dinosaurs! Time Team searches for
evidence of early humans--from flint axes to arrowheads and
spears--and learns how to make a Stone Age spear, and piece
together what life might have been like for our early ancestors."
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Thursday, December 25
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10.00 a.m. |DISCU|Who Was Moses?
"Experts examine the stables of Ramses II, ancient Egyptian
texts and everything in between to get the real story behind
Moses and whether he even existed. Could the Ten Commandments be
based on ancient Hittite texts?"

11.00 a.m. |DISCU|Joshua & the Walls of Jericho
"Trace the career of Joshua, from his birth as a slave in Egypt
to his famous military victory in the battle of Jericho. Examine
the site where the walls of the city are said to have collapsed."

12.00 p.m. |DISCU|Joseph & The Coat of Many Colors
"At a time when Semites and Egyptians were the harshest of
enemies, Joseph became a Pharaoh's trusted minister. Using the
tools of modern forensics, scholars trace Joseph's path from
favored son of Abraham to slave and government official."

1.00 p.m. |DISCU|The Real Mary Magdalene
"As a reformed prostitute, Mary Magdalene has become an icon
for the virtues of forgiveness. Experts peel away the layers of
mistaken identity and explore the role of women in Mary's
lifetime to show that she may not have been a prostitute at all."

2.00 p.m. |DISCU|The Real Disciples of Jesus
"Experts investigate the disciples of Jesus, examining new
information about their backgrounds and their relationships to
each other and to Jesus. Find out what Judas' role was among the
Twelve; was he truly a traitor, or just a scapegoat?"

2.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Holy Grail
"The Holy Grail...Christ's cup from the Last Supper. Medieval
poets sang its praises, and King Arthur's knights chased it to
the ends of the earth. Did Joseph of Arimathea really claim the
cup after the Last Supper and collect Jesus's blood in it at the
Crucifixion? Why are there so many Grail tales, no two of which
fully agree? And why does the scent of heresy linger about the
sacred cup? Many treasures are bigger, but none more precious or
elusive as we discover in this quest for the venerable vessel. "

3.00 p.m. |DISCU|Peter: Jesus' Fisherman
"In Galilee, experts examine the archeological evidence
surrounding the lives of early fishermen, like Peter. A leading
psychologist explains how such a man made the transition from
entrepreneur to martyred leader of the Christian Church leader."

3.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Shroud of Turin
"The Shroud of Turin has long mystified the world, pitting the
faithful against science. Is the ghostly image impressed on a
burial cloth truly Jesus? A 1988 radiocarbon test dated it to
between 1260 and 1390 AD. But recent studies question the test's
validity, and scientists are still unable to explain how the
image got there."

4.00 p.m. |DISCU|Who Was Paul?
"After Jesus' death, Paul turned a minor Jewish sect into a
world religion. Follow the dramatic life and death story of the
man who defied all the odds to plant the seeds of Christianity
across the Mediterranean."

4.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Jesus in the Himalayas
dna

4.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Search for Noah's Ark
"The great flood that destroyed the world except for Noah, his
family, and herd would probably be dismissed as legend--if not
for other ancient evidence suggesting the presence of a once-
massive flood. Instead, the search for Noah's Ark continues to
this day--one of the most controversial searches for one of the
largest items described in the Bible. We'll examine evidence of
those who claim to have found proof of the Ark, and visit Mt.
Ararat and other targeted sites for the landing of the Ark."

5.00 p.m. |DISCU|Who Was Moses?
"Experts examine the stables of Ramses II, ancient Egyptian
texts and everything in between to get the real story behind
Moses and whether he even existed. Could the Ten Commandments be
based on ancient Hittite texts?"

5.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Dead Sea Scrolls: The Haunted Desert
dna

5.00 p.m. |HISTU| Who Wrote the Bible?
"Who Wrote the Bible?
What are the origins of the Bible? Who actually wrote it? We'll
explore possible answers with visits to Egypt, the Galilee, the
Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and the caves of Qumran, where the
Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. (2.5-hour version) "

6.00 p.m. |DISCU|Mary: Mother of Jesus
"Investigate the life of Mary, the mother of the man believed
by many to be the Son of God. Take a closer look into living
conditions at the beginning of the first century; what life
would have been like for a Jewish girl growing up under Roman
rule."

7.00 p.m. |HINT| The Rise of Christianity: The First 1000
Years, Pt. 1
"The story begins not with Jesus, but 50 days after his
crucifixion, when a rushing wind and tongues of fire descended
upon his followers "and all of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other languages." When Saul of
Tarsus turns into Paul and travels to preach to the Gentiles,
the religion spreads."

7.00 p.m. |DISCU|King Herod: Madman or Murderer?
"Herod's role in the birth of Jesus is fleeting. In a fit of
anger over the purported birth of the "King of the Jews," texts
say that he ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem who
were two years old and younger. Scholars examine recent
evidence."

7.30 p.m. |HISTU| Weapons of the Bible
"From the simple but deadly slingshot to the shock and awe of
the war chariot, the Conquest Team learns how to fight with
biblical weapons from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages. Host
Peter Woodward demonstrates the Bible's most impressive stories
of warriors and their fighting tactics. Then, our team must
apply this knowledge in a battle using spears, arrows,
slingshots, and chariots. Find out who is victorious as they
wield weapons of the Bible."

8.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Eyewitness to Jesus
dna

8.00 p.m. |DISCU|Jesus: The Complete Story
"Explore the fables that surround Jesus' birth and learn how he
carried out his ministry as a healer and exorcist. Discover what
may have accounted for Jesus' resurrection, and explore the
possibilities of how he may have looked." [this might be three
hours long]

8.00 p.m. |HISTU| The Bible Code: Predicting Armageddon
"Is there a prophetic, highly accurate code locked within the
Bible that outlines past and future events? Does the Code
contain hidden messages about people like Napoleon, Einstein,
and Hitler, and key world events like WWII, the Kennedy
brothers' assassinations, and 9/11? More frightening are
references to future events--including Earth's impending end. We
take a balanced look through the eyes of Code supporters and
critics and let viewers determine its accuracy in predicting the
future."

9.00 p.m. |HISTU| Banned from the Bible
"In a 2-hour special, we scrutinize ancient writings that
didn't "make the cut" in the battle to create a Christian Bible
in the new religion's first few centuries. Biblical
archaeologists and scholars examine why they were left out and
if others might yet be found. Beginning with the little-known
Life of Adam and Eve, we also peruse the Book of Jubilees, the
Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the Protevangelium of
James, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Nicodemus, and the
Apocalypse of Peter."

10.00 p.m. |DCIVC| Jesus: Portrait of a Radical
dna
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Friday, December 26
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7.00 p.m. |HINT| Julius Caesar: Master of the Roman World
"Profile of one of the world's greatest military minds, ancient
Rome's Julius Caesar, who romanced Cleopatra, invented the 12-
month calendar, and expanded the boundaries of the empire,
before being assassinated by senators fearful of his growing
power."

8.00 p.m. |A&E| The Unknown Jesus
"A 2-hour investigation that challenges traditional beliefs
about Jesus. Was Jesus really a poor carpenter or an aristocrat?
Was he a pacifist or a revolutionary determined to overthrow
Roman tyranny? Did he really grow up in Nazareth or another
place? And was he a real-life martyr or a convenient fiction?"

10.00 p.m. |DTC| The Great Plague
"Hundreds of years ago, London was struck with a deadly disease
called the Great Plague. Over one spring and summer 100,000
people died. That fall the plague vanished as quickly as it
appeared, but after an extended dormancy, the plague is back in
the US."

10.00 p.m. |A&E| A History of God
"A fascinating look at how God has manifested himself to people
from Abraham's days to the present. We explore fertility rites
of the ancient Middle East; the awesome revelations at Mt.
Sinai; the jealous yet compassionate God of the Hebrews; Jesus
and the mystery of the Trinity; and Allah, the Muslim God of
Unity. Here is the story of thousands of years of wrenching and
revolutionary encounters with God that prophets, saints, and
mystics have experienced, and mankind's quest for comfort and
meaning. "

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Saturday, December 27
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5.00 p.m. |DTC| The Great Plague
"Hundreds of years ago, London was struck with a deadly disease
called the Great Plague. Over one spring and summer 100,000
people died. That fall the plague vanished as quickly as it
appeared, but after an extended dormancy, the plague is back in
the US."
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Sunday, December 28
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7.00 p.m. |DISCU|King Herod: Madman or Murderer?
"Herod's role in the birth of Jesus is fleeting. In a fit of
anger over the purported birth of the "King of the Jews," texts
say that he ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem who
were two years old and younger. Scholars examine recent
evidence."

8.00 p.m. |HINT| The Twelve Apostles: History's Great
Revolutionaries
"Separately, they were nobodies--a handful of fishermen, an
angry tax collector. But united by a charismatic Jewish
preacher, this ragtag gang shaped into history's most famous
revolutionaries. Meet Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip,
Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the Lesser, Thaddeus, Simon,
and Judas in this 2-hour special."

10.00 p.m.|PBS| The Dead Sea
"This program focuses on the geology, archaeology and history
of the Dead Sea region, a place of lost cities and fabled
civilizations, destructive forces and human conflict. For
thousands of years its shores were believed to be cursed, its
gaping cliffs the gateway to hell. Whether environmental,
geological, historical or political, the history of the Dead Sea
continues to be marked by cataclysmic events. Today, the
dwindling resources of this unique sea could prove yet another
political flashpoint. Analysts predict that the next war in the
Middle East will be fought not over oil but water. " [check
local listings]
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                        Channel Guide

A&E     The Arts and Entertainment Channel (cable)
DTC     Discovery Times Channel (U.S. Cable)*
DCIVC   Discovery Civilization (Canadian Cable)
DISCC   Discovery Channel (Canadian Cable)
DISCU   Discovery Channel (U.S. Cable)
HINT    History International (U.S. Cable)
HISTU   The History Channel (U.S. Cable)
HISTC   History Television (Canadian Cable)
NGU     National Geographic Channel (U.S. Cable)*
PBS     Public Broadcasting System (U.S. National Schedule)
TLC     The Learning Channel (cable)

*n.b. Canadian versions of these two channels have recently
been made available although the Canadian versions don't seem
to be making their schedules available yet. For what it's worth,
the Canadian version does seem to 'match up' in regards to
ancient programming most of the time.
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Useful Addresses
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Copyright (c) 2003 David Meadows. Feel free to distribute these
listings via email to your pals, students, teachers, etc., but
please include the title and this copyright notice. These
listings are not to be posted to any website other than my own.
Thanks!
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8:51:07 PM