The recorded history of the West is, in a sense, the history of Christianity. How did the religion get its start? This program, based on the New Testament, uses gripping reenactments—from Herod’s infanticidal purge to the crucifixion and burial—to dramatize key moments in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Footage of rituals as well as landmarks both devotional and archaeological adds depth to the study of the man millions would later call the Son of God, while topics including Jesus’ Jewish heritage, the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus by Konstantin von Tischendorf, and the question of the Shroud of Turin’s authenticity provide points for deeper inquiry. (43 minutes)