This documentary about the biblical exodus is visually stunning. The recreation of ancient stone writings by computer animation, and the capturing on film of mummies and historical places such as Cairo, Egypt, leaves the viewer with a jaw-dropping experience. It includes some scenes of the lost ark of the covenant from the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg film “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The narrator and researcher in this documentary is a man named Simcha Jacobovici.

Jacobovici’s findings will no doubt be controversial with some viewers, as he believes in a different time frame of the exodus than what is generally accepted by scholars. He also claims another pharaoh other than Ramses is the true pharaoh which held the Israelites in bondage. The biggest controversy of all might well be that he believes the Red Sea should actually be translated as the Reed Sea. He also chooses a different site for Mount Sinai than most other scholars do. One problem is that biblically the mount should be in Saudi Arabia and the mount he chooses is not located there. The explanation that the plagues were a series of natural coincidences seems to somewhat downplay God’s providence, which is another controversial aspect of the documentary. And the Bible says that cherubim, angelic-like creatures with wings, adorned the lid of the ark of the covenant, but Jacobovici finds a treasure with birds on the top which be believes to be the ark. Still, this documentary does stimulate the viewer’s thinking and is a delight for the eyes. We recommend the film for any age, knowing that younger children might not be as interested in the subject as older children and adults.