Fragments of Truth is a scholarly documentary—and inspiring for those who believe in the accuracy and divine inspiration of the Scriptures. Narrated by Lord of the Rings star John Rhys-Davies with his remarkable, booming voice, this incredible documentary painstakingly examines ancient texts and their history—papyrus texts which go back hundreds of years. Featured are various experts such as Dan Wallace, PhD, from Dallas Theological Seminary, who states that the average size of the Greek New Testament manuscripts are more than 450 pages long. So a lot of the scribes’ work has survived.

A history of the writing of the scriptures shows that the earliest writings were on papyrus, then parchments (animal skins scraped thin) and ultimately paper. And David Trobisch, ThD, believes that “Our discoveries have not come to an end yet.” Various experts speak time and again to the accuracy of the texts and give solid reasons as to why there are slight differences, such as various Gospel writers concentrating on different aspects of Jesus’s teachings. Some scribes, being imperfect, would misspell words; one particular papyrus text that had several corrections of misspellings speaks more of the accuracy and ability of the scribe since he was doing his best to be accurate in copying down the copious texts.

Many other experts share opinions and the few that are skeptical are outnumbered considerably by those that believe the old texts accurately share the good news of the Gospels. Carbon-14 dating is discussed as well as archaeology and slight variances in texts. The film features a strong word by one scholar but it is primarily a wholesome treatment of the accuracy of the fragments which have been found. We are pleased to award it our Dove Seal for Ages 12+.

The Dove Take:

This is a faith-builder for everyone who loves Scripture as well as appreciates history. This scholarly documentary is easy to follow, inspiring, and interesting.