Tares Among the Wheat - The Untold History of the Bible Continues DVD

Tares Among The Wheat

In the mid-nineteenth century, a discovery was made that rocked the world of Biblical scholars. A German scholar by the name of Constantine von Tischendorf discovered and published a manuscript called Codex Sinaiticus, which was considered to be the oldest Bible ever found. Only a few years later a well known Greek paleographer named Constantine Simonides claimed he had written the very manuscript in 1840. The exciting documentary Tares Among The Wheat explores the controversy that surrounded and followed these events. This story--quite true and historically documented--involves Jesuits, a powerful Pope, a proud German scholar, a mysterious Greek, and a group of Anglo Romanists that were all swept up together in a controversy surrounding the Bible the world holds today. With many historical and Biblical experts, Tares Among The Wheat takes a deep look at the events that changed Biblical scholarship forever.

Lamp In The Dark

The documentary Tares Among The Wheat follows another film called Lamp In The Dark. The first documentary Lamp In The Dark follows the Bible--and the people who believed in its words--throughout history, and throughout the opposition, the Bible has faced. The opposition facing Christians did not stop after the days of the early martyrs, but instead followed them throughout much of history as viewers will learn in the predecessor to Tares Among The Wheat. As the Middle Ages unfolded, a series of Catholic Inquisitions--especially the powerful Papal Inquisition--forbade translation or distribution of the Bible with a penalty of death for disobedience. Still, brave and loving men devoted their life to spreading the gospel message and the Bible to the masses. Lamp In The Dark shares the stories of such men as John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, and the ancient Waldenses. The documentary continues through history to the years of the Protestant Reformation, where even then the Bible faced great opposition due to the Catholic Counter-Reformation. In Lamp In The Dark the stage is in many ways set for the story and controversy explored in Tares Among The Wheat.

Topics Covered

The documentary Tares Among The Wheat covers a variety of topics that relate to the Codex Sinaiticus controversy. First, viewers will learn about the Catholic Counter-Reformation which was a somewhat violent response to the Protestant Reformation. New information regarding the topic is explained, the origins of this Counter-Reformation are discussed, and this brief history lesson will help viewers understand the controversy that Tares Among The Wheat explores. Next, the documentary discusses the Waldenses, Albigenses, Paulicians. These three groups were all religious sects that sprang from the Protestant Reformation, and the documentary discusses some of the opposition and arguments they faced throughout history. The documentary Tares Among The Wheat then continues to establish a historical context and base for the Codex Sinaiticus controversy by explaining the establishment of the Papacy in 606 A.D. as well as where the message of salvation by works (rather than grace) emerged from, and how it altered church history.

After laying the historical foundations Tares Among The Wheat dives into the many plots and attempts to control and alter the Bible. The documentary introduces the idea that the Jesuits desired to seize control of the Bible, and discusses what could have been plotting to do so. In addition, Tares Among The Wheat follows the battle between Protestants, Catholics, and later Anglicans to control the Bible and its contents. Finally, the documentary dives into the story of Codex Sinaiticus and introduces new angles and opinions on the subject.

Codex Sinaiticus

Fragments of the Codex Sinaiticus were first discovered by German scholar̴Ì_Constantin von Tischendorf in 1844 atSaint Catherine's Monasteryi n the Sinai Peninsula. After several return journeys, Tischendorf obtained the full codex in 1859. The discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus is visualized in the documentary Tares Among The Wheat The Codex Sinaiticus (Which can also be known as the "Sinai Bible") is considered by many to be an ancient handwritten copy of the Greek Bible and is today one of the four great uncial codes (manuscripts that contain (or did contain) contain the entire text of the̴Ì_GreekBible--both Old and New Testament). Written in the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus is considered by many of today's scholars to be one of the best Greek texts of theNew Testament (along with Codex Vaticanus). The Codex Sinaiticus contains portions of Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles, all of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and all the books between Joel and Malachi. The Codex includes the whole of the New Testament with a few minor missing verses and phrases. The Codex Sinaiticus also includes two other books--The Epistles of Barnabas and The Shepherd of Hermas--as well as portions of the Septuagint (2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 1 and 4 Maccabees, Wisdom, and Sirach). Tares Among The Wheat discusses the contents of the Codex Sinaiticus and explores the idea of whether or not the contents are fakes, not ancient portions of the Bible.

Conclusion

The documentary Tares Among The Wheat presents a little-known portion of the Bible's history. Viewers will explore portions of Ancient, Medieval, Church and Reformation history, as well as learning the story and history of Codex Sinaiticus. Tares Among The Wheat presents a little-discussed possibility that the Codex Sinaiticus is indeed a hoax--not the valuable historical document most scholars believe. With many Biblical and historical experts, historical manuscripts, and the Bible itself, Tares Among The Wheat explores the controversy surrounding the Codex Sinaiticus from Biblical and scholarly viewpoints. Moments from history are reenacted throughout the documentary, making for an enjoyable film as well as a documentary. Discover one of the most influential documents in our Bible today from a new perspective in Tares Among The Wheat.

Tares Among The Wheat has not been rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, and may include topics and issues not suitable for younger viewers. As always, it is recommended that parents preview all content to determine what is suitable for their children, but the documentary Tares Among The Wheat is considered appropriate for most audiences.