For those that did not ( or do not )have an understanding of the basics, for those that did not know the David that killed Goliath became King David, and that his son Solomon became King Solomon, like most non religious people, it is a good watch. The so called experts must be actual experts. Otherwise, if your not an "expert " then watch it. You'll be entertained and you'll come out more knowledgeable than when you started. Love the expert reviewers that think we all are experts. Not.
12 Reviews
Interesting and easy to follow
punkrockprincess66618 August 2021
I'm surprised by the reviews because I'm only on episode 1 and I am very interested. I am watching this to learn because I've always wondered what the story was. I have no formal knowledge regarding the history. Whether you agree or disagree on the facts, it's well laid out and I am able to follow along and understand, so I think this is great so far. I wish they would do more series in this format like the history of India!
Delegitimizing Israel
dh98pr617 August 2021
I've just seen the episode covering 1935-1948. Interesting that the key _Palestinian_ leader in this period, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hadj al-Amin al-Husseini, is never even mentioned. One Palestinian "scholar" went so far as to claim the Palestinians had no leadership representing them in 1947-1948. There was a reason for this. Al-Husseini was a Nazi. He led a violent three year rebellion against the British,1936-1939, which the British had to crush with the threat of Nazi Germany looming. This was dismissed in the show as the British suppressing Palestinian leadership and driving them into exile, without explanation. Al-Husseini fled to Iraq and helped organize another rebellion against the British (in wartime, with German support) which was also put down. Husseini then wound up in Berlin, appearing with Hitler, and helping raise Muslim troops for the Waffen-SS. I can see why the Arab leadership of 1947-48, the producers, and the Palestinians who apparently wrote this script, would want him out of the story, but he _was_ the Palestinian leader, and a violent anti-Semite, throughout the period. Instead, they created a straw man, Abdullah of Transjordan (later Jordan) as the Arab leader in opposition to the creation of Israel, because he wanted to hold Jerusalem for the Arabs. They did note, in a footnote, that he was assassinated in 1951 by "a Palestinian nationalist," without explanation. He was murdered because he was a moderate who accepted the outcome of the 1948-1949 war. But no mention of the man who was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem- what city is this series about, again?
Then there was the stress on Irgun terrorism, and the attempt, with two brief exceptions, to make it representative of the entire Zionist movement. No question they were terrorists, and Deir Yassin and the King David Hotel were terrorist acts, But did the Palestinians not commit these acts as well? Hebron, 1929, 60+ Jewish dead. How many dead in the slighted Arab rebellion of 1936-1939? Not a mention. Then there was Husseini again, putting a bounty on the head of his Palestinian political opponents, the Nashashibis. But that was probably too deep in the grass for a one hour show. Besides, Husseini doesn't exist, right?
Nor does the policy of both Husseini and the Arab High Committee to instruct Arab villagers to move their women and children out Palestine, leaving the young men behind to fight, first considered in 1946, a year and a half before Deir Yassin. Facts can be such a problem.
If you want a balanced, warts and all on both sides, account of this period. Take the time and read the books of Benny Morris. CNN has no credibility.
Then there was the stress on Irgun terrorism, and the attempt, with two brief exceptions, to make it representative of the entire Zionist movement. No question they were terrorists, and Deir Yassin and the King David Hotel were terrorist acts, But did the Palestinians not commit these acts as well? Hebron, 1929, 60+ Jewish dead. How many dead in the slighted Arab rebellion of 1936-1939? Not a mention. Then there was Husseini again, putting a bounty on the head of his Palestinian political opponents, the Nashashibis. But that was probably too deep in the grass for a one hour show. Besides, Husseini doesn't exist, right?
Nor does the policy of both Husseini and the Arab High Committee to instruct Arab villagers to move their women and children out Palestine, leaving the young men behind to fight, first considered in 1946, a year and a half before Deir Yassin. Facts can be such a problem.
If you want a balanced, warts and all on both sides, account of this period. Take the time and read the books of Benny Morris. CNN has no credibility.
Unfolds a labyrinthine problem.. a MUST watch
samabc-319526 September 2021
"For the Jews Solomon built the holy temple here
For the Christians Jesus was crucified here
For the Muslims Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from here"
Israleans, Romans, Macedonians, Arabs, crusaders, French, British all wanted to get a control over it, seize it ... it is considered as a navel of the world...The Holy City - Jerusalem...
"If you are on a large crusade that means you may have an indulgence and indulgence is something forgive your sins on earth !!!"
How British used mandate to colonize the Middle East along side French and how it played everyone to its advantage by telling Arabs, here is your land - claim your freedom and to Jews, here is your country, rule over it.. and the result was partition and the sin committed by imperialism is taking its toll even today... While this series misses out the Greeks account ( Alexander the Great) during the siege of Tyre, It examines the history of this region with players like Zionism and it's leader Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Ottoman General Jamal Pasha, Prince Faisal, T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), King Abdullah, King Hussein, Nasser, Cleopetra, King Richard, Sultan Salauddin, David and his son Solomon and many more ..and the events such as 6-days war, the partition, the crusades, Jewish immigration, current situation ... It tries to unfold and untangle this centuries-old labyrinthine problem that prevails in that region ...a commendable attempt.. Kudos to CNN!! A MUST MUST watch series...
How British used mandate to colonize the Middle East along side French and how it played everyone to its advantage by telling Arabs, here is your land - claim your freedom and to Jews, here is your country, rule over it.. and the result was partition and the sin committed by imperialism is taking its toll even today... While this series misses out the Greeks account ( Alexander the Great) during the siege of Tyre, It examines the history of this region with players like Zionism and it's leader Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Ottoman General Jamal Pasha, Prince Faisal, T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), King Abdullah, King Hussein, Nasser, Cleopetra, King Richard, Sultan Salauddin, David and his son Solomon and many more ..and the events such as 6-days war, the partition, the crusades, Jewish immigration, current situation ... It tries to unfold and untangle this centuries-old labyrinthine problem that prevails in that region ...a commendable attempt.. Kudos to CNN!! A MUST MUST watch series...
Very Nice Documentary from Our Beloved Ewan Mcgregor
goodherou28 September 2021
I watched the documentary and it did not just pull my attention and kept me engaged but also I enjoyed the visualization of how things were during the Middle Ages in Jerusalem and the nice transitions historically. Too bad that many people with politically biased views of the world or "Polarized" would try to omit everything good related to the Arabs because of geopolitics and to maintain war economic interests of some parties in the USA who benefit from that hatred. Anyways, very good documentary. I wish to see more of these in future to cover the ignored parts of history around the world.
Very fair!!
bzhdnruh28 August 2021
Missing history
themac-321523 August 2021
I had such high hopes for the series. I eat up and relish historical documentaries. I consider myself a connoisseur. I was so disappointed when watching even the first episode how much history they missed. When they started the history of Jerusalem they missed it's very beginnings in the Bible.
One of the first times it shows up in scripture is whe Abram intersects with Melchizedek who is "king of Salem." (Gen 14:18) When Abram brings the tithe Melchizedek In Genesis 14. This shows centuries of a relationship of the Hebrews with the city of Jerusalem long before the conquest of Joshua. The documentary did not accurately care relational equity with the city and the Hebrew people they simply said that the Hebrew people committed genocide on the people of the land in Joshua's day
Likely the second largest miss was the Greek era. CNN did not even mention Alexander the Great or his conquest of the Middle East and into Persia. They skipped past so much of important pivotal history for the city of Jerusalem. I know they can't include all of history but not to include the classical period of Greeks and all of the Greeks have influence on our modern world and the city of Jerusalem was a complete miss. They opened up episode 2 going from Solomon straight into the Roman era.
CNN needed to do a more thorough job of researching history, and representing history if they're going to do a multi episode documentary. Sorry I can't continue to go back and watch if you're missing so much history.
One of the first times it shows up in scripture is whe Abram intersects with Melchizedek who is "king of Salem." (Gen 14:18) When Abram brings the tithe Melchizedek In Genesis 14. This shows centuries of a relationship of the Hebrews with the city of Jerusalem long before the conquest of Joshua. The documentary did not accurately care relational equity with the city and the Hebrew people they simply said that the Hebrew people committed genocide on the people of the land in Joshua's day
Likely the second largest miss was the Greek era. CNN did not even mention Alexander the Great or his conquest of the Middle East and into Persia. They skipped past so much of important pivotal history for the city of Jerusalem. I know they can't include all of history but not to include the classical period of Greeks and all of the Greeks have influence on our modern world and the city of Jerusalem was a complete miss. They opened up episode 2 going from Solomon straight into the Roman era.
CNN needed to do a more thorough job of researching history, and representing history if they're going to do a multi episode documentary. Sorry I can't continue to go back and watch if you're missing so much history.
As I watched the first episode,
jackbaumel21 July 2021
My b.s. Detector kept going off, So, I did some research. These so called experts are pulling an awful lot of their "insights" out from where the sun doesn't shine. Highly controversial views outside the historical scholar mainstream.
Subjective and Selective
suppililiumas13 August 2021
The series omits many key events . Major milestones in the history of Jerusalem ave been ignored or interpreted in a questionable way..
A superficial inaccurate incomplete and wholly subjective series. Non-History. Not too good.
A superficial inaccurate incomplete and wholly subjective series. Non-History. Not too good.
3000 years? Really?
koofasa11 October 2021
Jews have been in Israel and Jerusalem for more than 5000 years. Why watch a hacked up version of history by a news channel that makes up entertaining stories and then presents them as news? People who don't know better will be duped for sure.
When did Saul, David and Solomon become actual historical perons?
maenad-326 July 2021
It was stunning and very confusing to see a series of legendary accounts treated by actual grown-up scholarly talking heads as if they were real history. There is no extra-biblical evidence for a Saul, David, Solomon and all the other characters like Goliath (fairy tale of the brave little giant killer motif) and Uriah (Bellerophonic letter motif). While those tales are epic and entertaining, they should not have been treated as bona fide historical events, which constitutes an insult to the intelligence of the viewers. Israel Finkelstein, chairman of the Archaeology Department at Tel Aviv University, and biblical archaeologist Neil Asher Silberman have written a scholarly opus entitled "The Bible Unearthed." They show that during the early tenth century, Judah and Jerusalem were under populated centers incapable of supporting a Davidic empire; therefore, at best, David and his heirs were no more than local chieftains. The talking heads should have made it clear that the historicity of those events is sketchy at best. Instead, they made us watch a mini-biblical epic featuring lust, rape and the sadism of Solomon.
Totally inaccurate
franky-677989 August 2021
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