A series of 12 programmes Written and presented by Magnus Magnusson
11:By the Rivers of Babylon
-Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon sent the leading citizens of Jerusalem and Judah into exile in Babylon in 587 bc. Fifty years later Cyrus, King of the Persians, the new master of the ' Bible Lands ', returned the Jews to their city and allowed them to rebuild the Temple. But what happened during those 50 years ' by the rivers of Babylon '? It has been suggested that this was when much of the Old Testament was inspired and written-the time when priests and scribes compiled the story of the Children of Israel to help them keep faith in their past and provide hope for the future. It's a controversial theory and tonight MAGNUS MAGNUSSON considers it against the background of the rise and fall of the Babylonian empire.
Bible reader Eric Porter
Film cameramen PETER HALL , JOHN HOOPER Film editor SIMON HAMMOND
Executive producer DAVID COLLISON Producer ANTONIA BENEDEK