JERUSALEM, Israel – The release of CBN’s docudrama The Oracles of God traces how the word of God became the Bible we read today. Tremendous work went into making this this film, and CBN News went behind the scenes for a special look.
We visited one of the many sets used in making The Oracles of God, which was the set that recreated the historic moment on November 29, 1947, when the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state.
CBN’s Erin Zimmerman is both writer and director for the project. She told us about that historic day of the U.N. vote. “It was the exact night that a Jewish archaeologist brought the Dead Sea Scrolls home to what would soon become the State of Israel. He said something to the effect of, ‘I can’t help but see the significance of this coming home after 2000 years, the night that we get our independence back. It’s as if they were waiting in those caves for us!’ So, they saw it. So, of course, how can we not see it?,” she asked.
Zimmerman explained, “The title actually comes from Romans 3, you know, “What advantage has the Jew? Much, in every way, for to them were given the Oracles of God” – meaning God trusted them so much. He entrusted them with His Word. So, we’re showing that process of, how, through the centuries and how, through the millennia., they not only took it down – painstakingly copied and translated to such an extent that they’re – you can’t even say that they’re not accurate because they measured the margins. They measured the letters, they counted, every single thing that could be counted. So basically this title is saying, these are the people to whom God entrusted His word.”
Sharon Schaveet produced the film, years in the making.
“Every shot in this film is special. It’s epic. It’s the art department. It’s the makeup, it’s the dresser. Everything is authentic,” Schaveet told us.
She added, “The amount of research that Erin, the director, did for this film, and the research and the preparation – we are working here for half a year, but this is a project (that) has been, in CBN I think, four years. And you will see it on screen. I’ve been (a) producer for 25 years and I’ve worked in many productions. For me, this is the most unique.”
They paid meticulous attention to detail, such as recreating the actual front pages of a newsstand on the set. On that day (in 1947), an ad in The Wall Street Journal led to more Dead Sea Scrolls that had been found in the caves of Qumran.
It wasn’t possible to film in the Qumran caves, so the production built a set to recreate the place where Bedouin shepherds discovered the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century.
Eytan Levy is the film’s production designer. He recalled, “It was a very, very difficult production – very difficult. We had nothing. We had to create everything from scratch. Now I can say that we really succeed to create this world.”
Schaveet described one of her highlights. “My favorite thing was when we were in Qumran, we recreated the world of the Essenes (the Jewish sect of which John the Baptist was believed to be member). And for the first time in 2000 years, we got the permit to fill the real mikveh (ritual bath) with water. So for me it was really a very special filming day and I’m sure the audience will enjoy it and will (be) very moved by it.”
Ishai Golan is the actor who portrayed Professor Sukenik.
“When a set is built so accurately, our job is very easy,” he said. We just have to slip in because the way this whole production has been arranged really is outstanding.”
Hagit Dasberg, who played Hasya Sukenik, the professor’s wife, had praise for Zimmerman. “Our director. And she knows how to work with everybody – with actors and with a cameraman. And she knows exactly what she wants. And it’s so easy, no tension at all.”
As production designer, Levy was impressed. “I found the research that Erin did, it was full and complete. It was beautiful. It was really easy to give her what she dreamed of.
Zimmerman insists the film is a Jewish story. “I don’t care if you’re Catholic, if you’re Protestant, if you’re Jewish, whoever reads the Bible – if you read the Bible and get something out of it, you owe a huge debt to the Jewish people. and they should have our gratitude. And I hope that that’s part of what this film does.”
Scaveet agreed, saying, “I think it’s very important to tell the story, the Jewish story and for me as an Israeli, it’s just fantastic. People will learn about the Jewish history.”
Zimmerman hopes The Oracles of God gives Christians a tool in the defense of their faith.
“I want them to have something that can say, no, these are the facts. Cause that’s what we’re doing. Can we prove this is the word of God? I cannot, empirically,” she explained. “That is a matter of faith. Can I prove that it was translated properly? Can I prove that the book of Isaiah that we had in the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls, around when Jesus was alive, is the same book of Isaiah that we had a thousand years later in a different set of manuscripts? Yes. We can say those are 95% identical.
She continued, “So we see how correctly it has been preserved over the ages. And you know what that other five percent (is)? Grammar and spelling. So grammar and spelling. Yes. A thousand years, grammar and spelling have changed. So I hope this gives a good factual historical look at just how things were translated and how they were kept very consistent the whole way.”
Zimmerman would like for the film to dispel some of the myths about the Bible.
“Most of the documentaries about the Bible come from the standpoint of, it’s a fairy tale, or it was, the books of the Bible were chosen for political reasons; and there’s this deep, dark, mysterious secret why these other books weren’t included. Or just, it wasn’t translated correctly and we can’t trust it. So, every documentary on this topic that I’ve watched comes from one of those viewpoints,” she said, and added, “So I just want to give Christians and even Jewish people – Jewish people will love this movie because it’s a very Jewish story – I want to give them something to watch. That’s the truth, you know, just the facts.”
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