ABSTRACT
One of the most common types of “Bible” films are Hebrew Bible epics. By 1916, over 110 films based on the Hebrew Bible had appeared. This chapter explores the rise of the Hebrew Bible epic, the animated musical The Prince of Egypt, and two relatively recent films, Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings and Darren Aronofsky’s Noah. It illustrates how films can illuminate biblical texts, and how biblical texts can illuminate films. Many consider Samson and Delilah the first true biblical epic. This was the fourth film on the subject, and four films on Samson have appeared since. Many elements that become standard in subsequent Moses films appear in The Ten Commandments: the identity of the pharaoh Moses opposes as Rameses II; a rivalry between Moses and his “brother” Rameses; and Moses’ realization that he is a Hebrew as the pivotal moment of his character development.
