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10 Awe-Inspiring Bible Epics You Can Stream Tonight

No matter what your religious beliefs may be, you have to admit that the Bible is chock full of incredible, amazing, and inspiring stories. From Adam and Eve to the Book of Revelation, it’s a text that gives us the history of our morals and warns us against behaving at our worst.

Both Passover and Easter are this weekend, and so it would come as no surprise if the Bible was on your mind. We’ve compiled a list of must-see Bible epics. Some are crazy-long classics, while others are fun reinterpretations that the whole family can enjoy. No matter what, these films will leave you inspired by the tales of the Bible.

1

‘The Bible’

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Everett Collection

The Bible is a text of deep religious significance, but it’s also one of the first really juicy soap operas. Think about it: we follow various family lines over the centuries as they fall in love, make mistakes, murder each other, and take over thrones. Naturally, uber-producer Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, turned the tome into one of the biggest television events in recent memory: The Bible. And now, you can catch the whole thing on Netflix. [Watch The Bible]

2

‘The Ten Commandments’

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Everett Collection

I could be alone in this, but nothing says “Passover/Easter” like a family screening of The Ten Commandments. One of my favorite parts of the spring holiday season as a child was watching Charlton Heston call on the power of God to take on Yul Brynner in this legendary Cecil B. DeMille Bible epic. It’s almost four hours long, but it’s all worth it when the film finally ramps up to one of the most iconic moments in film history: the parting of the Red Sea. [Where To Stream The Ten Commandments]

3

‘The Prince of Egypt’

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Everett Collection

If you’re worried that the kids won’t be able to make it through a marathon viewing session of The Ten Commandments, The Prince of Egypt also gives Exodus the cinematic love it deserves. While you won’t get Anne Baxter’s legendary swoons – “Moses! MOSEEESSS!” — you will get swept away by the gorgeous animation and by the soaring original soundtrack. [Watch The Prince of Egypt]

4

‘The Robe’

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Everett Collection

At its heart, The Robe is Biblical fan fiction. It’s based on a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas that asks, “Yo, what was the deal with the Roman soldier who won Jesus’ robe in a game of dice?” Douglas supposes that the Roman officer was so affected by his interactions with Christ, that winning the robe changed his life and induced him to become a Christian. And so, The Robe, paints the picture of what happens when we let remorse become a healing power in our souls. Also, it’s an excuse to watch Richard Burton in his prime… [Watch The Robe]

5

‘The Passion of the Christ’

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Everett Collection

Mel Gibson’s astonishingly vivid (and nauseatingly detailed) recreation of Christ’s final days became a worldwide box office sensation and sparked a controversial firestorm. Was Gibson anti-Semitic? Did the whole film really need to be in Latin and Aramaic? Finally, why so much gore? (Oh, because it’s what really happened? Play on.) Whether you agree with Gibson’s interoperation of the Gospels or not, you’ve got to give the film credit for its relentless ambition. [Watch The Passion of the Christ]

6

‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’

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Everett Collection

A young Max von Sydow plays Jesus Christ in this intense retelling of the New Testament. We follow Christ from his birth all the way to his crucifixion. How long does that take? 260 minutes. That’s more than four hours, but I suppose if you’re going to tout yourself has “The Greatest Story On Earth,” you’re allowed to take your time. Now, is that title a hyperbole? Spend four and a half hours of your life watching this to see for yourself. [Where to Stream The Greatest Story Ever Told]

7

‘Barabbas’

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Everett Collection

If you feel like your Christ stories are missing a sweaty, lusty Anthony Quinn, then you’re in luck! Thief and general malcontent Barabbas is scheduled to be crucified, but Christ is put in his place. Barabbas spends the rest of the film evading death and struggling with his own morals. Eventually, he converts to Christianity, and I’ll let you find out what happens next… (HINT: It’s ironic, and not in the Alanis Morissette way.) [Where to Stream Barabbas]

8

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ (1973)

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Everett Collection

Yes, it’s another story about Christ’s final days, but this one has Andrew Lloyd Webber synth opera! When you consider that this film came out in ’70s, in the time when the optimism of the hippies was sliding into jaded cynicism, the message of Christ’s death has a little more heft. [Where to Stream Jesus Christ Superstar]

9

‘VeggieTales: Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen’

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Netflix

Okay, sure, this is a VeggieTales cartoon, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t inspire you with awe while retelling one of the Bible’s greatest stories. Personally, I’m in awe that a feel-good Christian animation company turned a story that involves a girl surviving the harem of a vain and avaricious Persian king and then stealthily advocating for Hebrew rights into a sweet story for kiddies. [Watch VeggieTales: Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen]

10

‘The Dovekeepers’

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CBS

So, technically, The Dovekeepers isn’t based on a story in the Bible. It’s an adaptation of Alice Hoffman’s sprawling novel about the siege of Masada. In 70 CE (or 70 AD if you’re feeling old school about how we date things), a small group of Jews held off Roman invasion for months. It’s a true story about faith, love, hope, courage, and overcoming the odds that’s been reinterpreted to focus on the women involved in the fight. The CBS miniseries is being produced by the team who brought you The Bible, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. So, there’s totally a “biblical” angle.[Watch The Dovekeepers tonight on the CBS All Access App]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNVWRBTN7SI]

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