The Bible and Film
Exodus, Creation and American Culture
with Prof. Adele Reinhartz
6 Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET
June 9 - July 14
All classes will be recorded and sent to registrants.
Since the birth of cinema, the Bible has been a star of the silver screen, influencing many of the movies we love.
Some films retell (or attempt to retell) biblical stories. Others include biblical quotations, biblically-named figures, biblical story-lines, and sometimes Bibles themselves as they tell their own (non-biblical) stories.
In this new online course with world-renowned scholar Adele Reinhartz, we will look at Hollywood examples of both categories — from the iconic "The Ten Commandments" from 1956 to the simulacrum of "The Truman Show" in 1998.
We will begin with a general overview that will include some pointers on how to watch these films and what to watch out for. In the sessions that follow, we will discuss and watch clips from movies based on two central biblical stories: The Exodus story and the story of creation (Genesis 1-3).
Our discussion will focus on 1) how these films are interpreting the bible; 2) what they tell us about the role of the Bible in American society; and 3) what they might say about American society itself.
It is helpful but not essential to watch the following films ahead of time. Most can be rented from Youtube or other streaming sites for a nominal sum (not included in this course price).
"The Ten Commandments" (1956; dir. Cecil B. Demille)
"Prince of Egypt" (1998; dir. Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, Steve Hickner)
"Harriet" (2019; dir. Kasi Lemmons)
"The Truman Show: (1998; dir. Peter Weir)
"Pleasantville" (1998; dir. Gary Ross)
There are no refunds for this course. By registering, you'll also begin receiving an events email each Sunday from My Jewish Learning featuring free and paid classes and events offered by our 70 Faces Media brands.
About Your Teacher
Adele Reinhartz is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Ottawa, where she teaches in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies. Her main research areas are the Gospel of John, ancient Jewish/Christian relations, and Bible and Film. Adele served as the general editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature from 2012-2019 and as the President of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2020. She will serve as President of the Society of New Testament Studies in 2026-27. Adele was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2005 and into the American Academy for Jewish Research in 2014. In 2021, she won the Konrad Adenauer Prize, awarded to one Canadian annually by the Humboldt Foundation in Germany, and in 2025 she received the Eternal Light Award for her contribution to Catholic-Jewish relations. Her most recent books are "The Bible and Cinema: An Introduction" (2nd edition, 2022) and "Jousting with John: Essays on Jews, Gender, and Ethics in the Fourth Gospel" (2025).
Related Courses
About My Jewish Learning
My Jewish Learning is the internet's leading pluralistic Jewish education resource. We offer thousands of articles, videos, live classes and other resources to help you navigate all aspects of Judaism and Jewish life — from Jewish ritual and practice to texts to history and culture.
My Jewish Learning is geared toward all backgrounds and levels of knowledge and is a part of 70 Faces Media, the largest Jewish digital media organization in North America.