National Geographic Channel delves into biblical mysteries this Sunday

It's rare that I see biblical history covered on television in a way I like. Not having a vested interest in the Bible, I prefer an objective approach, but too often such documentaries put heavy focus on the supernatural aspect and are rife with interviews with experts who are only interested in proselytizing.

Of course, faith and a belief in a higher power are important to any religious belief system, so such an approach can't be discarded entirely, but I'm one who just wants the information so I can sort it all out on my own. I'll watch a documentary to get information; I'll go to church to be preached to.

This Sunday, March 11, the National Geographic Channel is presenting two one-hour specials that will delve into two biblical mysteries: the first, "Decoding the Dead Sea Scrolls," (9:00 p.m.) will focus on the history of the ancient artifacts, which are currently located in a museum in Jerusalem. The Dead Sea Scrolls, which consist of over 900 manuscripts, are the oldest known biblical texts.

Following "Decoding the Dead Sea Scrolls" is "Cain and Abel" at 10:00 p.m. The story of Cain and Abel, in which Cain slays Abel after God rejects his sacrifice and accepts Abel's, is told very briefly in the Bible, but it has since spurred a lot of philosophical religious debate about what the story means and what it says about how mankind approaches both war and peace.

I'm intrigued by both of these stories, hopefully they'll be told in a manner that's both interesting and informative.