Starring no less than seven Academy Award winners, the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth was a global television event - one of the most celebrated TV biographies of Jesus ever made.
Now, 40 years later, the actor who portrayed Jesus, Robert Powell, is returning to the Holy Land to seek out clues to the real historical figure who inspired Christianity.
Jesus of Nazareth featured a cast of blockbuster stars, including Anne Bancroft, Ian McShane, Sir Laurence Olivier and James Earl Jones, but for his lead character, legendary Italian filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli chose the relatively unknown British actor - Robert Powell.
Now, this new four-part series will draw parallels between the scripted depiction of the biblical story and the real history behind it by breaking down the life of Jesus and the world he lived in - a world ripe for a radical message that would change history.
The Real Jesus of Nazareth combines scenes from the landmark series with Powell's journey throughout modern Israel, where he meets archaeologists and scholars who help him reconstruct the story of the man who changed history and inspired billions.
Returning to the Holy Land to investigate the life and times of the real historical figure who inspired Christianity, Powell takes viewers through the life of Jesus - what his childhood looked like, the teachings that spawned a religion, and eventually his final days on Earth.
| CHANNEL |
HISTORY (DStv 186) |
| PREMIERE |
18 March 2018 |
| TIMESLOT |
Sundays, 19h20 |
| REPEATS |
Sundays, 22h55 |