FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The first half of the term dealt with the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament which deals with the history of the Jewish people and the predictions that a Messiah will come. The second half of the term deals with films of the New Testament which deals largely with the life of Jesus Christ who is seen by Christians as the Messiah. The term "Messiah" in Hebrew means "annointed". The Greek word is "Christ". Hence one can says "Jesus the Christ" or "Jesus Christ" or "Christ Jesus".

About 400 years of history happens between the Old and New Testament. Much has happened since the time of David and his son Solomon. Solomon built the temple for the ark, but Israel splits back into a Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah) Kingdom. The Babylonians invade the Judah, destroy the temple of Solomon and the Ark disappears. Israel is invaded by the Assyrians and the people are deported to Assyria. The Hebrew Bible comes to end with the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The Jews finally return to Israel and the Temple is rebuilt (2nd temple) which is smaller than the one Solomon built. The second temple is defiledd and dewstroyed during the Hasmonean period and is rebuilt yet again as a magnificent structure by Herod. This temple is destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans.

The New Testament is written in Greek and concerns itself with the birth, life and death of Jesus and the activities of his followers. The terms disciple and apostle are often used almost interchangeably, but technically a disciple is a student of a teacher. There are many of those. Apostle is used typically for the 12 closest friends of Christ (hence the 12 Apostles). However it comes from the Greek word "to send" (apostellein) and is used in The Bible for people who carry the message of Christ. Paul uses the term for himself although he never knew Christ in his human form.

Some people are referred to in the Bible by their place of birth. Mary, who comes from Magdala is sometimes called Mary the Magdalene or Mary Magdalene. The first four books of the New Testament are called the "gospels", a term means something like " the announcement of good news". The Greek form "euangelizesthai" gives rise to the word Evangelistic.

There are four gospels known (in order of their appearance in The Bible) are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The first three are very similar and are known as the synoptic ("seen together") gospels because they parallel each other so closely. The Gospel according to John is radically different. (Be careful, there are a number of people in the Bible who have the same or similar names - There are at least three men named John - John the Baptist (the cousin of Jesus), John the Apostle (writer of the gospel) and John the Divine whose name appears as the author of "Revelations").

While the Apostles knew Jesus personally, the Gospels themselves are written somewhat after the fact. Biblical scholarship holds that Mark was written shortly before 70 A.D., Matthew between 70 and 80 A.D., Luke between 80 and 90 A.D. and John around 100 A.D.

Mark has been associated with a lion, Matthew and angel or a man, Luke wiht an ox and John with an eagle.

From the time of Jesus there have been innumerable debates about religious matters which have led to schisms which produce more and more religions: Coptic, Protestant (in many demoninations) and even some fairly recently developed ones like Mormons and Christian Scientists. As is the case with all three of the "Chilren of Abraham" religions there is a great deal of commentary ond scholarship about the dogma (doctrines) and political structure.

Basically however, there is in all Christianity a trinity involving the father (God), the son Jesus (God made flesh) and a Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. The nature and relationship between these three is subject to much debate as is the nature of Jesus.

Although both the Jewish and Islamic faiths reject religious images (icons), Christians have not held this position, some scholars feeling that because God becomes flesh in Christ there is now a physical being who can be represented. The idea is that "God" clearly in the Old Testament is being set up as something distinct from the representations of gods as animals and the like in the ancient world.

Basically what is known about Christ in the Bible is a brief section about his birth and then his arrival as an adult preacher. The events in his life reflect a concern with fulfilling prophesies in the Old Testament. Christ is said to have been boen in Bethlehem where his parents were as a result of census being taken by the Romans. There is no evidence for such a census nor would people have been asked to return to the place of their birth to be counted. The fact that Jesus is called Jesus of Nazareth points to his birth in Nazareth rather than Bethlehem.

There are a number of scenes described in The Bible which lend themselves to tableaux and audiences would expect to see these. The first and second sets lend themselves to visual displays while the Beatitudes and the Last Seven Words rely more on sound than visual repressentation.

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD

Passion

Fourteen Stations of the Cross (Via doloroso - way of sorrows; via crucis - way of the cross)

The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

MATTHEW 5:3-10

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)

Seven Last Words

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
"Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
"Woman, behold thy son...Behold thy mother." (John 19:26-27)
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46)
"I thirst." (John 19:28)
"It is consummated." (John 19:30)
"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46)

In terms of filming the New Testament, the decision has to be made about how to deal with the 4 gospels telling roughly the same story. The film may relay on only ONE of the gospels, or must try to find a way to handle the differences between the gospels. This is sometimes callled "the harmonizing trajectory".

Some of the films which deal with the childhood of Jesus make use of some of the Apocryphal material such as THhe Gospel of the Childhood of Christ or The Gospels

The Passion and Death of Christ
(1902, 1905)

and

From the Manger to the Cross
(1912)

From the Manger to the Cross is a film with a "harmonizing trajectory" (harmonizes the gospels).

The early films are based on "Passion plays" which were performed regulary around Europe and America. Some of the earliest "shorts" are simply single events on film such as "Star of Bethlehem" etc. Finally the longer early films tend to follow events in the Bible relatively closely although they rarely cover all the events. The selections can be significant. Some of them are seen as basically "illustrated bibles"

The author of the script is Gene Gauntier who plays Mary, who married Jack Clark who plays the disciple John

. Film has high production values - filmed on location.

Robert Hederson-Bland who plays Jesus wrote two books about his experience: From Manager to Cross and Actor-Soldier Poet. What scenes are deleted?

What characters are stressed?

AFTER THE FILMS

What are deleted?
Most important are the loss of the scenes of adultry, possession, conflict with devil

The Jesus of the film is depicted as having strong ties to the women in the film - a kind of feminist Jesus. Perhaps because written by a woman.

How are women shown or perhaps not shown? No harlots or seducers. No Salome's dance, no wayward women, no attempt to stone woman convicted of adultry.

No appearance before Caiaphas or Jewish authorities.

Crucifixion is at 9 am (as in Mark) not 3 (as in John).

Film ends with crucifixion (and quote from John#:16 "God so loved the world..."), no following episodes (burial, resurrection etc.) are shown. Compare Life and Passion of Jesus Christ.

Visuals: Actual locations
Shadow of crucifixion when young Christ carries board from house
Parallel of soldiers whipping Jesus amd Jesus whipping money changers in the temple.
Judas in black
Darkness at crucifixion (no earthquake shown)