the special holiday event, back to the beginning with christiane amanpour continues now. >> i'm christiane amanpour and we're on a journey back to the beginning. we've set off to try to unravel some of the history and the mysteries that lie behind the stories of the bible from genesis to jesus. we're overlooking the old city of jerusalem where so many stories unfolded. our journey is taking us to cities and deserts across the ancient world. so come along with us. after the great flood, the bible says that god made a promise to never again destroy the earth. noah's family prospered and the descendents spread across the
get their turn to touch the silver star. >> it's unbelievable to think that this is where jesus was born. >> you know actually being able to go down and touch the stone, every christmas, this is what we hear about, before i wasn't really sure about my faith. now i'm here, i'm seeing all of this, i love this. it's amazing. >> the christmas story is all about stars and light in the gospels a star leads the three wisemen, the maji. >> it was the signal of the birth of an important prominent person. >> could there really have been such a star on the night jesus was born? >> scientists do indicate there was extraordinary activity in the skies.
welcome the angels news, mary, like jesus, was jewish, and for generations prophets such isaiah were telling the jewish people that a messiah would come and lead them to their destiny. >> but many jews weren't looking for a mighty king, and isaiah says the lord himself will give you a sign. for example, isaiah that a virgin would conceive and bare a son. >> like her old testament ancestors from noah, to moses to the prophets, mary answered the call and she's become an icon to more than just christians. >> in the competitor ran, he is the only woman who has a chapter dedicated to her. mary is the most unifying factor with an all world religion. >> back in the cave, alexander and his mother theresa finally
muslims and that's something important to keep in mind. >> but in the end, it didn't matter whose fault it was, they both suffered the consequences of disobeying god. the first lesson of genesis is cold and hard. for humans, sustaining life on this earth is not meant to be easy. >> we have to go out into that cold, suffering world where we labor by the sweat of our brows and give forth our children in pain and have to suffer and die. >> and we christians believe that this is why jesus came, to solve that problem. to pay the penalty for sin. >> but maybe, when eve made the choice that christians call original sin, it was something more, maybe it was the first act of original thought. >> adam and eve, free will? >> absolutely free will. that's a story of you can make a choice. that's the most horrible thing
i am -- as a muslim woman he believe he existed from the koran because these type of words can never be manmade. no matter what you call this power. allah, jesus, yahweh, whatever. it's one at the end. >> and in all these religious traditions, judaism, christianity, and islam, moses finally answered god's call and headed home to face down the pharaoh. >> coming up just minutes from now, snakes and hail and clouds of locusts. we go in search of the story behind the ten plagues and the pharaoh who messed with moses. our journey around the world and across time continues when "back to the beginning with christiane amanpour" returns.
star to welcome and worship her newborn child. >> he's the prince of peace, that's what we call him. that's what christmas is all about. >> and so every year, two million pilgrims are drawn here to the church of the nativity where there's a small cave that marks the humble beginnings of their savior. >> i'm excited to be here. >> do you believe this is where jesus was born? >> i do. >> i met alexander drew and his mother theresa who traveled all the ways from north carolina to try to really connect with their faith. >> i believe it's somewhere here, whether it's right at that spot, i don't know, now when i go down there into the gratto, i may feel like this is the place. >> first, we must wait as the greek orthodox caretakers prepare and purify this sacred place. [ singing ]
>> with christiane amanpour, danger is real. and so are the discoveries. >> our guide is carrying a gun. >> look at this, guys. is this cool or what? >> as we trace the saga, spanning generations of greed, envy, love, betrayal, and forgiveness, back. back to the beginning with christiane amanpour. we're thrilled to have you join us on a great adventure, a trip across the ancient world, as we plumb the secrets and the mysteries of the stories of the bible. hello, everyone. i'm christiane amanpour. and those stories, from genesis to jesus, still incredibly today have the power to comfort us and to guide us, to cause us to go to war and also to make peace. today jews, christians, and muslims revere the same tortured, often brave, always fallible heroes that stride across the pages of this book.
>> and down here in this grotto is this alter, it's marked by a silver star, and it's where chr christians say it all began. this is why jesus was born. the faithful gathered in this intimate space believed that the birth of jesus here was the fulfillment of a series of predictions and promises that began more than 2,000 years ago. 70 miles north of bethlehem is the small hill city of nazareth, an old church marks the spot where gabriel first told the virgin mary that she would bare a savior. >> i think mary's response to the angel's words is nothingless than startling -- nothing less than startling. instead of saying impossible, mary said bring it on, let's roll. what took you so long? >> she had good reason to
and so are the discoveries. >> our guide is carrying a gun. >> look at this, guys. is this cool or what? >> as we trace the saga, spanning generations of greed, envy, love, betrayal, and forgiveness, back. back to the beginning with christiane amanpour. we're thrilled to have you join us on a great adventure, a trip across the ancient world, as we plumb the secrets and the mysteries of the stories of the bible. hello, everyone. i'm christiane amanpour. and those stories, from genesis to jesus, still incredibly today have the power to comfort us and to guide us, to cause us to go to war and also to make peace. today jews, christians, and muslims revere the same tortured, often brave, always fallible heroes that stride across the pages of this book. as our journey continued, we
place. down here in this church of nativity is this alter marked by a silver star and where christians and the tradition says all of this began, this is where they believe jesus was born. the faithfully gathered in this intimate space believing the birth of jesus here was the fulfillment vwith predictions that begin. 7 miles north is the city of nas rit. where the angel gabe yell first told the virgin mary that she would bare his savior. >> i think mary's response to the angel's words is nothing less than startling. instead of saying impossible. mary said, bring it on, let's roll.