Ancient Mysteries

- Season 2

(1994)

The "Enigma of the Dead Sea Scrolls," which contain most of the books of the Old Testament. Included: the accidental discovery of the scrolls in 1947 and subsequent findings; interviews with archaeologists.

A look at the making of "Rapa Nui," which speculates on the native inhabitants of Easter Island, who built strange giant statues before the Dutch arrived in 1722.

We know Queen Helen, the Trojan Horse and Achilles as larger-than-life myths. Explore their legends as an expedition visits the city of Troy 3,000 years after its fabled fall to yield another chapter in its timeless tale.

The Shroud of Turin, long thought to be Jesus Christ's burial garment, has inspired the faithful for centuries. But one very important question remains is it authentic, or merely a medieval forgery?

A report on the mystery surrounding the Shroud of Turin, thought by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus. Scientists in three countries investigating the shroud's authenticity are observed using carbon dating and other techniques.

Tracing the rise and fall of Knights Templars, a religious-military order that fought for Christ during the 12th and 13th centuries, according to narrator Henry Lincoln.

Examining the Upuaut project, in which robotic cameras explored the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Included: comments from writers Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert ("The Orion Project"), and Emma Freud.

An examination of the Catholic Church's orthodoxy court asserts that it was a victim of a Protestant "propaganda campaign."

A report on the ongoing search for the Loch Ness monster examines eyewitness accounts and scientific evidence. Included: footage of Nessie (maybe); sonar readings; an uncovered hoax.

"Easter Island: The Secrets" offers theories concerning the origin of the ancient stone statues that populate the island, who carved them, and why.