Testament: The Story of Moses

Testament: The Story of Moses aspires to be a captivating blend of historical drama and religious narrative. However, it falters on both fronts. The visuals fail to impress, appearing more like a mediocre TV movie than a high-budget miniseries. Moreover, the show's portrayal of the biblical tale strays from accuracy in ways that may frustrate viewers seeking a faithful adaptation.

But the most glaring misstep lies in Testament's attempt to reinterpret the classic story through a contemporary social justice lens. This forced approach feels entirely out of place within the ancient Egyptian setting. Instead of enriching the narrative, it justructs the story's emotional impact and undermines its timeless themes.

If you're looking for a visually stunning and faithful portrayal of the Moses story, Testament: The Story of Moses is a disappointment. It might hold some appeal for those seeking a heavily dramatized reimagining with a modern twist, but even for that audience, the execution falls short.

I came with reservations because of other comments, but apparently they didn't watch it until the end, because I did in fact find it very entertaining, insightful, touching and also very realistic.

I like how they show Moses for what he really was - a shy, reserved and troubled individual. They don't hide the fact that he lived most of his life as a fugitive. They also show accounts of his interactions with various local people from polytheistic tribes and other faiths, which most other shows about topics such as the bible omit. Reality is much more diverse and complex than just the mythical story, and they honor this fact historically.

If this would have been a show trying to "convert" you (Judaism is against conversion anyway), they would have painted Moses in a much better light and also focused only on the "mono" theistic part of that history, but they actually do the opposite.

What I'm trying to say is that this show is not religious in any way, it's pretty much objective and shows that everyone has good and bad sides, such as fitting real life. It even shows GOD as a multifaceted entity such as he is in the Hebrew bible and his complex relationship with Moses, and tackle grand philosophical questions such as "Why did god create evil in the first place?".

So in essence, they do bring this biblical story to life and the main actors in my point of you have very realistic relationships among themselves.

The only fault I have to say is that yes, it is a bit "cliche", but I think only because it's a story we are all familiar with. They did succeed in bringing in a fresh historical perspective. Even though it's in English, and obviously adapted to a modern crowd so that not every single detail is precisely accurate or sometimes dramatized, I applaud the fact that they made it feel so raw and intimate. Overall, I recommend.

Lots of good things in this and interesting facts shared, in particular by the Christian and Jewish commentators. Also some errors, not limited to:

• Moses went up the mountain twice to get the 10 commandments, not once as is shown here.

• No need to show Moses' mum talking to him at the end as a spirit ghost.

• No partying shown around the golden calf as the bible recalls.

• No Tabernacle shown.

As with all these movies about Moses, so much is shown about the journey to the Red Sea and the crossing, that the end is always rushed.

But, let's not decry that this is on Netflix and many people will hear the story, who may not otherwise have done.

So whether you like this or not really depends on why you are watching. Are you watching just to be entertained or are you watching To learn something about the Bible? If you were watching for entertainment then I think most people will be entertained by this because it's a story that we all are familiar with. If you are someone who has studied the story, you may be slightly frustrated in certain parts. It's not that it's bad by any means but I find that one of the experts that speak on the subject, An older lady, really tries to romanticize the whole story and seems to add a lot of her own details. If you were one that studies the Bible, you would know that a lot of these details aren't even in the story, but she is adding them in which can be a little bit frustrating and can cause inaccuracies in the storytelling. Generally, the story is correct, but like most Netflix shows, they take artistic liberty. I really wish this lady would just speak about the scriptures the way they were written rather than give her interpretation. It's all right there.

With that said, I was entertained. The story and the show in itself is decent and I think it's worth a watch.

I guess I just don't understand. Is the Bible not good enough that you have to make up scriptures that were never written. I'm sure there are other things to be critical of, but I just can't get over the hole taking one of the most important scriptures in the Bible and completely altering it. God says " I am, but I am and what I will be"???? Really? My goodness. What nonsense is this? Someone please explain to me why we need to throw that in there. And no point in this rambling coherent thought did the Bible God saying "and what I will be" - It's It's arguably one of the most important verses in the Bible and you don't alter those words even if you don't believe it ever happened. If you have any understanding of theology, it's completely completely wrong. God does not change. Again, it's OK if you don't believe it, but don't alter the story. God is not who will be. In the Bible, it says "I Am that I Am" this cronyism is painful. Artistic liberties may have their limits, but this is too much.