Watch Lost Treasures of the Bible: Secrets of Faith

The book of Revelation tells of an apocalyptic battle of good versus evil at the end of the world. It says the battle will happen in a place called Armageddon, but Armageddon is no myth. It takes its name from a real ancient settlement: Megiddo. So, what happened here to inspire a Biblical tale of such drama? Archaeologists believe that a series of battles took place here over several centuries, which may have given Megiddo a reputation for violence, turmoil and war as a series of powerful civilizations claimed it as their own. The Egyptians, Assyrians and — according to the Bible — the Israelites all flattened and then rebuilt the city. Finally, it was the site of a battle between King Josiah, the last of the line of King David, and the Egyptians, resulting in Josiah's death. Could these events be the origins of the Armageddon story?

In Iraq, archaeologists investigate the truth behind the legendary city of Babylon. First discovered in the 1800s, this vast ancient metropolis was home to extraordinary structures and a long line of notorious rulers. Babylon is one of the most famous cities in the Bible, mentioned hundreds of times, from the first book of Genesis to Revelation. But why did it have such a hold over the writers of the Bible? International teams of experts investigate ancient cities across Mesopotamia, which could shed light on this mystery. From the cultural wonders and dramatic history of Nineveh to the extraordinary ziggurat at Dur-Kurigalzu, exploring these sites helps reveal the real world of Babylon and illuminate why it was such a source of inspiration and fascination for the Bible's authors.

The legend of David and Goliath is one of the Bible's most famous stories. It tells of a battle between a young shepherd boy and a nine-foot-tall warrior. Now, teams of archaeologists investigate the real world behind this epic showdown. At Tel Azekah, excavators uncover the remains of an ancient city, destroyed by a devastating fire. In Egypt, inscriptions from the Temple of Karnak hint at the surprising origins of the Philistines, some of the Bible's most fearsome warriors, and at the ruined city of Gath, excavators uncover a fragment of pottery with two ancient names. Did a real Goliath live in this city?

Exodus and the conquest of the land of Canaan are among the Bible's most famous stories. They tell how the Israelites triumphed, with the help of the Ark of the Covenant. The problem is that there is little archaeological evidence that these tales happened exactly as the Bible describes. Across the Holy Land, archaeologists and investigators dig through the ruins of ancient cities to uncover the real world behind the biblical accounts. Just west of Jerusalem, one team explores a cave tomb to reveal evidence for the origins of the Israelites' enemies, the Philistines. In northern Israel, another team excavates the remains of the Canaanite kingdom's mightiest stronghold and finds mysterious Egyptian artifacts that shed new light on the traditional tale of the Israelites' journey to what the Bible calls the Promised Land.

In Israel, archaeologists investigate the truth behind one of the greatest discoveries in history: the Dead Sea Scrolls. Found in 1947 deep in the Judean desert, this remarkable haul of 2,000-year-old manuscripts includes the oldest copies of the biblical texts ever found. But no one knows who wrote them or why they were hidden. In this episode, investigators combine traditional excavations with revolutionary analytical technologies to uncover new evidence that could help solve these mysteries. Cutting-edge imaging techniques reveal hidden clues in the scrolls — which could help identify the authors — while archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem paint a picture of a brutal, destructive event that would tear apart the ancient Jewish world around the time the scrolls were hidden.

For millions, Jesus is both the Son of God and an actual historical figure. But what archaeological evidence exists about the people and places that shaped his life? The investigation begins at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, said to be built upon Jesus' burial place. But there's a puzzle: In the 1st century AD, burials only took place outside the city walls, yet the church sits firmly within the Old City. Can experts solve the mystery? Elsewhere in Jerusalem, archaeologists hunt for the site where Jesus is said to have performed the miraculous healing of a Blind man — the Siloam Pool — and look for clues about the events of his final days, including the Last Supper. Beyond Jerusalem, investigators hunt for the lost town of Bethsaida, site of the feeding of five thousand and home to three of his disciples.