CNN premiered the second season of its "Finding Jesus" documentary series on Sunday, embarking on a new quest to further discover Christ by exploring the aspects of "faith, fact and forgery" on the world's biggest religion.
According to the show's producers, "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery" will give viewers an opportunity to "relive Jesus' journey throughout the ancient world, the impact of His ministry, early church history" and more.
Speaking to The Christian Post, Reverend A.R. Bernard said the second season of the CNN documentary series is "less of an investigation of the life of Jesus intended to bring people to a specific conclusion."
The head of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York's largest church, said the show's second installment is "more of an exploration of the evidence, the writings, the archaeological findings, and the people involved in the story."
The hit series features commentaries from Bernard and other leading theologians and Christian leaders such as Erwin McManus (MOSAIC, Los Angeles), Father James Martin, SJ, Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the United Methodist Church, and even people who do not believe that Christ existed.
The first season of "Finding Jesus" last year saw well-known pastors, theologians, and scholars examining famous religious artefacts as they sought to bring to life the various places and people from the Bible.
For the second season, the series will explore the childhood home of Jesus, the tomb of King Herod, the bones of St. Peter, the relics believed to shed light on the apostle Thomas, the Pilate stone and the tomb of Lazarus.
In Sunday's premiere episode, the series focused on the Pilate Stone, which has Pontius Pilate's name carved on it—one of a few bits of evidence proving the existence of Pilate as the Prefect of Judea, according to Monsters and Critics.
The episode also examined the uncovering of the Jerusalem palace of Herod the Great and its link to Pilate and Jesus.
In the Bible, Pilate was the Roman official who doubted Jesus' guilt, only condemning him and sentencing him to die by crucifixion after the mob demanded it.
The Pilate Stone was found in the 1960s as a reused block in an old staircase at the theatre in the ruins of the Roman city of Caesarea.
In succeeding episodes the series will look at the tomb of King Herod, the tomb of Lazarus and the bones of St. Peter.
The CNN series was inspired by "Finding Jesus," the book by award-winning journalist and filmmaker David Gibson, co-authored with Michael Mckinley.
