Settings      Click Here To Print



Digging for the Truth Episode Guide

1 :01x01 - Who Built Egypt's Pyramids?

First aired: Jan/24/2005

Host Josh Bernstein travels to extreme locations to explore archaeological mysteries. In the opener, he heads to Egypt to explore the Pyramids of Giza and their origin, and also tries his hand at stone masonry.



2 :01x02 - Nefertiti: The Mummy Returns

First aired: Jan/24/2005

Mysteries surrounding the Egyptian queen Nefertiti are explored during a trip to Egypt.



3 :01x03 - Pompeii Secrets Revealed

First aired: Jan/31/2005

Mysteries surrounding Pompeii and the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79 that destroyed the Roman city are explored. Included: expeditions inside the Stromboli and Vesuvius volcanoes.



4 :01x04 - Hunt for the Lost Ark

First aired: Feb/07/2005

For centuries, adventurers, and archaeologists--the devout and determined, and even Indiana Jones--have all searched for the Bible's most sacred lost treasure: the Ark of the Covenant. Yet, despite all its fame, it mysteriously disappeared from the pages of history tens of centuries ago. How could something so powerful and holy simply vanish? That's what host and adventurer Josh Bernstein is determined to find out when he follows a trail that starts where the Ark's story begins--on Mount Sinai. Next, he explores a secret maze beneath Jerusalem's streets and visits Deir es Sultan, an Ethiopian monastery located on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In Ethiopia, he climbs up a sheer cliff to reach Debre Damo, one of the country's most ancient monasteries, and travels across Lake Tana to the place where some say the Ark is kept today. But how close can he get to this mighty and mysterious treasure?



5 :01x05 - The Holy Grail

First aired: Feb/14/2005

The Holy Grail, what it is and where it could be, is explored as host Josh Bernstein travels to the Holy Land and France.



6 :01x06 - The Iceman Cometh

First aired: Feb/21/2005

Recalling the 1991 discovery of Otzi the Iceman, a mummified man who lived around 3000 B.C. and was preserved in the ice on the Alps, where he was found by German hikers. Included: questions regarding his clothes and weapons are explored.



7 :01x07 - Quest for King Solomon's Gold

First aired: Feb/28/2005

A quest for King Solomon's mines, which, according to the Bible, were located in a land called Ophir.



8 :01x08 - Passage to the Maya Underworld

First aired: Mar/07/2005

The function of Mayan pyramids is explored in trips to southern Mexico and Guatemala.



9 :01x09 - The Lost Tribe of Israel

First aired: Mar/14/2005

A search for the lost tribes of Israel takes host Josh Bernstein to southern Africa to explore theories regarding the Lemba people.



10 :01x10 - Secrets of the Nazca Lines

First aired: Mar/21/2005

The mysterious Nazca lines etched into the Peruvian desert thought to have been made by the Nazca people, are explored.



11 :01x11 - The Search for El Dorado

First aired: Apr/04/2005

El Dorado, the fabled lost city of gold, is the subject.



12 :01x12 - Giants of Easter Island

First aired: Apr/25/2005

The mystery of Easter Island and its stone statues is explored. Included: Polynesian navigation and masonry techniques.



13 :01x13 - Mystery of the Anasazi

First aired: May/09/2005

Mysteries surrounding the Anasazi people of the 13th century American Southwest are explored. Included: trips to Utah, Colorado and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.



14 :02x01 - The Real Temple of Doom

First aired: Jan/23/2006

Join Josh Bernstein as he ventures into the deep jungle of the Amazon to find out more information on the Chavin and whether or not they really had a "temple of doom."



15 :02x02 - America's Pyramids

First aired: Jan/30/2006

Join Josh Bernstein as he travels North America in search of its own pyramids.



16 :02x03 - Stonehenge Secrets Revealed

First aired: Feb/06/2006

Join Josh Bernstein as he investigates the origins of the mysterious Stonehenge.



17 :02x04 - The Vikings: Voyage to America

First aired: Feb/13/2006

Join Josh Bernstein as he sails a Viking ship from Denmark to America and tries to determine for himself if the Vikings really beat Christopher Columbus to America.



18 :02x05 - Roanoke: The Lost Colony

First aired: Feb/20/2006

She ruled over men, bedding the likes of Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, and led one of the world's greatest civilizations. Her name has been immortalized in myth and legend. So, how did Cleopatra become the last of the pharaohs? In the shadow of the pyramids, Josh Bernstein joins Zahi Hawass on a hunt for mummies from the time of Cleopatra. He'll come face to face with Cleopatra's killer, the Egyptian cobra, and sail down the Nile River searching for clues to her true history. In Alexandria, Josh will descend into the cisterns below the modern city to look for evidence of Cleopatra's reign. Finally he'll dive into the harbor of Alexandria, where a beautiful palace lies--possibly the last vestige of Cleopatra's legendary wealth--the only testament to a woman who was perhaps the wisest and most cunning of all of Egypt's pharaohs.



19 :02x06 - Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh

First aired: Feb/27/2006

Cleopatra and her reign as the last pharaoh are examined during a trip to Egypt. Included: a journey down the Nile; diving in Alexandria's harbor; and a search for mummies.



20 :02x07 - City of the Gods

First aired: Mar/06/2006

Exploring the ruins of the ancient city of Teotihuacán in Mexico. Included: murals; and obsidian mines.



21 :02x08 - The Real Queen of Sheba

First aired: Mar/13/2006

The Queen of Sheba, mentioned in the Bible, is the subject. Included are visits to Ethiopia and Yemen.



22 :02x09 - Troy: Of Gods and Warriors

First aired: Mar/20/2006

A trip to Turkey and Greece to search for the historical roots of Homer's "Iliad" and the legend of Troy. Included are a discussion of life along the Aegean during the Bronze Age.



23 :02x10 - The Da Vinci Code: Bloodlines

First aired: Mar/27/2006

Josh Bernstein searches for evidence to support theories presented in Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code," particularly the idea that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and fathered a child with her.



24 :02x11 - Giants of Patagonia

First aired: Apr/03/2006

A trek through Patagonia to explore stories regarding reports of giants from explorers, including Magellan. Included: theories that the ground sloth may have been the source of the stories.



25 :02x12 - The Real Sin City: Sodom & Gomorrah

First aired: Apr/17/2006

According to the Bible, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God to punish them for their wicked ways. Was this just a biblical parable, or is their evidence that such a thing actually happened? Josh Bernstein travels to the Near East to follow the clues laid out in the Bible. His search takes him to modern-day Jordan, where, nestled near the Dead Sea, two sister cities reveal archaeological evidence of a great destruction. What happened here and when? Josh will climb Mount Sodom to inspect a strange "Pillar of Salt"--just like the one the Bible claims Lot's wife became--and works with a pyrotechnic expert to reconstruct a natural-gas explosion that could have resulted in the destruction of Gomorrah. Could these be the fabled cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and if so, can the tools of modern-day archaeology reconstruct what happened in those fateful days before these cities were laid to waste?



26 :02x13 - Lost Cities of the Amazon

First aired: Apr/24/2006

The legendary lost cities of the Amazon are the subject. Included: a trip to the Amazon rain forest, following in the footsteps of British archaeologist Percy Heath Fawcett, who disappeared in 1925 while searching for one of the cities.



27 :03x01 - Atlantis: New Revelations

First aired: Jan/22/2007

Is Atlantis, the story of the fabled continent, a myth or based in fact? One of the most enduring legends of all time, Atlantis was described as a perfect society--peaceful, artistic, and technologically advanced--but it was destroyed in a cataclysm that literally drowned the continent. Could Atlantis still be waiting to be discovered? Join host Josh Bernstein as he heads to the Mediterranean Sea in search of Atlantis. Walk in the footsteps of Plato in Greece, and dive the blue waters of the Mediterranean to discover mysterious sunken artifacts. Equipped with state of the art technology, Josh leads an exclusive boat expedition off the coast of Cyprus in search of the "true" Atlantis.



28 :03x02 - Lost Empire of Genghis Khaan

First aired: Jan/29/2007

Genghis Khaan and his Mongol Horde created the largest land empire in recorded history, and they did it in less than seventy years. How were Genghis Khaan and his army able to achieve this military dominance on such a grand scale? What ultimately became of the great Empire of the Khaans? Join host Josh Bernstein as he builds a ger on the Mongolian steppe, fires arrows from horseback like a Mongolian warrior, and uses DNA science to trace the genetic legacy of the military genius, Genghis Khaan.



29 :03x03 - King Tut: Secrets Revealed

First aired: Feb/05/2007

Mysteries surrounding the death of King Tut are explored, including whether he died from an attack. Also: X-rays of Tut's mummy; and weapons found in the tomb.



30 :03x04 - New Maya Revelations

First aired: Feb/12/2007

Host Josh Bernstein travels to Mexico and Central America to explore theories about the Maya regarding the date of the height of the Mayan civilization. Included: a climb up the tallest of the pyramids; a mural discovered in Guatemala in 2001 believed to be the oldest mural in the Mayan world.



31 :03x05 - Ramesses II: Visions of Greatness

First aired: Feb/26/2007

Josh Bernstein travels to Egypt to separate fact from fiction regarding the pharaoh Ramses II, better known as Ramses the Great. Included: Bernstein tries stone masonry; and discusses Egyptian propaganda.



32 :03x06 - Machu Picchu: Lost City of the Inca

First aired: Mar/05/2007

In 1911, Hiram Bingham, famed American explorer, stumbled across a remote Inca city atop a high peak in the Andes. The site was called Machu Picchu--perhaps the most famous ruin in the world. Was it, like Bingham believed, a military fortress or did this glorious ruin have a secret purpose? From the mountains of Peru, host Josh Bernstein will follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham. He builds a log bridge across a raging river, examines the stonework at the site, and reviews ancient manuscripts to discover the "true" purpose of Machu Picchu.



33 :03x07 - Secrets of the Mummies

First aired: Mar/12/2007

For over 3,000 years, ancient Egyptians preserved their dead in the desert sands. Today the secrets of the Egyptian afterlife are being revealed! Join host Josh Bernstein as he enters a realm of temples, tombs, and mummies. How did the Egyptians prepare the dead for the afterlife and why did these sacred practices disappear? On his exploration, Josh explores the royal tombs at Giza, mines the key ingredient used to preserve the dead, and uncovers a secret cache of golden mummies!



34 :03x08 - Lost Treasures of Petra

First aired: Mar/19/2007

The "red-rose" city of Petra stands as one of the most glorious and mysterious archaeological sites on earth. Created over 2,500 years ago, the ornate Petra cityscape was literally carved into the rose-colored walls of Jordan's Shara Mountains. The builders of Petra, the Nabataeans, were thought to be some of the wealthiest people ever to inhabit the Middle East, but they, along with their riches, simply vanished. What was Petra and could the Arabian site be still hiding precious treasure? Join host Josh Bernstein as he examines Petra's only surviving parchment manuscript, and goes underneath the ancient "Treasury" in search of hidden riches.



35 :03x09 - Stonehenge of the Americas

First aired: Mar/26/2007

In the Bolivian Andes, a sprawling ancient city rests 13,000 feet above sea level. With its giant, freestanding monoliths and grand design, Tiwanaku has long been compared to Stonehenge. The two sites were built on opposite sides of the globe, but they both share a design that pays tribute to the sun. What's the "real" connection between Stonehenge and Tiwanaku? Flying out from La Paz, host Josh Bernstein tours Tiwanaku from both the air and ground. He harvests and transports the very stone used to build Tiwanaku and, he dives Lake Titicaca to explore evidence of a lost civilization.



36 :03x10 - Search for King David

First aired: Apr/02/2007

King David is the shepherd poet who slays the giant Goliath, according to the Old Testament. He then goes on to become the first king of a united Israel. Some scientists claim that the archaeological evidence appears to call the story into question; others believe they have already found the evidence to prove that it is true. Join host Josh Bernstein as he examines an ancient basalt slab inscribed with David's name, recreates his famous fight with Goliath, and descends through a secret waterway into the heart of Jerusalem.



37 :03x11 - Lost Teasures of the Copper Scroll

First aired: Apr/09/2007

In the depths of an Israeli cave, archaeologists found rolls of dusty manuscripts dating to the 1st century AD, and they are inscribed on a copper scroll! Scholars believe the copper scrolls represent a detailed treasure map--a list of hiding places where the priests of Jerusalem's Second Temple stored their most precious silver and gold artifacts during times of trouble. Join host Josh Bernstein in his search as he rappels into the caves outside Qumran. He then creates his own copper scroll, and uses ground-penetrating radar inside a newly excavated tunnel hundreds of yards beneath the ground.



37 :03x12 - The Aztecs: Of Blood and Sacrifice

First aired: Apr/16/2007

The Aztecs were the largest civilization to ever rule Mesoamerica. Archaeology and modern science are now shedding new light on the blood rituals they practiced. Join host Josh Bernstein as he travels to Mexico City to investigate and use forensic science to examine the bones of sacrificial rituals. Next he'll try his hand at the weapons of the Aztecs, sample the potions of the priests and even cut through flesh using the technology of the ancients.



38 :04x01 - Mummies of the Clouds

First aired: Sep/03/2007

Five hundred years before the Inca, a remarkable band of warriors called the Chachapoya built the greatest stone monument in the Americas. Amazingly, it's three times the size of Egypt's largest pyramid. Yet their civilization has almost vanished without a trace. Join Hunter Ellis as he accompanies a team of archaeologists to reveal its secret contents.



39 :04x02 - The Hunley: New Revelations

First aired: Sep/10/2007

The Confederate Army, in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of the Civil War, launched a new and daring weapon--a forty-foot submarine. The H.L. Hunley, armed with a primitive torpedo, destroyed a mighty Union warship, yet its crew never made it home. Join Hunter Ellis and Kara Cooney as they try to get to the bottom of this mystery. Exclusive archaeological evidence is used to reenact the crew's final moments and reveal, for the first time, what likely sunk the H.L. Hunley.



40 :04x03 - Kings of the Stone Age

First aired: Sep/17/2007

Carved from single boulders of basalt, the giant stone heads of the Olmec have amazed and mystified archaeologists for more than 150 years. Hunter Ellis explores how a primitive civilization-- Central America's first--moved mountains to make these monumental works of art... and reveals new insights into this most mysterious people of the Americas.



41 :04x04 - Pirates: Terror in the Mediterranean

First aired: Sep/24/2007

The dastardly deeds of the Barbary Pirates are little known today, despite the fact that they terrorized the seas and the shores of Europe for more than 400 years. Join host Hunter Ellis, Kara Cooney and Charles Ingram, as they mount a special expedition to find the first-ever bona fide Barbary pirate vessel at the bottom of the sea.



42 :04x05 - God's Gold (Part 1)

First aired: Oct/01/2007

This episode goes on the most extraordinary treasure hunt ever! Host Hunter Ellis ventures on a world-exclusive search for the priceless golden artifacts of Jerusalem's Temple--lost since the Romans looted them almost 2000 years ago. From Jerusalem, to Rome, to North Africa, Turkey, and--finally--back to Israel, we'll follow a trail of clues to uncover the final hiding place of the most priceless treasures of the Jewish faith.



43 :04x06 - God's Gold (Part 2)

First aired: Oct/15/2007

Host Hunter Ellis continues our extraordinary treasure hunt as he ventures on a world-exclusive search for the priceless golden artifacts of Jerusalem's Temple--lost since the Romans looted them almost 2000 years ago.



44 :04x07 - Timbuktu

First aired: Oct/22/2007

Few names conjure as much mystery as that of Timbuktu. For centuries, Europeans heard legends of a mythical city in the heart of the Sahara, the source of endless caravans of gold. But it took 500 years to find it, and by then the glory was gone. Host Hunter Ellis combs the deserts of Timbuktu to find the source of its great power, wealth, and mystery.



45 :04x08 - Angkor Wat: The Eighth Wonder

First aired: Oct/29/2007

Travel deep into the heart of the Cambodian jungle to discover a magnificent stone temple that was built on a scale unparalleled in human history. Join us as we use the latest technology to unravel the secrets of this ancient temple and solve the mystery of why it was suddenly abandoned in the jungle.