MARCH 2026

Biblically Themed Films for Great Lent

Spotlight on "Valley of the Kings"

Precursor to Indiana Jones

By Rev Protodeacon George A. Haloulakos

Great Lent is an inspiring time of year in which there can be great fun in viewing Biblically themed films that are a fusion of adventure, romance and the search for archaeological evidence that have direct connection with major events described in The Holy Bible.  Among the most popular films of this genre are from the 1980s featuring Harrison Ford as our favorite swashbuckling archaeologist Indiana Jones - notably "Raiders of the Lost Ark"(1981) and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) - that respectively, involve a search for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.  If you are a fan of these particular Indiana Jones adventure films or this genre, we have an old favorite that we recommend you add to your watch list: "Valley of the Kings."

This 1954 classic features Robert Taylor as archaeologist Mark Brandon searching the ancient Egyptian tombs to prove the Biblical Joseph's presence in Egypt.  Brandon is enlisted by Ann Mercedes (played by Eleanor Parker) to find this evidence to validate her late father's goal of making this historic connection between Ancient Egypt and the Holy Bible.  This intriguing archaeological search forms the same template we would later see in the Indiana Jones epics.  It turns out that Brandon's interest in archaeology was inspired by Ann's late father and this becomes intertwined with adventure and romance as our hero and heroine must confront intrigue, murder, betrayal and continuous danger in their travels.  Sharp eyed movie fans will note that this particular mix (including the relationship and connection between the main characters) shown in "Valley of the Kings" would create the template or formula repeated successfully in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (released 27 years later) thus making the viewing experience all the more interesting.

"Valley of the Kings" was largely filmed on location in Egypt making the thrilling natural scenes equally important in the enjoyment of this nicely paced 86-minute film: the Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, Temple of Luxor, St Catherine's Greek Orthodox Monastery plus sailing along the Nile River and across the Red Sea!  The film also shows the Abu Simbel temples as they existed for 3,000 years, before they were relocated for construction of the Aswan High Dam.  Robert Taylor excels in all aspects of his role whether it is swordplay, exploring the ancient tombs or singing in Arabic!  Like the Indiana Jones films that would follow decades later, the ending is most satisfactory as the distant past is shown to not only be valid and truthful, but also a beacon of hope looking into the future.

For many Baby Boomers, "Valley of the Kings" is like a Lowell Thomas travelogue and to more recent generations an early version of "Expedition Unknown" with Josh Gates.  Half the fun is the journey itself and the adventure along the way.  The mix of history, local customs and culture amidst exotic locales is enough to stimulate interest in wanting to learn more.  In this regard, we are interested if any of you in our GNN audience have any favorite Biblically themed films that you found inspiring, intriguing or just plain fun?  What similarities are you able to find when comparing "Valley of the Kings" to the Biblically inspired Indiana Jones films?   Please share your thoughts and memories by either contacting us directly via email or posting directly to the Galaxy Facebook page.  

NOTE: All photos are from the public domain.