Strap on your sword and sandals, VCI Entertainment has just released Epics of the Old Testament. This Old Testament Collection includes four great titles never before available in DVD format: Great Leaders of the Bible, Joseph and His Brethren, Saul and David, and Jacob the Man who Fought with God. It even includes a bonus feature: Genesis!

The four films here are great examples of sword & sandal epics (which means they are entertaining but certainly did not win any awards!). Joseph and His Brethren is pretty good (It’ll be interesting to see if include the seduction-attempt scene in this version, as it is missing from other copies). Great Leaders of the Bible is perhaps the best in the set, while Saul and David is alright. I haven’t seen Jacob the Man who Fought with God. The box-set also includes a film called Genesis. This could be the 1964 film directed by Michael B. Druxman, though I am not sure.

You can purchase the box set (Buy from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com) or buy them individually:

• Jacob, The Man Who Fought with God [I Patriarchi della Bibbia] (Director: Marcello Baldi, 1963).
  Buy from Amazon.ca: VHSor DVD | Buy from Amazon.com: VHS or DVD
• Joseph and His Brethren (Director: Irving Rapper and Luciano Ricci, 1960).
  Buy from Amazon.ca: VHS or DVD | Buy from Amazon.com: VHS or DVD
• Saul and David (Director: Marcello Baldi, 1964).
  Buy from Amazon.ca: VHS or DVD | Buy from Amazon.com: VHS or DVD
• Great Leaders of the Bible (Samson and Gideon) [Grandi condottieri I] (Director: Marcello Baldi, 1965).
  Buy from Amazon.ca: DVD | Buy from Amazon.com: DVD

For more movies relating to the Hebrew Bible, see my Old Testament on Film pages.