25 Movies About The Bible You Should Add To Your Must-Watch List

Clocking in at roughly six hours and 22 minutes (depending on which version you watch), "Jesus of Nazareth" is the longest movie on our list, which includes plenty of long movies. It's not a quick watch that you can finish in one afternoon — but it is totally worth it for those willing to tackle its massive running time. True to its name, Franco Zeffirelli's lengthy retelling chronicles Jesus' life, from the marriage of Mary and Joseph, to the Nativity, through his ministry, and concluding with the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Basically a blend of all four Gospels, but in TV mini-series form.

 "Jesus of Nazareth" was released in four episodes on NBC in 1977 during the height of the TV mini-series boom, and earned a massive rating of 30.8, making it the ninth most successful mini-series of all time. "Jesus of Nazareth" also boasted a star-filled cast, including Laurence Olivier as Nicodemus, James Mason as Joseph of Arimathea, Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene, James Earl Jones as Balthazar, Anthony Quinn as Caiphas, and Christopher Plummer as Herod. 

Yet despite all that star power, the series' standout was Robert Powell as Jesus, who gives a stirring performance that remains, decades later, the quintessential cinematic Christ for millions of viewers.