The BEST episodes of National Geographic Documentaries season 2006

#1 - Triple Cross: Bin Laden's Spy in America

Season 2006 - Episode 11 - Aired 8/28/2006

This is the true story of Egyptian spy Ali Mohamed. He infiltrated U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA and FBI, and joined the U.S. Army. At the same time, he took orders from the Egyptian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization and later joined forces with al Qaeda. He trained Osama bin Laden's jihadist warriors and helped plan terrorist attacks including the 1998 African embassy bombings

#2 - Hannibal: The Man, The Myth, The Mystery

Season 2006 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/14/2006

His name resonates throughout history - a mythical figure, one of the greatest commanders of the ancient world. But what of the man behind the legend? A man who handed Rome the key to the future by allowing them to learn his tactics and use them against him; and who was ultimately betrayed by his own people, spending his final years on the run from the Romans.

#3 - San Francisco's Great Quake

Season 2006 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/18/2006

As only National Geographic can, The Great Quake tells the terrifying and inspiring tale of a pitched battle between man and nature told by the stories of people who lived through it. On April 18, 1906 the greatest natural disaster in American history strikes without warning. Concrete buildings explode into clouds of dust and rubble and fires break out by the thousands. For the next three days, San Francisco's corrupt and charismatic Mayor takes the helm of this city under siege, making decisions that are swift and radical. This is the terrifying and inspiring tale of a pitched battle between man and nature told by the stories of people who lived through it.

#4 - The Hunt for Hitler

Season 2006 - Episode 22 - Aired 1/31/2006

#5 - The Truth Behind The Dead Sea Scrolls

Season 2006 - Episode 21 - Aired 11/28/2006

Experts unravel the mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and explore theories about their creation.

#6 - Doomsday Book of Revelations

Season 2006 - Episode 20 - Aired 11/21/2006

National Geographic explores the Book of Revelation to see if there is more to it than prophecy.

#7 - Exodus Revealed

Season 2006 - Episode 19 - Aired 11/14/2006

Examine the greatest escape in history--how Moses and the Israelites fled enslavement with the parting of the Red Sea.

#8 - Lost Cities of the Bible

Season 2006 - Episode 18 - Aired 11/7/2006

National Geographic examines evidence to shed new light on cities said to have been destroyed by the hand of God.

#9 - The Truth Behind The Dead Sea Scrolls

Season 2006 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/31/2006

#10 - Saxon Gold New Secrets Revealed

Season 2006 - Episode 10 - Aired 7/12/2006

It was the treasure trove that sent shockwaves through the archaeological world - a fabulous collection of precious metal that captured the imagination of the public and experts alike. Now, in Saxon Gold: New Secrets Revealed, you can explore the true significance of the £3million Staffordshire Hoard, and sift through hundreds of precious artefacts to reveal the remarkable tales behind the bounty. British metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert struck gold when he uncovered over 3,500 Saxon artefacts in a field in 2009. The haul is now in the joint custody of the Birmingham and Stoke museums - find out how the professionals are using the mountains of glittering gold and shimmering silver to shed new light on the mysterious Dark Ages - and provide eye-opening evidence of Britain's violent past. Curator Dr. David Symons is your guide as he trawls through the treasure with the help of a team of Anglo-Saxon metalwork specialists, gemstone analysts and osteoarchaeologists. With the story of the Staffordshire Hoard slowly coming to light, examine the latest theories exciting archaeological experts worldwide and, above all, marvel at the craftsmanship, ingenuity and sophistication of Anglo-Saxon ancestors

#11 - Living in a Perfect World

Season 2006 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/16/2006

The documentary tells the stories of four Mennonites (Aganetha, Cornelio, Pedro and Jacobo) living in two different communities. The colonies of El Savinal (El Sabinal) and El Capulin are settled in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and look like typical German farming communities of the 19th Century.

#12 - The Berlin Wall: Great Escapes

Season 2006 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/2/2006

Documentary about the history of the social impact of the Berlin Wall, one of the most forbidding symbols of the Cold War. Built in 1961, it divided the city for 28 years.

#13 - Challenger: The Untold Story

Season 2006 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/27/2006

The January 28, 1986, launch of the space shuttle Challenger was expected to be a historic first - schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe was to be the first ordinary U.S. citizen flown into space. Instead, the Challenger flight marked one of the greatest tragedies in American space exploration when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members on board. With the shuttle's explosion came serious questions. Could the tragedy have been averted? Why did NASA allow the Challenger to launch on that unseasonably cold morning? Did NASA knowingly put political, monetary or public relations considerations ahead of the astronauts' safety? On the eve of the disaster's twentieth anniversary, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) presents "Challenger: The Untold Story," which portrays the events and decisions leading up to the ill-fated launch with an immediacy that catapults viewers back to those tragic days.

#14 - Insect Wars

Season 2006 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/13/2006

Every dark element of a mighty human empire building has long been perfected by the insect world. In NGC's Insect Wars, the violent existences of insect empires are explored and the sometimes brutal battlefield tactics, ingenious defensive strategies andstruggles for power between empires are revealed. Go into the inner sanctums of the world's mightiest insect empires and catch a rare and close-up glimpse at the world of invertebrate power not often seen by the naked eye.

#15 - Secrets of the Freemasons

Season 2006 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/15/2006

This secret society has shaped world events for 1,000 years. Members turn up in the World Bank, the United Nations, the Pentagon, and the top ranks of major corporations. But who exactly are the Freemasons?

#16 - Deadly Designs

Season 2006 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/1/2006

Delve into the terrifying world of structural engineering gone horribly wrong. Examine the chain of events that led to some of the world's worst structural disasters, including the collapse of a giant department store in South Korea; the collapse of the roof of terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris; and the collapse of two overhead walkways onto a crowded hotel lobby in Kansas City in the U.S. Follow the clues that led forensic experts to the fatal flaws that killed hundreds in the blink of an eye, and look at some of the newest, most futuristic building concepts and ask if, by pushing the limits of new materials and revolutionary technologies, are we not courting future disasters?

#17 - Blackbeard: Terror at Sea

Season 2006 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/12/2006

He stalked the Caribbean trade routes, striking fear into the hearts of all who dared sail the treacherous waters by pillaging no less than forty ships in the short time span of just two years. Now, thanks to the folks at National Geographic, viewers can board the ship of notorious pirate known the world over by the ominous moniker Blackbeard for a two-hour, high-definition look at the exploits of the intelligent and charismatic marauder born Edward Teach. A cunning thief whose terrifying and carefully constructed visage struck fear into the hearts of sailors while inspiring wild stories of wretched savagery, Blackbeard (portrayed here by actor James Purefoy)'s notorious reputation alone was often enough to cause his prey to give up without so much as a fight. With this documentary, history buffs will find out just why the old adage about truth being stranger than fiction has more merit than some give credit for.

#18 - The Gospel of Judas

Season 2006 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/1/2006

He's one of the most hated men in history: Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus. For centuries, his name has meant treachery and deceit. Hidden for nearly two thousand years, an ancient Gospel emerges from the sands of Egypt that tells a very different version of the last days of Jesus and questions the portrait of Judas Iscariot as the evil apostle. Join National Geographic and a team of Biblical detectives as they race to determine the authenticity of this ancient document, piecing together its delicate pages before they turn to dust. With movie-quality dramatizations and insightful analysis by the world's foremost experts, The Gospel of Judas reveals a new account of Jesus's betrayal to the modern world.

#19 - Secrets of Mary Magdalene

Season 2006 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/5/2006

Secrets of Mary Magdalene strips away the veils of history to reveal the flesh and blood woman who served as Jesus' foremost apostle and possibly the love of his life. Based on the nonfiction book "Secrets of Mary Magdalene" by bestselling authors Dan Burstein and Arne De Keijzer, this documentary special uncovers the latest information on one of the world's most controversial religious figures.

#20 - The Scrap House

Season 2006 - Episode 13 - Aired 9/13/2006

This documentary tells the story of how a team of architects, builders, structural engineers and scrap artists came together last year to build a house entirely out of garbage. Not the usual green materials everyone is talking about, something greener than that -- real and true garbage plucked straight from the waste stream.

#21 - Spartacus: Gladiator War

Season 2006 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/6/2006

In the true story of Spartacus, you'll discover how one man, fueled by a desire for his own freedom, led a revolution against the Roman Empire and became a hero even more compelling than the legend Hollywood created.