Horror Filmmakers Reportedly Making History Channel Series About Jesus' Early Years 'as an Exorcist

If you've ever wondered what Jesus Christ was up to before beginning his ministry at the age of 30, you're not alone. This portion of his life is widely undocumented, but a new television show is reportedly set to depict the Christian savior as an exorcist during his younger years.

Deadline Hollywood reported that the History Channel is in talks for a new series rooted in the horror genre called "The Lost Years," apparently following Jesus' life from the ages of 13 to 30.

This mysterious 17-year gap in Christ's background isn't covered in the Bible's text, leaving many with questions that "The Lost Years" is poised to entertain -- albeit likely through fictional portrayals.

The new project is likely to spark controversy depending on how the material is handled and presented.

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While the Bible is virtually devoid of information on Jesus' childhood, Luke 2:41-52 does give us a small lens into his younger years, providing a story from when Christ was 12 years old. It reads:

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

"The Lost Years" would come from Scott Kosar, who wrote "The Machinist," Eli Roth who produced "Hostel" and "The Last Exorcism" and Eric Newman who produced "Slither." All of these men have extensive experience in making horror films.

"I hear that 'The Lost Years' was conceived in the horror genre, and it explores a theory about Jesus’ origins as an exorcist," Deadline's Nellie Andrevva reported. "Although the practice of ridding a person’s body of demons and evil spirits existed long before Jesus’ time, the term 'exorcism' -- which is done in Jesus’ name -- wasn’t coined until later."

The Bible certainly does provide examples of Jesus healing individuals who were possessed by demonic spirits, however it is not known whether this was a practice he partook in as a child.

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It will be interesting to see what exactly is depicted in "The Lost Years" and how the plot will be pieced together. It's unclear if the project would be a regular series or a miniseries.

News of the program comes following the success of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's "The Bible" series, which took viewers through reenactments of key biblical moments.

(H/T: Daily Mail)

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Featured image via Shutterstock

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