<P> Downey and Burnett said their "greatest hope" in making the series was that it would "affect a new generation of viewers and draw them back to the Bible ." </P> <P> "Part of what we hoped to accomplish with the series was to show the Bible is not simply a collection of unconnected stories which are often discussed and analyzed in snippets with chapter and verse numbers," the couple wrote in an op - ed in The Huffington Post . "Instead, we wanted to show how the Old Testament connects seamlessly to the New Testament . How they are one sweeping story with one grand, overriding message: God loves each one of us as if we were the only person in all the world to love ." </P> <P> In May 2011, The New York Times reported that Downey, Burnett and their production team were selecting stories for the series, with production scheduled to begin in 2012 for a 2013 broadcast . The budget for the series was under $22 million . Researchers and theologians were asked to verify accuracy . Academic consultants included Craig A. Evans, Helen Bond, Paula Gooder, Mark Goodacre and Candida Moss . Shooting took place in Morocco and elsewhere . </P> <P> Burnett and Downey consulted "a wide range of pastors and academics," including their friend Joel Osteen, Joshua Garroway (a rabbi from Hebrew Union College), and a Catholic cardinal . Geoff Tunnicliffe of the World Evangelical Alliance, read each episode's script and visited the set in Morocco: he "wanted to be sure that the final edits would hold together as a singular thematic message throughout the entire series" and "was not disappointed ." Another consultant, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, applauded the couple's courage for making the series: "Let's face it, it takes some moxie to lift up the Bible in the middle of Hollywood . In fact, when they first proposed the project they were told to try and tell the story without mentioning Jesus . They refused ." </P>

Where was the tv series the bible filmed