Documentary 06/02/1995 52m

Bisha: The Awesome Fire Test (1995)

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Overview

Abed al-Aziz from the Judean Desert is suspected of turning his tribe over to the Israeli Secret Service; Aql al-Atrash from the Negev wants to be cleared of a charge of murder; Sa’ed from the Egyptian village of Fanara is accused of committing adultery – the lives of these three people now depend on the ordeal of the Bisha. The Bisha is a test to detect the truth and it stands at the forefront of the Bedouin legal system, the haq al-orfi (the law of knowledge).During this test, all the accused lick a piece of white-hot metal. A burnt tongue is proof that they are lying; a clean tongue will serve as incontrovertible evidence that the suspects are blameless.

Nira Sherman-Sides

Director

Elia Sides

Director