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* CompleteMonster: [[BiblicalBadGuy Herod the Great]] is the [[EvilOverlord tyrannical King of Judea]], a [[TheParanoiac paranoid]] and ruthless old man set to secure his power base. Learning that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, Herod initiates the brutal slaughter of the innocents, [[WouldHurtAChild a massacre of all boys two or younger]] in the town with it being reported to Herod that "none" are left alive, along with many of their families.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Creator/CharltonHeston as John the Baptist, Creator/RoddyMcDowall as Matthew, Gary Raymond as Peter, Joseph Childkraut as Nicodemus, John Abbott as Aben, Philip Coolidge as Chuza, Marian Seldes as Herodias and Chet Stratton as Theophilus.
* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/DonaldPleasence ({{Satan}}) would later on play Melchior, one of the wise men, in ''Series/JesusOfNazareth''. In a roundabout way, he ends up meeting Jesus twice!
* JustHereForGodzilla: Many a channel-hopping TV viewer has stuck with this rather long movie just to see Creator/JohnWayne as the Centurion at the end.
* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: Jesus driving out the money-changers and animal sellers from the temple.
* {{Narm}}:
** Creator/JohnWayne's rendition of "Truly this man was the Son of God." No one would blame you for adding [[VerbalTic "pilgrim"]], either out loud or subconsciously.
** John the Baptist's arrest. He wrestles with Herod's soldiers in the river Jordan (one leaping from horseback to tackle him) where he forcibly baptizes them, shouting "Repent!!" [[NarmCharm On the other hand it does fit with John's attitude.]]
** The use of "Hallelujah Chorus" when Lazarus rises from the dead. Even worse when you realize that ''this was not the original music for the sequence''!
* SpecialEffectsFailure: Golgotha is very obviously a indoor stage with a matte painting.
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