Step back in time to investigate Ancient Evidence that offers a new take on the major figures and events described in the Bible, the Torah and the Koran. Breakthrough scientific discoveries illuminate age-old secular depictions and scriptural accounts. Expert anthropologists, historians and geneticists comb the past to bring you closer to the sacred world than ever before.

He was one of Jesus' closest companions, the unofficial spokesman for the 12 disciples and even a leader of the Christian community for a time. And yet this highly regarded man – who was eventually killed for his beliefs – started off as a lowly fisherman in Galilee.

Follow the story of Peter and his rise from the humblest of beginnings to his standing as one of the most influential members of Jesus' ministry. Near the shores of Galilee, experts examine the archeological evidence surrounding the lives of typical early fishermen, revealing clues about their possessions and economic status. Leading psychologists explain how a fisherman could have made the transition from an entrepreneur to a prosecuted – and later martyred – church leader. Historians, using both archaeological evidence and authentic, ancient texts, examine how Peter managed to keep the first Christian churches afloat – despite little administrative experience – and even spread the religion after Jesus' death. Finally, forensic scientists work to gain access to the Vatican for the ultimate window into the past: an examination of Peter's remains.