Cable : Holy Moses! : CHARLTON HESTON ‘PRESENTS THE BIBLE’ ON A&E; AND RELIVES HIS GREATEST ROLE

Charlton Heston was pouring himself a cup of coffee while doing a delicious rendition of the evil Serpent from the Bible.

“He should not sss-s urely die,” Heston hissed.

Heston’s name has almost become synonymous with the Bible. To movie fans everywhere, he is Moses, thanks to Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic, “The Ten Commandments.” Nine years later he portrayed John the Baptist in George Stevens’ 1965 drama “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

Add “Charlton Heston Presents the Bible.” The new four-part series, premiering this week on cable’s Arts & Entertainment, gives Heston the opportunity to portray Moses again, and such other biblical figures as Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham, Noah and Jesus Christ.

Shot in Israel this past spring, “Charlton Heston Presents the Bible,” features Heston performing the King James translation of several Old Testament stories, including the Creation, Noah and the flood, the parting of the Red Sea and the Ten Commandments, as well as the Nativity and the Passion from the New Testament. The tales are illustrated with great works of art and music. Besides his role as storyteller, Heston also acts as the series’ guide, offering his own commentary on the history of the Bible stories.

Relaxing in the living room of his Beverly Hills home during a recent interview, the Oscar-winning actor (“Ben Hur”) said the special is secular, not religious, in focus. The series examines the Bible as a work of literature that was carried down generation after generation, as well as its influence on history and culture.

“This is performance art,” Heston said firmly, admitting, with a smile, he really never knew what performance art was until now. “I thought it was someone who poured chocolate over themselves or wore a nose ring,” he said, laughing.

Heston said it was easy for him to decide which stories to include in the series. “I think almost everyone would agree that the core stories in the Old Testament are Genesis,” he said. “Surely, Exodus is the core of the Jewish experience. The deliverance from bondage is the basis of what it is to be a Jew. That choice seemed obvious.”

As for the New Testament, Heston redacted the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into one story. “In each gospel there are events that are common to all four and also in each there are events that are only in one. The obvious choice seemed to me to make one story which I get to do as a performer. I am not bound by any theological limitations. I can do that much more freely than someone preaching in the temple.”

He said 60% of the New Testament material he used is from John’s gospel. “I agree with most literary critics that John is the best writer,” he said.

For his own commentaries, Heston recruited the services of a rabbi, an Episcopal priest and a Baptist minister, whom he referred to as “my three wise men.” He said he enlisted their advice because he wanted to make sure he didn’t “put a foot wrong badly” with his commentaries, “because that is me talking.”

The commentaries were shot in Israel in the areas where it is believed the biblical events took place.

“When you go into the New Testament, those are more specifically historical places,” he said. “I thought that gave you a chance to learn a little more about the background of the text and the stories.”

As strong as the Bible stories are, Heston said, he realized he needed a visual bridge for the viewers and decided to illustrate the stories with biblical-themed art works by the likes of Rembrandt and Michelangelo. “If it is just me sitting somewhere reading, that is going to get pretty tiresome no matter how well I read it,” Heston said. “From the 12th through the 16th Century, at least 90% of all paintings were religious paintings.”

Oscar-winning composer Leonard Rosenman wrote the original music and also utilized themes from various classical composers, including Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. “It is the marriage of great music and great painting and great writing,” Heston said.

“Charlton Heston Presents the Bible” airs Sunday-Wednesday at 5 and 9 p.m. and all four episodes repeat Friday beginning at 1 p.m. on A&E.;