Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe Ancient Jews (and Temple) of Elephantine Island
Season 2 Episode 55
In the 6th Century BCE, on a tiny island in the Nile River, once stood a Temple to Yahweh. Far from Jerusalem, the ancient Jews of Egypt's Elephantin…
2 years, 3 months ago
Who Wrote the King James Bible?
Season 2 Episode 54
"Thou shalt not" miss this episode about the King James Bible, the most-read literary work in the English language! But who was King James? Why did h…
2 years, 3 months ago
Did Jesus Bless a Same-Sex Relationship?
Season 2 Episode 53
The New Testament story known as the "Healing of the Centurion's Slave" has been the subject of some intriguing scholarship in recent years. In the G…
2 years, 3 months ago
David & Goliath Like You've Never Read It Before
Season 2 Episode 52
Heroic stories like David and Goliath were told for centuries before they were written down. But the creative storytelling process didn't end there. …
2 years, 3 months ago
Parables: Jesus's Shocking Short Stories
Season 2 Episode 51
In the New Testament, Jesus often teaches through parables — short stories rich in symbolism and ethical dilemmas. "The Good Samaritan." "The Prodiga…
2 years, 3 months ago
Pseudepigraphy: Forgery or Fan Fiction?
Season 2 Episode 50
Ancient authors had no problem writing texts in other people's names, and that includes plenty of biblical writers. If Paul only wrote 7 of the 13 Pa…
2 years, 4 months ago
Why the Bible Was Written
Season 2 Episode 49
The Hebrew Bible wasn't created by one of the mighty empires of the ancient world — Egypt, Assyria or Babylon — but written in the rubble of a small…
2 years, 4 months ago
What Would Jesus Wear?
Season 2 Episode 48
There's so much we get wrong about clothing and dress in the 1st Century. Did Jewish people dress differently than gentiles? No. Did most men have lo…
2 years, 4 months ago
Animals in the Ancient World
Season 2 Episode 47
The Bible is literally crawling with animals — from the crafty serpent of Genesis to Jesus's parable of the lost sheep. That's because animals (both …
2 years, 4 months ago
A Cultural History of Christmas
Season 2 Episode 46
Try as you might, you won't find Santa Claus in the Bible. Or Christmas trees, or camel-riding Magi, or even December 25th! In the first centuries of…
2 years, 5 months ago