Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchAncient Manuscripts — The Bible Before It Was the Bible
Season 1 Episode 17
The modern Bible on your bookshelf is the product of centuries of human engagement with really (really!) old texts. Some of the oldest Greek manuscri…
3 years, 2 months ago
Women in Ancient Israel — What Can We Know?
Season 1 Episode 16
The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is nearly silent on the lives of ordinary women in the ancient world. Thankfully, we have intriguing clues from archeo…
3 years, 2 months ago
The Messiah — Not What You Think!
Season 1 Episode 15
Return guest Matthew Novenson drops some absolute bombs in this eye-opening episode about messiahs. Pretty much everything you've been told about an…
3 years, 3 months ago
Recognizing the Jewishness of Jesus
Season 1 Episode 14
It's easy to read the New Testament and think that Jesus's ministry and message ("grace, forgiveness, love") was somehow in stark opposition to Judai…
3 years, 3 months ago
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a Big Deal
Season 1 Episode 13
Discovered in 1946 in abandoned caves in Israel, the Dead Sea Scrolls are by far the oldest copies we have of books from the Hebrew Bible. The ancien…
3 years, 4 months ago
What Did Jesus Look Like?
Season 1 Episode 12
Everybody knows what Jesus looked like—the beard, the flowing locks, the tunic, and of course, the sandals! But incredibly, the Bible doesn't include…
3 years, 4 months ago
"In the Beginning..." Origins of the Creation Story
Season 1 Episode 11
The Book of Genesis is packed with iconic stories: the Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah's Ark... but where did those ancient tales come from? Yale Assyriol…
3 years, 4 months ago
BTM Christmas Special: The Nativity Stories
Season 1 Episode 10
Magi and mangers and murderous kings — it must be Christmas! The New Testament tells two very different stories of Jesus's birth, but why? Helen and …
3 years, 5 months ago
Meet the Historical Virgin Mary
Season 1 Episode 9
With Christmas just around the corner, Helen and Dave piece together a picture of the woman who was there from the start — Mary, the mother of Jesus…
3 years, 5 months ago
Was Herod Really a 'Bad Guy'?
Season 1 Episode 8
In the Bible, Herod is a power-hungry, paranoid King who orders the execution of all boy babies in Judea. But did any of that really happen? Join Hel…
3 years, 5 months ago