Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchIntroducing Wisdom Literature, a Biblical Oddball
Season 3 Episode 104
The books of the Hebrew Bible known as "wisdom literature" — Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes — are a strange fit for the biblical canon. They're ahist…
1 year, 2 months ago
Animal Studies Gets Biblical
Season 3 Episode 103
What can Bible stories about animals tells us about power dynamics in the ancient world? A lot, it turns out! Suzanna Millar joins us to talk about t…
1 year, 2 months ago
The Sabbath—Its Ancient Origins and Evolution
Season 3 Episode 102
The Jewish sabbath (Shabbat), observed from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, is one of the oldest continuously observed holidays in existence. At …
1 year, 3 months ago
How the Gospels Were Actually Written
Season 3 Episode 101
This is a Biblical Time Machine first—a historical reenactment of how the gospel writers wrote (and rewrote) the books of Mark, Matthew, Luke and Joh…
1 year, 3 months ago
Kosher—The History of Forbidden Foods
Season 3 Episode 100
Why were certain foods "forbidden" in the Hebrew Bible? And how did the pig attain ultra-non-kosher status among ancient Jews? Guest Jordan Rosenblum…
1 year, 3 months ago
Move Over, Josephus—Here Comes Philo!
Season 3 Episode 99
Josephus will always be our pal, but it's time to meet another super-important ancient Jewish writer: Philo of Alexandria. Living in the vibrant int…
1 year, 3 months ago
The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar
Season 3 Episode 98
To the authors of the Hebrew Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar was a grade-A jerk. In the 6th century BCE, he and his army sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the F…
1 year, 3 months ago
What Was Travel Like in Biblical Times?
Season 3 Episode 97
Did Roman roads have rest stops? How bad were the snacks on a sea voyage across the Mediterranean? Did Paul get frequent sailor miles? On today's epi…
1 year, 4 months ago
A Historian's Take on Josephus and 'The Jewish War'
Season 3 Episode 96
Today's guest, historian Steve Mason, has called Josephus's The Jewish War "perhaps the most influential non-biblical text of Western history." And h…
1 year, 4 months ago
Real Time Travel with Ancient Papyri
Season 3 Episode 95
Of course Helen and Dave have a fully functioning, very real Time Machine. But if you can't wait your turn (the line is ridiculously long), check out…
1 year, 4 months ago