Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchCult of Dead Kin: Honoring the Dead in Ancient Israel
Season 3 Episode 84
Across the Ancient Near East, it was common to offer food and sacrifices to appease dead ancestors and "hangry" ghosts, but the Hebrew Bible is large…
1 year, 7 months ago
What is "Ancient Media Culture"?
Season 3 Episode 83
In the 1st century, very few people "read" the Hebrew scriptures. Instead, they were "heard" — read aloud (or performed) in the synagogue and other s…
1 year, 7 months ago
The Best and Worst Jesus Films
Season 3 Episode 82
From the "Last Temptation" to "Life of Brian," so many filmmakers have tried their hand at portraying the greatest story ever told, with mixed result…
1 year, 7 months ago
What's Up with the 3 Endings of Mark?
Season 3 Episode 81
The 3 endings of the Gospel of Mark present a real "choose your own adventure." Scholars think that the original text ended at Mark 16:8 with Mary Ma…
1 year, 7 months ago
Beyond the Documentary Hypothesis
Season 3 Episode 80
It's time to re-think the Documentary Hypothesis — the prevailing theory about the authorship of the Torah. Guest Angela Erisman has a fresh take on …
1 year, 8 months ago
The Weird and Wonderful "Gospel of Mary"
Season 3 Episode 79
Written in the 2nd Century CE, the non-canonical "Gospel of Mary" gives us a taste of the wild diversity of Early Christianity. Religious historian S…
1 year, 8 months ago
The Ancient History of Jerusalem
Season 3 Episode 78
People have lived in Jerusalem for 5,000 years. Archeologist Jodi Magness hops in the Time Machine to give Helen and Dave a tour of Jerusalem's long …
1 year, 8 months ago
Judaism and the Gospels After 70 CE
Season 3 Episode 77
The destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE was a cataclysmic event for the people of Judaea and the Galilee. Our guest Nathanael Vette argues that al…
1 year, 8 months ago
Wine and Beer in Ancient Israel
Season 3 Episode 76
Bottoms up! In today's mildly alcoholic episode, we talk with guest Elaine Goodfriend about the role of wine in Ancient Israel, and why the Israelite…
1 year, 9 months ago
Reading the Bible as Greco-Roman Literature
Season 3 Episode 75
The authors of the New Testament were playing with genres, philosophies and themes that were well-known in Greco-Roman literature. Guest Robyn Faith …
1 year, 9 months ago