Bible and Archaeology

What really happened in the Garden of Eden? This week, biblical scholar David Carr joins Bible & Archaeology to rethink the Garden of Eden story in Genesis! From the serpent and forbidden fruit to original sin, the image of God, Cain and Abel, and Noah's Flood, we explore how the Hebrew Bible challenges familiar assumptions about creation, humanity, and paradise. 📚 Reading Recommendations: Unmaking Eden: Genesis and the Domestication of the World by David M. Carr ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology ⁠Patreon⁠ community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. David Carr Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a…

How bad did Ancient Rome really smell? This week, historian Garrett Ryan of Toldinstone joins Bible & Archaeology to explore everyday life in the Roman Empire! From Roman sewers and sanitation, to free bread, retired gladiators, and the role rats and mosquitoes played in the fall of Rome, we'll explore how seemingly trivial questions reveal surprising connections between Roman history, culture, religion, and daily life. Because in the ancient world, there is no trivia. 📚 Reading Recommendations Leaky Aqueducts, Battle Pigeons, and Mystery Cults: More Frequently Asked Questions About the Ancient Greeks and Romans by Garrett Ryan 📺 You can hear more from Garrett on his YouTube Channel Toldinstone ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

The story of Noah's Flood has striking parallels in ancient Mesopotamia, but some of those flood traditions predate the biblical text by more than a thousand years. This week, Joseph Lam joins Bible & Archaeology to explore the flood stories of Atrahasis, Gilgamesh, and ancient Mesopotamia. Why did the gods send the flood? What did an ancient ark supposedly look like? And does the evidence really mean that the Bible simply “copied” an older story? We look beyond the familiar similarities to ask what these different versions of the flood share and what the biblical authors are actually trying to say when they retell the flood story. 🔗 Resources & Links Watch Joseph's episode on Why Creation Stories All Look the Same Check out Joseph's Creation Stories of the Ancient World with Great Courses ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch ✉️…

Did Paul think his followers would become angels? Scholar David Burnett says no. He argues Paul thought they'd outrank them. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says his followers will judge the angels and describes resurrection bodies that shine like stars. David Burnett argues that this reflects an ancient cosmic hierarchy in which the stars were understood as celestial beings, and that Paul's vision radically extends this transformation to ordinary followers, including Gentiles. This week, David Burnett joins the podcast to talk about Paul's cosmos, why "monotheism" may be the wrong category, what Paul was fighting against in Corinth, and why Paul thought some people would shine brighter than others. David is a PhD candidate in New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. You can check out David's published work, follow him on social media, and/or support his research via his LinkTree here: https://linktr.ee/davidaburnett ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining…

The Dead Sea Scrolls are famous for the story of how they were discovered, but how much of that story is really about the texts themselves? Eva Mroczek joins Bible & Archaeology to explore why we’re fascinated by lost and hidden texts, how discovery stories turn ancient sources into mysteries, and what these stories reveal about our hopes for recovering the past. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to ancient stories of hidden Bibles and the modern search for lost texts, we explore why the story of discovery can become the content itself. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Reading Recommendations: Hidden Scrolls, Buried Bibles: How We Discover the Sacred Past by Eva Mroczek What do the Dead Sea Scrolls really prove? Forgers, smugglers, and the myth of discovery by Eva Mroczek ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐…

The Assyrians built one of the ancient world’s most powerfulempires, but what drove the Assyrian Empire's dramatic rise? And why did it fall so quickly? This week, Eckart Frahm joins Bible & Archaeology to trace Assyria's history, from its emergence as a major power to its eventual collapse. Along the way, we explore the reigns of famous Assyrian kings likeTiglath-Pileser III and Ashurbanipal, the Assyrians’ impact on the ancient Near East, what the Bible gets right (and wrong) about the Assyrian Empire, and how encounters with Assyria may have shaped the biblical idea of God. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Reading Recommendations Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire by Eckart Frahm Three New Kings of Assyria by Alexander Johannes Edmonds and Eckart Frahm ✉️ Send us your questions:…

What is the story of Samson really about? Samson is often remembered as the strong man whose power was tied to his hair, but the story in Judges 13–16 is far more complicated. This week, Bob Cargill joins the podcast to explore Samson’s story, from his unusual birth and Nazirite status to his conflicts with the Philistines and his eventual downfall. We look at Samson’s violence and his role as a judge of Israel to find out what this strange and often troubling story is actually trying to say. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Robert Cargill Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible &…

Who controlled religion in ancient Israel? The Israelite priesthood may look like a straightforward institution, but its history is anything but simple. This week, Nathan MacDonald joins the podcast to to trace the development of the ancient Israelite priesthood and present his reconstruction of how the Israelite priesthood developed, drawing on the Hebrew Bible and the broader history of ancient Israel. We explore competing priestly traditions, the role of the temple, and the struggle for religious authority to find how Israel’s priests became such an important part of its religious and political life. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Reading Recommendations ⁠ The Making of the Tabernacle and the Construction of Priestly Hegemony by Nathan MacDonald ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can…

Why is Genesis called Genesis when ancient Israelites didn’t call it that? And why didn't books in the Hebrew Bible have titles? This week, Seth Sanders joins the podcast to discuss how writers organized, referenced, and transmitted these titleless biblical texts, and what the absence of titles reveals about the Bible's origins and implications. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 🔗 Read "Why Didn’t Biblical Books Have Titles?" by Seth Sanders 📚 Reading Recommendations From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon by Seth L. SandersThe Invention of Hebrew by Seth L. Sanders 📺 More podcasts with Seth:The Invention of the Alphabet with Prof. Seth Sanders ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Satan wasn't always God's greatest enemy. In the Hebrew Bible, “the satan” appears as an agent in God's heavenly court. But by the New Testament, Satan has become the Devil, God's cosmic opponent, and in Revelation, he is a terrifying dragon. This week, Peter Miller returns to Bible & Archaeology to trace the surprising development of Satan across the New Testament. How did this figure evolve from Matthew and Paul to Revelation? Why does Satan become associated with evil, temptation, demons, and cosmic rebellion? And where did the image of the dragon come from? ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 👉 Podcasts Referenced: Did Christians Get Satan Wrong? Why The Hebrew Bible Says Something Different The Origins of Demons The Origins of Lilith Witch Hunts, Black Cats, and the Bible: The Surprising Connection ✉️ Send us your questions:…

What happened when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant? In 1 Samuel, the Ark brings plague, mice, death, and toppled idols to the Philistines, forcing them to return it to Israel. But the strange events don’t end there because more Israelites die on its return. But why? This week, Bob Cargill is back to explore one of the Bible’s strangest stories. Join us as we examine what this story of the Ark’s capture and return reveals about the Ark of the Covenant, the Philistines, ancient Israel, and the Hebrew Bible’s formation. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Bob Cargill Edited and Produced…

What happens when kings try to control how an entire kingdom worships? This week, Shane Thompson joins us to explore cult centralization in the ancient world through three famous rulers: Hezekiah, Josiah, and Akhenaten. What can archaeology, the Hebrew Bible, and ancient Near Eastern history tell us about these dramatic reforms? From religious reforms in Judah to Aten worship in ancient Egypt, we examine how monotheism, temple worship, political power, and royal authority intersected. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Reading Recommendations "The Varied Forms of Cult Centralization in the Ancient Near East" by Shane M. Thompson ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

This week, Leslie Virnelson joins us to explore how the Hebrew Bible's view of sex work differs dramatically from modern assumptions. From big-name characters like Ruth and Tamar to the concepts of prostitution and adultery, we'll challenge some of the most common misconceptions about sexuality, sex work, and law in the biblical world. ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch 📚 Reading Recommendations Fruit of Her Hands: Women, Work, and Society in the Hebrew Bible by Leslie G. Virnelson ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Leslie Virnelson Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation…

Is The Odyssey historically accurate? This week, classicist Celsiana Warwick joins the podcast to explore some of the enduring questions behind Homer's Odyssey, from Odysseus' "heroism" and the real role of Penelope, to questions of historical accuracy in translation and adaptation. 📚 Reading Recommendations Wilson (accessible/contemporary) Fitzgerald (poetic) Lattimore (line by line) ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: Patreon. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr.…

Did archaeologists really find the biblical Tabernacle at Shiloh? Every year, headlines claim a new "discovery" has uncovered the Ark of the Covenant or the Tabernacle, but what does the archaeology actually show? This week, Jordan and Mary Kate examine the latest excavations at Shiloh, the history of research at the site, the claims made by the Associates for Biblical Research, and what earlier excavations by Israel Finkelstein revealed.📚 Reading RecommendationsThe Highlands of El, Shiloh and Merneptah’s Israel by Israel Finkelstein Excavations at Shiloh 1981–1984: Preliminary Report by Israel Finkelstein Holy Grail find? Archaeologists claim they may have uncovered ruins linked to Ark of the Covenant by NY PostSeilunShilohAbout Associates for Biblical Research ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the…

Why do historical Jesus scholars skip the Gospel of John? This week, Dr. Paul Anderson joins the podcast to explore why John has often been dismissed as "too theological," what archaeology and topographical details reveal about the Gospel, and whether John preserves independent historical traditions alongside its theology. Can historians afford to ignore John, or is it time to rethink our approach to this text? 📚 Reading Recommendations Archaeology, Jesus, and the Gospel of John: What Recent Discoveries Show Us Edited by Paul N. Anderson ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Why does Jesus repeatedly tell people not to reveal who he is in Mark? For over a century scholars have explained this through the “Messianic Secret.” But what if we’re missing a key piece? This week Robyn Walsh joins the podcast to place Mark in the context of Greco-Roman literature. Comparing Mark to Homer’s Odyssey and other ancient texts, she argues Jesus’ hidden identity may reflect familiar literary conventions rather than something unique to Mark. 👉 We discuss: –What the Messianic Secret is –Why it shaped New Testament scholarship –How Homer and Greco-Roman authors help us understand Mark 📚 Reading Recommendations “The Miracle-Mongers: The Gospels at the Edges of Empire,” Judaica: Neue digitale Folge, special issue Nature Miracles and Paradoxography in Biblical Reception of the First Centuries CE, ed. Monika Amsler, Bd. 7 (2026): 1–20. “City and Country,” The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus, eds. James G. Crossley and Chris Keith (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2024), 324–342. “IVDAEA DEVICTA: The…

How did the New Testament become the New Testament? This week, we are exploring the long process of canon formation with Ian Mills. From the myth of a single moment at Nicaea, the impact of authority, popularity, councils, and empire, to the role of figures like Marcion and Jerome, we'll unpack the gradual standardization that shaped the New Testament canon (or as much as we can). 📚 Reading Recommendations The Hypothesis of the Gospels: Narrative Traditions in Hellenistic Reading Culture by Ian N. Mills ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

After the death of Alexander the Great, a new imperial power emerged across Western and Central Asia: the Seleucid Empire. But how did it actually hold such a vast territory together, and how much of its “history” was carefully constructed after the fact? This week, we explore how Seleucid rulers shaped memory, built cities, minted propaganda on coins, and even influenced dating systems to legitimize their rule with Ben Abbott. Were they inheriting empire, or inventing it as they went? 📚 Reading Recommendations Forging the Anchor: Antiochus I and the Creation of the Seleucid Empire by Benjamin Abbott ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording…

In 2 Kings 3, Israel appears to lose a battle after the king of Moab performs a child sacrifice on the city wall. Why would the Hebrew Bible preserve a story where a foreign god seems to defeat Israel’s armies? This week, Jordan and Mary Kate break down the Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone), ancient warfare, divine conflict, prophecy, propaganda, and the strange ending of one of the Bible’s most debated battle stories. 📚 Reading Recommendations King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice: Biblical Distortions of Historical Realities by Francesca Stavrakopoulou "Theories of the Composition of the Books of Kings" by Thomas Römer North Israelite Memories of the Transjordan and the Mesha Inscription by Prof.Israel Finkelstein and Prof.Thomas Römer ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on…

What happened when you died in ancient Israel? The Hebrew Bible offers no clear picture of heaven or hell, but it does preserve a fascinating world of ancestors, burial rituals, Sheol, and the ongoing process of dying. This week, Dr. Matthew Suriano joins the podcast to talk about death and the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible, including the meaning of nefesh, the importance of burial, and why a “bad death” was one of the greatest fears in the ancient world. Drawing on archaeology, biblical texts, and ancient Near Eastern history, this conversation explores what it meant to become one of the dead in ancient Israel. 📚 Reading Recommendations A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible by Matthew Suriano ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on…

In this episode, Susan Ackerman joins us to explore the life cycle of women in ancient Israel, from puberty and marriage to motherhood, ritual impurity, and death. We discuss why childbirth made women “unclean,” why women occupied a liminal role in ancient Israel, the story of Jephthah’s daughter, the concept of social menopause, and more. Along the way, we unpack what archaeology and biblical texts can, and can’t, tell us about the realities of womanhood in the ancient Near East. 📚 Reading Recommendations Maturity, Marriage, Motherhood, Mortality: Women's Life-Cycle Rituals in Ancient Israel by Susan Ackerman ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video…

Did ancient Israelites really sacrifice children? Dr. Kristine Garroway joins us to separate myth from archaeology. We dig into child burial practices, infant mortality, and what the archaeological record actually tells us. Spoiler: there are no mass burial pits of sacrificed children in ancient Israel, but what's really behind those "passed through fire" passages may surprise you. 📚 Reading Recommendations The Dying Child: The Death and Personhood of Children in Ancient Israel by Kristine Henriksen Garroway ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

What did it take to become a scribe in ancient Mesopotamia, and how do we actually know? This week, Dr. Joshua Bowen reveals how the physical shape of clay tablets unlocked the secrets of ancient education, and why the literary texts describing school life can't always be taken at face value. From vocabulary lists and memorization to indoctrination and local variation, the archaeology tells a very different story than the texts alone. 🔗 Resources & Links Check out Digital Hammurabi's website for more Learning to Pray in a Dead Language: Education and Invocation in Ancient Sumerian by Joshua Bowen Join Kipp Davis for Hebrew this summer 📺 Check out Digital Hammurabi on YouTube ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on…

Was the author of Acts trying to preserve history, or persuade you of something deeper? For years, readers have pointed to Acts’ historical accuracy as proof of its reliability. But what if that accuracy is actually part of the literary strategy? In this conversation with CJ Cornthwaite, we explore why Acts may be more historically precise than expected, and why that actually raises bigger questions about how it shaped the past. 📺 Check out CJ on YouTube The Jerusalem Council is probably fabricated Acts Is surprisingly accurate. That's the problem ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

What were Egyptian mummies really for? This week, Kara Cooney joins Bible & Archaeology to explore what mummification in ancient Egypt was really about, and who it was really for. From natural preservation in the desert to elite-controlled workshops and secret techniques, we unpack how mummification functioned as a display of power and how their afterlives reveal consequences the Egyptians themselves may never have expected. 📚 Reading Recommendations: When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt by Kara Cooney The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World by Kara Cooney Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches by Kara Cooney 🔗 Resources & Links: Listen to Dr. Cooney's Podcast: Afterlives of Ancient Egypt with Kara Cooney Join Dr. Cooney on Substack ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on…

What did Jesus actually say about slavery? This week, Chance Bonar joins Bible & Archaeology to explore how slavery is addressed in the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. From the silence of the Gospels to the broader context of ancient slavery, we examine how these texts have been interpreted and misunderstood over time. 📚 Reading Recommendations The Author in Early Christian Literature by Chance E. Bonar God, Slavery, and Early Christianity: Divine Possession and Ethics in the Shepherd of Hermas by Chance E. Bonar ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

What do we actually know about the Ten Commandments? Joel Baden joins Bible & Archaeology to explore how these famous laws appear in the Bible and why they became so central to later Jewish and Christian thought. From multiple versions in Exodus and Deuteronomy to their role in the story of Mount Sinai, we examine how the Ten Commandments function inside the biblical narrative and why they’ve been so widely misunderstood. 🔗 Resources & Links Join Dr. Joel Baden for their class on the Ten Commandments https://bit.ly/4scss1D Watch the interview with Joel mentioned in this episode: https://youtu.be/KJvldHGDEhM ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐…

Who is Satan in the Hebrew Bible? In this episode of Bible & Archaeology, Dr. Peter Miller is back to explore why the figure called “the satan” in texts like the Book of Job may not be the devil many people imagine. We’ll explore how the Hebrew Bible portrays Satan as an adversary or accuser, and how later traditions transformed this figure into the embodiment of evil. ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Peter Miller Hosted and edited by Mary Kate Lichty Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa…

Where did the moral obligation to help strangers come from? In this episode of Bible & Archaeology, New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman discusses his new book Love Thy Stranger and explores ancient ideas about charity, wealth, and caring for others before Jesus. We'll also examine how Jesus’ teachings reshaped these traditions and what happened to his message after he was gone. 📚 Reading Recommendations Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West by Bart Ehrman ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Can olive oil explain the Bronze Age? James Fraser joins Bible & Archaeology to explore the production, trade, and economic importance of olive oil across the ancient Mediterranean. From large-scale cultivation and storage to long-distance trade and its role in everyday life, we examine how olive oil became one of the most important commodities of the Bronze Age world. 🔗 Resources & Links Check out the Albright Institute on YouTube Watch Dr. Fraser's Albright lecture on Olive Oil HERE 📖 Read more about the excavations at Khirbet Ghozlan Digging for Oil at Khirbet GhozlanDiscovering a 4,500-year-old olive oil factory in Jordan ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.…

What do we actually know about the origins of creation stories? Joseph Lam joins Bible & Archaeology to explore how creation accounts emerge across the ancient Mediterranean and Ancient Near East. From the absence of a "big bang" moment to shared themes like chaos, divine conflict, and political messaging, we trace the deeper patterns behind stories like Genesis, Atrahasis, and the Enuma Elish. 🔗 Resources & Links Check out Joseph Lam's class Creation Stories of the Ancient World with Great Courses Join Dr. Joseph Lam for "New Insights into the Hebrew Bible" ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Stolen from the ground. Sold through shadowy dealers. Displayed in world-famous museums. This is how many looted manuscripts travel from illegal digs to prestigious collections, and why almost no one faces consequences. Papyrologist and author Roberta Mazza ("Stolen Fragments") joins us to pull back the curtain on the hidden antiquities trade fueling modern biblical scholarship. We trace how unprovenanced papyri and ancient texts move through dealers, auction houses, and collectors before landing in institutions like the Museum of the Bible, and examine the controversial collecting practices of the Green Collection (the family behind Hobby Lobby) that sparked a federal investigation. This isn't just an archaeology story. It's about money, power, and who gets to own the ancient world. 📚 Reading Recommendations: Stolen Fragments by Roberta Mazza Bible Nation by Candida Moss and Joel Baden Faces & Voices (blog by Roberta Mazza) ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on…

What do we actually know about the Sea Peoples? Eric Cline joins Bible & Archaeology to explore what we do and don't know about the Sea Peoples. From names and theories of origins to where they go, this week we cover the rise and fall of the Sea Peoples. 📚 Reading Recommendations: 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric Cline After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations by Eric Cline The Sea Peoples: Warriors of the Ancient Mediterranean 1250-1150 BC by N. K. Sandars Archaeology and the Homeric Epic edited by Susan Sherratt and John Bennet ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Was David a murderer? This week, David Shepherd joins Bible & Archaeology to explore bloodguilt in the story of Israel’s most famous king. What did ancient Israel think about guilt, justice, and royal power, and does the Bible actually hold David responsible for shedding innocent blood? 📚 Reading Recommendations:⁠ King David, Innocent Blood, and Bloodguilt by David J. Shepherd ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. David Shepherd Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones Additional contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty Bible & Archaeology is a…

Rising high above the Dead Sea, Masada is one of the most dramatic landscapes of the ancient world. But long before it became a symbol of defiance and martyrdom, it was an Hasmonean fortress, reshaped in spectacular fashion by Herod the Great into a palace-fortress that clung improbably to the edge of empire. This week, Jodi Magness joins the podcast to guide us through Masada’s layered past: its Hasmonean origins, Herod’s architectural ambition, and the rebels who later refashioned a royal complex into a last refuge during the revolt against Rome. We examine the archaeology of daily life, the Roman siege works below, the testimony of Flavius Josephus, and the enduring legacy of Yigael Yadin—asking how excavation, memory, and meaning have shaped the story of Masada for generations. 📚 Reading Recommendations:Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth by Jodi Magness ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️…

The Apostle Paul is one of the most towering figures in early Christianity. But behind the familiar narratives lies a far more complex reality. Who was the historical Paul? And perhaps more importantly, how many different Pauls have been handed down to us through the centuries? This week, Jordan welcomes Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh to untangle the various Pauline traditions that have shaped our understanding of this enigmatic apostle. From the authentic letters to later attributions, from his claimed persecutions to his mysterious visions of Christ, Dr. Walsh guides us through the evidence and the contradictions. Is Paul really that exceptional, or have we been reading him through the lens of later mythmaking? 👉 Dr. Walsh helps us explore: –Was Paul's influence on early Christian communities as profound as tradition suggests? –What did it truly mean for him to "see" Jesus? –Is the historical Paul really that exceptional? –Why is Paul baptizing lions? 📚 Reading Recommendations: "Why Thekla Does Not See Paul: Visual…

The golden calf is one of the most infamous images in the Hebrew Bible—but what was it really? An idol? A political symbol? Or something more complicated? This week, Dr. Elizabeth VanDyke joins the podcast to re-examine the golden calf traditions and ask where these stories actually begin. Together, we explore the biblical origins of the golden calves, questions of identity and power in ancient Israel, and what kind of “calf” we should really be imagining. We also look beyond the Bible, tracing possible connections to Assyrian imperial policy, the relationship between making kings and making calves, and the strange (yet meaningful) practice of kissing the calf. ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of…

The late antique Mediterranean was an enchanted world where the dead were not silent or distant, but active participants in everyday life. This week, historian Michael L. Satlow joins the podcast to explain why cemeteries, saints’ bones, and the spirits of the dead were seen as powerful points of contact with the divine, and why early Christians were especially drawn to them. We'll explore how practices that feel strange or forbidden today were completely normal. 👉Dr. Satlow helps us explore: – What it meant to live in an “enchanted world” – Where the dead fit within the supernatural hierarchy – Why Christians were drawn to the dead (and what Jesus has to do with it) – Why necromancy crossed a line when other contact with the dead did not 📚 Reading Recommendations: 📖 An Enchanted World: The Shared Religious Landscape of Late Antiquity ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions:…

Why does sacrifice keep returning in Christian history, even when Christianity tried to reject it? This week, historian Jonathan Sheehan joins the podcast to trace how sacrifice was abolished, absorbed, and reshaped from antiquity to the modern secular world and why Christianity couldn't get rid of it. 📚 Reading Recommendations: 📖 On The Altar: A History of Sacrifice https://amzn.to/49IRfDo ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📣 Affiliate Disclosure: Using the links above may generate a modest commission at no additional cost to you and helps support our educational work. 🎙️ Credits…

The Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most important archaeological discoveries ever made, but not every fragment has turned out to be real. This week, Dr. Kipp Davis joins the podcast to explore how scholars identify which Dead Sea Scrolls are fakes, why forgers have been so successful in creating fakes, and why we are so susceptible to forgeries. This is part two of our conversation about how Dead Sea Scroll forgeries began, how experts detect them, and what these mistakes teach us about archaeology, manuscripts, and the modern antiquities market. 📺 Check out Kipp's ⁠YouTube Channel⁠ 👉 Dr. Davis helps us explore: – What traits help to identify fake scroll fragments – How forgers play on scholars expectations – Why radio-carbon dating isn't a magic solution 📚 Reading Recommendations: ⁠God's Propaganda: Pulling Back the Curtain on What the Bible Wants You to See ⁠ ⁠Gleanings from the Cave of Wonders? Fragments, Forgeries, and “Biblicism” in the Dead Sea Scrolls⁠ ⁠Dating ancient manuscripts using radiocarbon and…

The Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most important archaeological discoveries ever made, but not every fragment has turned out to be real. This week, Dr. Kipp Davis joins the Bible & Archaeology podcast to explore how early questions about authenticity emerged, why the circumstances of the Scrolls’ discovery created an environment ripe for forgery, and how the early antiquities trade laid the groundwork for future fake fragments. This is just part one of a deeper conversation about how Dead Sea Scroll forgeries began, how experts detect them, and what these mistakes teach us about archaeology, manuscripts, and the modern antiquities market, so stay tuned for more! 📺 Check out Kipp's YouTube Channel 👉 Dr. Davis helps us explore: – Did scholars always think the Dead Sea Scrolls were authentic? – Why did conspiracy theories about the Dead Sea Scrolls begin? – Did the early antiquities market setup later Dead Sea Scroll forgeries? 📚 Reading Recommendations: God's Propaganda: Pulling Back the Curtain on What the…

The Nativity stories are often told as peaceful and comforting, but the historical world Jesus was born into was anything but calm. This week, historian Dr. Joan Taylor, author of Boy Jesus, joins the Bible & Archaeology podcast to explore the political violence, fear, displacement, and social instability surrounding Jesus’ birth. Rather than dismantling the Nativity, Dr. Taylor seeks to expand it. Drawing on archaeology, Roman history, and close readings of the gospel narratives, she places Jesus’ birth within the turbulent historical world that the gospels quietly assume their readers already knew. 👉 Dr. Taylor helps us explore: – Do the gospels preserve a more dangerous story than we imagine? – What were Bethlehem and Judea really like under Herod? – What did Jesus’ Davidic lineage claims are really mean? – Why understanding Jesus as a Judaean matters 📚 Reading Recommendations: 📖 Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times by Joan Taylor 📖 What Did Jesus Look Like? by Joan Taylor 📃 What world was…

The Star of Bethlehem is one of the most famous elements of Matthew’s Nativity story, but what could it actually have been? How could a star lead travelers, stop over a location, or identify a single house? This week, physicist Dr. Aaron Adair joins Bible & Archaeology to examine the most common scientific explanations for the Star of Bethlehem and why many of them fall apart. By looking at both the science and the ancient context, we ask what Matthew may have intended his readers to understand and why the Star functions the way it does in the Gospel narrative. 👉 Dr. Adair helps us explore – Was Matthew using technical astronomical language? – How were astronomical phenomena understood in the ancient Mediterranean world? – Could Matthew’s star have been a comet, a supernova, or even a planet? 📖 Reading Recommendations:The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View by Aaron Adair "The Star of Christ in the Light of Astronomy" by Aaron Adair "A Critical Look at the History of Interpreting the Star of Bethlehem in…

The Proto-Gospel of James is one of the most influential non-canonical texts in Christian history, especially when it comes to how Christians came to imagine Mary and the Nativity. This early Christian gospel focuses not on Jesus’ ministry, but on the miraculous birth and early life of Mary, her betrothal to Joseph, and the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. In fact, many familiar Christmas traditions, like Mary’s perpetual virginity, Joseph’s age, and the detailed setting of the Nativity, trace back not to Matthew or Luke, but to this text. This week, Dr. Mark Goodacre joins us to explore what the Proto-Gospel of James aims to accomplish, why it became so influential, and how it addresses gaps and tensions in the canonical Nativity stories while creating new problems of its own. 👉 Dr. Goodcare helps us explore: – Where did the Proto-Gospel of James come from? – What does it tell us about Mary? – What new problems does it create? – Why does the Proto-Gospel of James still matter? 📖 Reading…

Many of the Christmas traditions we take for granted, like December 25th, the Nativity, Christmas trees, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem, and even Herod’s massacre, have complex histories that don’t always match the Bible or what we’ve been taught. This week, biblical scholar Dan McClellan joins us to explain the most common Christmas misconceptions and what the historical and textual evidence actually shows. 👉 Dr. McClellan helps us explore: – When Christians started saying “put Christ back in Christmas” – Whether Christmas has pagan origins – The origins of the Nativity scene – How modern culture reshapes the Bible ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐 Everywhere you can find us:…

Ancient Egypt is far harder to reconstruct than most people imagine. Egyptologist Dr. Campbell Price joins us to explore how archaeologists and the Egypt Exploration Society pieced together Egypt’s past through 50 key discoveries. We look at the history of archaeological exploration in Egypt, how early excavations were shaped by biblical expectations and colonial agendas, and how those discoveries continue to influence what we think we know about Ancient Egypt today. 👉 Dr. Price helps us explore: – What is the Egypt Exploration Society – How religious and colonial concerns shaped early archaeology – How did they settle on 50 discoveries? – What is next for the Egypt Exploration Society? 📖 Check out the book: Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries 📺 Watch more from Dr. Price on "After Dark" – Why Pharaohs Were More Sickening Than You Think! With Dr. Campbell Price – Ancient Egypt's Pyramids, Black Magic, And Execution Rituals ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on…

What Mesopotamian texts influenced the Hebrew Bible? Dr. Joshua Bowen from Digital Hammurabi joins us to compare ancient Near Eastern literature—including the Atrahasis, the Code of Hammurabi, and other Mesopotamian myths—with the biblical text. We explore textual dependence, shared motifs, internal tensions, and what these parallels reveal about the Bible’s development. 📺 Check out Digital Hammurabi on YouTube 👉 Dr. Bowen helps us explore: – How to think about textual dependence – What kinds of Mesopotamian texts influenced the Bible – What questions you should ask about the Bible's use of other texts 🔗 Resources & Links – ETCSL (The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature) – ORACC (Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus) – Learn to Read Ancient Hebrew: An Introduction for Complete Beginners by Joshua Bowen – Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature by Benjamin Foster (for Akkadian literature) – The Harps that Once...: Sumerian Poetry in Translation Paperback by Thorkild Jacobsen – The…

What is the Book of Revelation actually about? Most modern readers treat Revelation as a prophecy about the end times, but ancient readers read it very differently. This week, we’re joined by Dr. Rebekah Haigh to explore how ancient apocalyptic literature works, why Revelation is full of symbols and violence, and how its first-century Roman context changes everything. 👉 Dr. Haigh helps us explore: – How ancient audiences understood apocalypses – Why Revelation isn’t a roadmap to the end of the world – How violence, empire, and resistance shape the book – What readers get wrong about Revelation’s message 🔗 Resources & Links – Check out Dr. Haigh's podcast: "The Women Who Went Before" ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu 🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show. 🌐…

Are the Amarna Letters diplomacy or manipulation? The Amarna Letters, ancient tablets from Pharaoh Akhenaten’s capital in Egypt, reveal a world of royal drama, political gaslighting, and fragile alliances between the superpowers of the Late Bronze Age. These 3,000-year-old messages between the kings of Egypt, Babylon, Canaan, and the Hittites expose the psychology of empire, but how much can we really trust what these ancient rulers wrote? This week, Dr. Eric Cline joins us to talk about his new book Love, War, and Diplomacy and to explore what the Amarna Letters reveal about ancient diplomacy, international politics, and the tensions that existed before the Late Bronze Age Collapse. Together, we ask: Who were these kings and envoys? How did early scholars shape our understanding of them? And did anyone see the coming disaster? 👉 Dr. Cline helps us explore: – What the Amarna Letters really say about ancient diplomacy – The political psychology of the Late Bronze Age – How early scholars framed the discovery…