Leprosy in the Bible — What Was It?
The history doctor is in! Helen and Dave welcome Dr. Ricky Shinall — an MD with a PhD in biblical studies — to help us diagnose leprosy in the ancient world. Did biblical leprosy have anything to do w...
4 Mar 202447min
The Ancient Jews (and Temple) of Elephantine Island
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 Elephantine Island worshipped a mighty god they called "Yaho"...
26 Feb 202455min
Who Wrote the King James Bible?
"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 he order a new English translation of the Bible (the...
19 Feb 202449min
Did Jesus Bless a Same-Sex Relationship?
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 Greco-Roman world, the Greek word translated as "sl...
12 Feb 202448min
David & Goliath Like You've Never Read It Before
Heroic stories like David and Goliath were told for centuries before they were written down. But the creative storytelling process didn't end there. Written texts were "performed" and improvised upon,...
5 Feb 202448min
Parables: Jesus's Shocking Short Stories
In the New Testament, Jesus often teaches through parables — short stories rich in symbolism and ethical dilemmas. "The Good Samaritan." "The Prodigal Son." We've heard these stories so many times it'...
29 Jan 202456min
Pseudepigraphy: Forgery or Fan Fiction?
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 Pauline epistles, for example, who wrote the other 6,...
22 Jan 202439min
Why the Bible Was Written
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, conquered kingdom. So how has this "epic monument...
15 Jan 202455min
