The Third Hour Podcast

As successor to Elijah, Elisha immediately sets about either replicating or one-upping his predecessor's miracles — by having two bears chow down on some churlish adolescents. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss Elisha and some bonus royal squabbles.

Elijah looms large in the imagination of multiple religions. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we examine the passages behind that reputation and ask whether it comports to our understanding of this enigmatic figure.

The division of King David's United Monarchy marks a watershed moment in the Hebrew Bible, not to mention the Deuteronomistic History. Blending history, folktale, and propaganda, the feud between Rehoboam's Judah and Jeroboam's Israel soon becomes a tale of multiple succession crises, conflicts, and dynasties — and the Third Hour Podcast is working to clarify these interconnected st...

The tale of King Solomon has inspired countless interpretations, filled with wisdom narratives about divided babies and flattering visits from the Queen of Sheba. But the story that comes to us is filled with editorializing from our good friend the Deuteronomist. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we dig into the realities of Solomon's court.

As we reach the conclusion of King David's life, readers of the Hebrew Bible are confronted with a troubling image: a feeble old man who in his last words requests vengeance against those who slighted him. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss the appendix to the Books of Samuel, the succession of Solomon, and why we should be cautious whenever we hear somebody make big claims about chias...

The tale of Absalom — son of David, avenger of Tamar, murderer of Amnon, rebel king of Israel — is an enigmatic chapter in the long tale of King David. It's a story full of cowardly justice and bold injustice, one that touches upon courtly intrigues and distasteful sexual ethics. What can we learn from this Biblical story? Read along as the Third Hour Podcast tries to find out!

Something is wrong in King David's court, but it's even worse than you've been told. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss the curdling of David's tale, including the fate of Jonathan's son, David's rape of Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, and Nathan's rebuke of the king's behavior.

Through sheer serendipity, the path has been paved for David's ascent to the kingship, and his good favor continues when his rivals stumble over themselves time and time again. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss holy dice, cheapened revelation, and why David is perhaps not the paragon of virtue you've been led to believe.

With his options quickly running out, David decides that it isn't enough to be a criminal — he must also join the Philistines. Meanwhile, King Saul is so uncertain about his future that he resorts to necromancy, raising Samuel's spirit to ask for advice. In the end, Saul is killed in battle entirely without David's involvement, a suspicious turn of events to say the least. Join the...

We all know the story. On the run from King Saul, David assembles a band of outlaws to survive both the rugged landscape and the pursuits of the King. Except the text doesn't quite line up with the plucky image. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss David's time as a ruffian, from his two run-ins with Saul to some light racketeering on the frontier.

Continuing into 1 Samuel, we reach one of the most famous stories in all of human literature: David and Goliath. Or rather, two intertwined stories about David and Goliath, plus a third later in 2 Samuel. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we not only peel apart those tales, but also dig into David's marriage to Michal, his love for Jonathan, and the presence of household gods in the royal cour...

The people want a king to rule over them. Sound familiar? Samuel balks at the idea, but he soon finds a suitable candidate in the person of Saul. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss Samuel's scheming, Saul's bumbling, and why we really ought to read the text of the Bible before coming up with scriptural takeaways.

The Book of Samuel offers an enigmatic and compelling portrait of multiple men of power. This week, we examine the passing of the mantle from the House of Eli to Samuel, including questions of authorship, the way we read the text versus what it actually argues, and the value of thinking outside the box. Meanwhile, the Ark of the Covenant goes on a solo adventure.

There's a good chance you know the story of Ruth. After the horror and bloodshed of Judges, this is the one where everybody's courteous and does the right thing. Right? Well, about that. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we're talking about who wrote Ruth, why they wrote it, and how that should inform what we draw out of it.

The last few episodes in the Book of Judges contain some of the most difficult material in the entire Hebrew Bible. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss Micah's idol, the Levite's concubine, and the Benjamite War — and why these episodes exhibit the Bible at its most morally coherent.

Abimelech! Jephthah! Samson! This week on the Third Hour Podcast, there isn't a single male role model to be found. Join us as we discuss the bloodsickness evident in Judges — and why, despite all that, it might be one of the most moral books we've read in the Hebrew Bible so far.

The Book of Judges throws the triumphal narrative of Joshua into disarray, introducing a chaotic landscape dominated by guerrilla warfare, extreme violence, and charismatic leaders. Today, the Third Hour Podcast discusses the Song of Deborah, the many identities of Gideon, and why Judges might have been considered humorous to its original recipients.

It's time for everybody's favorite scriptural topic — land allotments! The second half of the Book of Joshua is markedly less thrilling than the first, parceling out land to the various tribes of Israel. Fortunately, we're also taking the time to discuss the origins of the tribal system and how to cope with the Deuteronomist's peculiar approach to history-making.

As the Book of Joshua begins, the Camp of Israel crosses the Jordan and begins conquering the Promised Land. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss holy war, archaeological evidence (or lack thereof), and the long history of massaging these tales to make them more palatable.

With the blessing and death of Moses, the Torah is finished. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss the final chapters of Deuteronomy, the various covenants presented in the Torah, and what we can draw from altered scripture.

The middle portion of Deuteronomy is the torah itself, the scroll of law that forms the basis for King Josiah's reforms. Yet it's filled with difficult material: child sacrifice, human spoils, rape, temple prostitution. What can we learn from troublesome scripture? Moreover, where does this material come from, and how can it help us foster a relationship with the divine? Join the Third H...

Meet the Deuteronomist! The final authorial school of the Torah brings an entirely new way of looking at scripture, and the Third Hour Podcast investigates how it modifies what's come before.

The final portion of the Book of Numbers makes for a rough journey. Balak, the King of Moab, asks Balaam to curse Israel, only for Balaam to have a peculiar interaction with a speaking donkey. The Israelites and Midianites spend some intimate time together, resulting in slaughter. The daughters of Zelophehad request a landholding from Moses and the assembly, granting property rights to women — but...

The middle portion of Numbers contains a few familiar passages, most notably the Bronze Serpent and Moses's thoughts on the goodness of God. We tend to skip over the rest: divine anger and vanity, selective punishments, and a worldview very unlike our own. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss reading morality stories, corporate versus individual sin, and racial dynamics in the camp of Is...

Numbers may be named after its two censuses, but it also begins with two major examples of oath-taking: the Nazirite vow and the test of bitter waters. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we delve into their possible meanings — and explore what it means to read scripture that's vague or horrifying.