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The Kingdom of Israel has split into two. Judah is tiny but retains Jerusalem and its temple,  and a dynasty descended from David. Israel is vast in comparison but in separating from Judah, it appears to have also separated itself from God. In these chapters, Israel enters a kind of death spiral from which it seems impossible to pull out, while Judah just about clings on. However, this nation seem...

It's fair to say Israel's King Solomon doesn't hold back when it comes to getting married. His enthusiasm for the opposite sex is legendary, as is his immense harem. However, according to the Bible this does not sit well with God, especially as some of Solomon's wives are from pagan nations, and the women prove as seductive as their religions.  The seeds are sown for a complete...

Solomon's reign is spectacular, if only for its opulence. Foreign rulers make pilgrimages just to marvel at the wealth and wisdom of Israel's king. But all is not golden in this particular kingdom. Solomon slowly begins to lose his grip on what being king of Israel actually means. His marriages are foreign alliances and he appears to be putting his faith in his own power rather than in G...

After the roller coaster of David's warlike reign, things settle down a little with his son, Solomon in charge. This is where Israel enters a golden age. Where David fights and suppresses rebellions from his own sons, Solomon builds. Using the wealth hoarded by his father, he constructs a temple and palaces and enjoys a life of unrivalled opulence. Still, he is known for more than just his we...

Season 10 begins. David hands over his reign to his chosen heir, Solomon, just as another of David's sons, Adonijah makes his own bid for the crown. Solomon's reign begins with bloodshed. There is no room for pretenders,  traitors or sentimentality, and no one can stand in the way of Israel's Sun King. Chapters covered: 1 Kings 1-3 Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Mich...

The judge, Samuel is long dead. His lasting legacy is Israel's monarchy. The nation's first two kings, Saul and David were chosen by him. As the book that bears his name draws to an end, so does the life and reign of David. These closing chapters are a summing up, a kind of who's who at the end of David's rule. However, the drama isn't over, and another mis-step by the kin...

Blindsided by an unexpected assault on the monarchy by his son Absalom, David has had to gather an army and prepare to fight back.  Having spent much of his reign defeating enemy nations and winning security for Israel, the king is now facing down ever more threats from his own people. Will blood prove thicker than water, or will the old king  manage cling onto his throne? Chapters covered: 2 Samu...

Out of nowhere, David suddenly has to face a coup from within his own family.  With no time to prepare, he must evacuate the royal compound and quickly assess who is with him in his fight to maintain the throne.  Helping him is an underground network of spies and a faux adviser who he is depending on to feed the wannabe king bad counsel. It's a long shot, but right now, David is out of option...

Surely one of the most sordid episodes in the entire Bible, and certainly one of the saddest, a bored young prince convinces himself that he is in love with his half sister.  The event escalates and David has a choice, to deal with his son or to let things get completely out of hand. Chapters covered: 2 Samuel 13-15 Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music....

A beautiful woman takes a bath on the flat roof of her house in plain view of a bored and randy king. Whatever the worst is that can happen, happens, as David manages to break all ten of the Ten Commandments, all at once. This isn't a section of the Bible that regularly gets aired in church services, for good reason. It's around 1000BC, and it's bathtime. Come on in! Chapters covere...

David's rule begins as he crushes army after army, builds his citadel in Jerusalem and adopts his best friend's son. It all starts off so well... Chapters covered:  2 Samuel 6-9 Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music Cover Art by Lisa Goff Download S nakes and Angels, a Secular Walk through the First Five Books of the Bible , here: https://www.a...

With Saul dead, a power vacuum opens up in Israel. David believes that God has chosen him to be the nation's next king, but Saul still has sons and grandsons who survived the battle at Gilboa. One in particular believes that he is his father's heir apparent and assumes the crown for himself. His fall is an object lesson in how treating the true power brokers in the accession with disdain...

Spoiler alert: God might give you more than you can handle, and he doesn't necessarily help those who help themselves. If that revelation hasn't shocked you off your chair, get ready for more bombshells. In this special episode, I cover off a number of myths that people assume must be biblical, but aren't. Nativity lovers be warned, you'll never look at an infant Christmas play...

The First Book of Samuel reaches its season finale - and it's a satisfying one. A giant enemy army is bearing down on Israel as Saul and the rest of the Israelite force prepare to make a heroic last stand. Yet incredibly, Israel's most loyal soldier - and potentially its next king - is marching with the enemy. What gives? Those who think the Bible is simply a list of rules and regulation...

Everyone loves a bad guy getting their come-uppance and in this episode, a surly and ungrateful farmer provides listeners with that satisfaction. However, the predominant baddie in this particular Bible book is Israel's king, Saul who narrowly misses assassination not once, but twice. And not only does David have to slip into a neighbouring country to evade capture, he suddenly finds himself...

These are some of the liveliest pages in the Bible - and some of its most bloody. David may be the golden child of Israel, but Saul's jealousy is about to get the better of him. His hunt for David is relentless, and aided by a psychopathic Edomite shepherd, he unleashes one of the most appalling attacks in the entire Bible. Chapters covered: 1 Samuel 18-22 Written and produced by Chas Bayfiel...

It's one of the world's most famous stories, and one of only a few Bible stories that has achieved fame outside of religious circles. It's so famous that it has become an archetype, but David vs Goliath is so much more than the little guy overcoming the big guy. As Goliath taunts the Israelite army for its cowardice, a young shepherd arrives with food for his soldier brothers. Hours...

Saul's reign begins well and then gradually freewheels downhill, increasing speed and the likelihood of a pile up as it does so. As this episode proves, even having a brave and gifted warrior for a son can't help this klutz of a king rule his kingdom properly. The fall of Saul begins here. Chapters covered: 1 Samuel 11-14 Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Music by Michael Auld and Jo...

It’s the end of an era. From the Patriarchs to the Judges, Israel has been looked after by leaders which it believes God has given it,  and who appear to have been hand-picked  because of their inherent faithfulness to God and the courage which this gives them. Now, Israel's people are in uncharted territory.  The age of the Judges is over.  The age of the monarchy is about to begin. Chapters...

The epic account of Israel's monarchy begins. Books 1 + 2  of Samuel are some of the most page turning in the whole Bible as the writers build tension, hop between locations and include dramatic points of jeopardy from which it seems impossible to seize victory. These are chapters that you can properly binge. As expected by now, God uses the least expected people to carry out his mission - a...

An unmarried young woman puts on her best clothes, fixes her makeup and sashays out into the night. She finds a wealthy older man who is sleeping off a banquet and lies down next to him. Who is she? What did she hope might happen as a result of this midnight liaison. And why do more people not know this story? Season eight begins. Chapters covered: Ruth 1-4 Written and produced by Chas Bayfield Mu...

My my my Delilah - Episode 60 and Season 6 finale! This is a longer and usual podcast and the action doesn't stop. Samson's unfortunate love affair is one of the few stories that has escaped the Bible and into popular culture. But it is what happens next that sees Israel spiral into a self destructive vortex. It's one of the most appalling and depraved events in the Bible and unsurp...

Animal lovers look away! Israel is about to get a leader who thinks nothing of killing wildlife to help him wreak revenge. As for the content, this episode provides the backstory to one of the most famous romantic relationships in the Bible - Samson and Delilah. But before Samson meets Delilah, he falls in love with another absolute heartbreaker. Chapters covered: Judges 11-15 Written and produced...

There are no dull moments in the Book of Judges. In this episode, meek little Gideon who is too scared to engage anyone in  a fight becomes a bonafide warlord. One of his sons goes rogue and embarks on a killing spree that only ends when yet another woman grabs a projectile and takes back control of Israel's destiny. Chapters covered: Judges 7-11 Conversions: 42.5lb = 19.3kg 1¾lb = 800g 12-15...

In an unusual break from tradition, a woman has led Israel to success against enemy invaders.  A fabulous one-two with a second and equally ferocious woman seals the victory. In another unexpected move, Israel's next hero is so unlikely a contender for leadership that he enters the Bible hiding. These are some of the Bible's most lurid stories and we're right in the thick of them En...