Bible and Archaeology

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 ou...

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...

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 R...

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 legitim...

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...

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...

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 tex...

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 Reco...

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...

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 questio...

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 the...

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 Literatu...

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...

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 &amp...

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...

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...

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 E...

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...

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 Er...

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 Bi...

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...

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 understa...

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 Is...

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...

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 ✨ B...