Investigators Guide to the Bible Podcast

Hey there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible for the final episode on the case of Joseph’s Ordeal. Take a deep breath, grab a cookie to go with your coffee, and settle in for the Summation to the Jury. If you have not figured it out yet, I’m Tony. I did the writing and the reading. If something is wrong, I’m the guy who gets the blame. Share, stack, restack and all that stuff. Let’s...

Hey there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. It is just about put up or shut up time. We’ve talked about sources and analysis. We’ve talked about evidence and how to view it. It is time to start putting all the facts together. Believe it or not, though, there are still a couple topics we have to round out, first. I have not talked about analytic integrity, yet, or the analytic stand...

Investigative Timeline: Getting My Clocks in a Row Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This is it! Get your pens and notepads ready because this is where you get to check my notes to see if I got the timeline right. We know timelines are important, so it’s put up or shut up time. As always, no question or comment is off limits. Tell me where I’m wrong. Like and subscribe f...

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. When we left our intrepid couple, Mary and Joseph, they were deciding if they should move to Bethlehem. Let’s look at some more concrete reasons why a move to Bethlehem, rather than just a trip, makes more sense. One more time, let’s see if I can turn what you know about the Infancy Narrative on its head. Let’s talk about the logistics o...

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. It’s hard to believe we are getting to the end, but we’re not done yet! Today, we are going to talk about all of the things Luke left out of his Gospel. I know he had to jam everything into a small space but, my goodness, months passed between two verses in his testimony! Let’s fill in some of the details, shall we? Like and subscribe fo...

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today, we’ll talk about two events that set the stage for everything else that happens in the New Testament. It kind of feels like we should understand what really happened, right? Let’s do that. I'm Tony. I'm the author and I promise not to sing while I narrate the episode for you. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode,...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. The prosecution is about to rest and the defense is starting to take the stage! It really is time we get to know Joseph of Nazareth. This guy has been getting a bad rap for two thousand years. If you are one of the ones who thought Joseph was going to divorce Mary, you owe the guy an apology! Not even I’m that heartless and I’m an intelligence agent...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I feel like I’ve been building up to these next three episodes forever! So, let’s stop wasting time. There is probably no more controversial subject in Christianity than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Orthodox and Catholics are crazy about her; most Protestants think she was not that special; and Muslims, oddly, have significant respect for Mary, dedica...

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We ended last time in the hills of Galilee so let’s move west of there to a little town called Nazareth! I have to be honest. When I started this investigation, I never realized how far I would stray from Nazareth, just to bring us right back there. I hope to shatter a few myths about the hometown of Jesus. We’ll talk about prophecy, his...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We will stay on the topic of the Essenes one more time to explain what was going on with these guys around the rest of first century Israel. It could get a little weird! We’ll challenge a long-held belief or two and I’ll do my level best to eviscerate a renowned source on the Essenes. Sounds like fun, right? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Shar...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I thought we would get out of Jerusalem this episode, but we have to clean up a few of the controversies, first. So, we’ll stick around Jerusalem, wander over to Qumran, and hit the points in between for one more episode before we close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago. R...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. In a wildly exciting episode, we’ll talk about dusty old scrolls, treasure hunts, and hidden secrets of ancient Israel. I’m already captivated, how about you? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: * Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’ll stick around Jerusalem for one more episode and close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago. I'm Tony, I'm the author and there aren’t any super hard words to pronounce so I’ll be the narrator, too. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We are still hanging out in Bad Guy Central, this time, to learn about the Pharisees. Let’s see if I can dredge up a detail or two you didn’t know about them. I'm Tony, I'm the author, and the narrator. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Sharing the episode with a friend or twelve would be kind of cool, too. Let’s go: The Pharisees – The OG Deep S...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we dive into Bad Guy Central and learn about the Sadducees. Boo! Hiss! Let’s see if all the bad stories about them are true. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, call mom and dad, and let’s get going: The Sadducees. Who’s Who In The Zoo, Too? Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: Today’s work, a...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we cover the Sanhedrin, Snidely Whiplash and answer the age-old question, “Can we end world hunger with a Vatican yard sale?” We’ll probably throw a couple other stories in, too. I’m Tony. I’m the author, the narrator, chief researcher...I’m also the assistant researcher and I make the coffee. But enough about me. Like and subscribe fo...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’ll take one more pass at the Prophets and lay out why we should pay any attention to them, at all. If you like prophets, this should be a hoot! If you don’t like prophets, come on! It’ll still be a hoot! Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: * Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition . Washi...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’re back in prophecy world where we’ll ask the age-old question, “Lord, why won’t you just tell us what You want us to know?” What’s the worst that could happen? We promise we won’t be sitting in Nazareth, waiting with our golden calves, for the Messiah to show up. You can trust us, Lord! Wow, we’re only on the intro and it’s already getting spicy...

Last time, I promised a trip in the Wayback Machine because, obviously, only going back two thousand years might be getting passee. If we’re going to understand what happened in ancient Israel, though, we have to go back to even more ancient Israel and check out the prophets. The hunt for evidence begins now! Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: *Unless otherwise noted, most...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We need to slow down a bit in this episode and develop a witness list. Who should we question when any witnesses related to this case would be, um...dead? Did any of the people who interacted with the Holy Family leave a testimony behind? Where might we find them? Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: *Most Bible quotes come fr...

What is an Investigative Plan and how do you put one together? More importantly, how does it pertain to Biblical research? Join us this episode to take some time to build a convincing case, along with some wildly entertaining stories that may or may not have anything to do with the subject. Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart: 1. New American Bible, Revised Edition . Washing...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. So far, there are seven reasons why Saint Joseph might have wanted to divorce Mary. The suspense is building. Are there other theories? Can I convince you that two thousand years of super smart people missed something critical? I am genuinely interested in your opinion even though today’s episode is called “You’re All Wrong!” Let’s find out! This is...

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. In today’s episode, we finally get to start tearing into Joseph’s Ordeal. Mary and Joseph had the perfect life planned until.....something changed. What went wrong, up in sunny, scenic Nazareth? Join us to find out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit i...

Today’s episode of the Investigators Guide to the Bible is called “The Lay of the Land.” Let’s dig into some of the backstory for The Greatest Story Ever Told. Why do Matthew and Luke give completely different family trees for Jesus? Is it possible that Joseph was 200 years old? Join us to find out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Prelude to Ordeal.” Ooh, suspenseful! So let me ask you: what do Scriptural analysis, spy stories, a Pixar movie and the zombie apocalypse have in common? I managed to jam them all into this week’s episode! We’re having some fun now! I’m Tony. I’m the author and, since I remember most of what I wrote, I’m the narrator, too...