It Means What It Means

Yii-Jan Lin discusses her article “Our Cloud of Witnesses: A Writing of Hebrews 11:1-12:2 in Memory of the Asian and Asian American Women Killed 16 March 2021.” She reflects on the impact of immigration, the concept of citizenship, and the importance of honoring Asian American activism. Lin challenges dominant interpretations of scripture and emphasizes the need for new methodologies in biblical s...

Amber Dillon discusses her doctoral dissertation The Archetypal Witness: John the Baptist and Composite Intertextuality in the Fourth Gospel. Dillon explores the significance of John the Baptist in the prologue of the fourth gospel, the evangelist's intentions, and the complex relationship between the Gospel and Jewish identity. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the Gospel of John wit...

In this conversation, Kyle Rouse, a PhD candidate at Baylor University, discusses his article “Conquests Need Monuments and Monuments Need Inscriptions: The Textual Location of the Mount Ebal Altar Episode in Joshua.” He explores the significance of the Masoretic text, authorship debates, and the cultural conventions surrounding military conquests in ancient texts. Rouse emphasizes the importance...

Jason Borges discusses his article “Phoebe, a Host of Christian Travelers: The Meaning of Πϱοστάτις in Romans 16:2.” He explores the role of hospitality in the ancient world, particularly how figures like Phoebe served as hosts for Christian travelers. The discussion delves into the concept of patronage, the reciprocal nature of relationships in ancient hospitality, and the institution of Proxenia...

Shalom E. Holtz, Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, discusses his article “The Problems of Land Possession and the Meaning of Isaiah 60:21.” The discussion explores the legal implications of land possession during the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods, the role of imperial powers, and the theological perspectives surrounding law and land ownership. He emphasizes the vision of restoration i...

Matthew Monger ; Associate professor of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society; discusses his article “The Book of the Daughters of Adam in the Gelasian Decree.” He explains the decree's role in establishing a canon of scripture and introduces the Book of the Daughters of Adam, a text mentioned in the decree but lacking historical evidence. Th...

Brandon Hurlbert (one of the hosts of The Two Cities podcast) discusses his article “Deconstructing the Downward Spiral: Anthology as Coherence in the Book of Judges,” arguing that it should be viewed as an anthology of narratives rather than a unified story depicting a downward spiral of moral decay. He explores the editorial processes behind ancient texts, the complexity of biblical narratives,...

Caryn Tambor-Rosenau discusses her article “Embracing the Jewess: Reading Gender and Ethnicity in Judith with the Belle Juive.” She contrasts literary analysis with historical criticism, emphasizing the importance of understanding the text's function rather than solely its historical background. Caryn and Jared explore the character of Judith from the biblical text, discussing her independence, th...

In this conversation, David Moffitt, a professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Saint Andrews, discusses his book Rethinking the Atonement and explores the representation of atonement in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of sacrifice and reconciliation, the diversity of perspectives within the New Testam...

In this podcast episode, Jared interviews Claire Mesick, an assistant professor of New Testament at Calvin University, discussing her recent article “Death and Salvation in Paul and Ancient Judaism (1 Corinthians 5:5).” The conversation delves into the complexities of Paul's writings, particularly the concepts of flesh and spirit, the implications of handing someone over to Satan, and the relation...

In this conversation, Jared and Michael Kochenash explore the complexities of historical narratives, particularly in relation to the Gospels. They discuss the spectrum of historiography, the role of reading communities, and the importance of understanding the motivations behind the narratives. The conversation also delves into the challenges of chronology, the nature of censuses in the ancient wor...

Happy New Year! To close out 2024, we’re going to share clips of what we have in store for 2025. Guests in the new yea will include Nadya Williams, Amber Dillon, Kyle Rouse, Jason Borges, Shalom Hotz, Matthew Monger, Brandon Hurlbert, Caryn Tamber-Rosenau, David Moffitt, Clair Mesick, and Michael Kochenash. Reach out with guest suggestions or feedback at itmeanswhatitmeans@gmail.com . If you want...

In this conversation, Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein shares his journey through Orthodox Judaism, discussing the nuances of Jewish education, the significance of biblical texts, and the role of the oral Torah. He explains the structure of the Jewish Bible, the importance of the Torah scroll in worship, and the diverse roles of rabbis within the community. The discussion also touches on the nature of Jew...

In this conversation, Hindy Najman discusses her book Seconding Sinai: The Development of Mosaic Discourse in Second Temple Judaism . She challenges the traditional understanding of pseudepigrapha as inauthentic and instead explores how texts associated with figures like Moses can be seen as faithful to the tradition and transformative in the hands of later writers. She emphasizes the importance o...

In this conversation, Luke Timothy Johnson discusses his article on the “New Testament's Anti-Jewish slander and the Conventions of Ancient Polemic.” He argues that the negative characterizations of Jews in the New Testament were not aimed at Judaism as a whole, but at specific groups within Judaism. Johnson emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and sociological context in whic...

Mark Nanos discusses his interest in Jewish history and his focus on reading the New Testament, particularly Paul, from a more Jewish perspective. He explains how his research and writing have challenged traditional interpretations of Paul and the Jewish tradition. Nanos emphasizes the importance of reframing the language used to discuss Jewish law and sacred teaching. He also explores the concept...

In this conversation, Shane Thompson discusses his article “Local Manifestations of YHWH within El’s divine Council: Psalm 82 in the Context of Israelite Religion.” He explores the concepts of monotheism, monolatry, and henotheism, and proposes that Psalm 82 describes multiple local manifestations of Yahweh. He argues that ancient Israelite religion was not a monolithic monotheistic system, but ra...

Father John Haby discusses his personal background and journey to the Greek Orthodox Church. He explains the liturgical engagement with biblical texts in the Greek Orthodox tradition, emphasizing the importance of tradition and the Eucharist. Father Haby also addresses the issue of biblical literacy within the church and the challenges it faces. He highlights the need for a deeper understanding of...

In this conversation, Daniel Rodriguez discusses his paper “On Γαρ'd: Dialogue in LXX Isaiah and Romans” and the misinterpretation of Paul's words in Romans. They explore the translation of biblical texts and the complexity of understanding theological concepts in Paul's writings. They also discuss the distinction between sin and transgression and the importance of listening to Jewish voices in bi...

The conversation with Edmon Gallagher explores the growth and expansion of the Septuagint and its canon. The Septuagint refers to the Greek translation of the Old Testament, specifically the Torah. The traditional story is that King Ptolemy commissioned 70 Jewish scholars to translate the Torah from Hebrew into Greek. However, Gallagher argues that the Septuagint initially referred only to the Tor...

Gavin Fernandes discusses his article on the Song of Songs and the issue with the interpretation of the words 'melech' and 'alamot'. He argues that the word 'melech' should be understood as 'king' and not dismissed or interpreted figuratively. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding the literary integrity of the text and the presence of three parties: the king, the woman, and the women....

Mark Durie, an Anglican pastor and expert on Islam, discusses the influence of Charles Kraft on missions to Muslims. Kraft, a missiologist, promoted the idea of insider movements, where Muslims could follow Christ while retaining their Muslim identity. Durie explains that Kraft's approach to biblical translation was influenced by Eugene Nida, who believed that meaning was determined by the respons...

Kyle discusses the importance of Bible translation for the church and challenges the notion that the Bible is primarily for non-Christians. He emphasizes the need for pastors and laypeople to engage with the original languages of the Bible and highlights the role of exegesis, hermeneutics, and theology in interpretation. Kyle also emphasizes the importance of stable translations that can be used b...

In this conversation, Georges Houssney discusses his background and ministry, as well as the impact of the Arabic language on Islam and Christianity. He explains the differences in terminology between the two religions and the challenges of translating the Bible into Arabic. Georges also shares his perspective on the Insider Movement and the importance of the Orthodox Church's historical approach...

In this conversation, Fred Farrokh discusses the controversy surrounding Muslim Idiom Bible translations and the theological assumptions behind them. He explains the challenges faced by Bible translators in communicating the gospel to Muslims and the tension between making the message understandable and acceptable. The conversation also touches on the role of indigenous Christian communities, the...