The Digital Hammurabi Podcast

Dr. Joel Baden joins me to talk about the Ten Commandments! Find out why there are two versions, whether they were intended to be followed as laws, and what he thinks about the differences between the two. For more information about his ten-lecture course on the Ten Commandments, use this link: https://digitalhammurabi--ehrman.thrivecart.com/10-commandments/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Megan is joined by Dr. Shawna Dolansky to talk about her research into how Mesopotamian goddesses may have impacted the Biblical figure of Eve, why YHWH is so involved in human fertility, and her incredible new project, Women of the Ancient World. More info on the New Insights into the Hebrew Bible conference: https://digitalhammurabi--ehrman.thrivecart.com/nihb-2026-standard/ Women of the Ancient...

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Dr. Eric Harvey to talk about his latest book, Reading Creation Myths Economically in Ancient Mesopotamia and Israel. You can find more about Dr. Harvey and his work on his website: https://www.blindscholar.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary, mother of Jesus, is probably one of the most famous women from the ancient world. She remains incredibly important today in several faith traditions, but what do we know about the woman behind the story? Today I'm joined by Dr. James Tabor to talk about how we can reconstruct the life of someone who left virtually no historical record, how Mary is similar to Mesopotamian princess and prieste...

Today on Digital Hammurabi, I’m joined by Dr. Jessie DeGrado, assistant professor of ancient Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Dr. DeGrado studies the history and religions of Mesopotamia, and is particularly interested in how modern history and politics affect our reconstruction of the past. He’s here today to talk to me about the Neo-Assyrian empire, the role of ancient Judah...

In this episode of Digital Hammurabi, host Megan Lewis welcomes Dr. Amanda Podany, a renowned expert in ancient history, particularly focusing on Assyria and Mesopotamia during the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Together, they delve into the challenges of uncovering the lives of non-elite individuals in the ancient past, a topic Dr.  Podany explores in her acclaimed book, "Weavers, Scribes and K...

In this episode of Digital Hammurabi, host Megan Lewis welcomes back writer and journalist Emily Wilson to discuss her latest book, "Gilgamesh," the second installment in her epic trilogy about the Sumerians. Emily shares insights into the continuation of the story, which follows the goddess Inanna, her attendant Ninshubur, and the hero Gilgamesh, while introducing new characters and voi...

In this episode of Digital Hammurabi, host Megan Lewis welcomes Dr. Mark Goodacre, a Professor of Religious Studies at Duke University, to discuss the Synoptic Gospels. Dr. Goodacre, who has an extensive academic background including degrees from the University of Oxford and several published works, shares insights into his upcoming university-level course on the Synoptic Gospels through Bart Ehrm...

Join us in this exciting episode of Digital Hammurabi as host Megan Lewis sits down with Dr. Tate Paulette, an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University and an expert in Near Eastern Archaeology. Dr. Paulette shares insights from his upcoming book, In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia, set to be released on August 28th in the US and November 24th elsewhere....

Dr. Eric Cline, Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, discusses his new book "After 1177 BCE: The Survival of Civilization" and the graphic novel adaptation with host, Megan Lewis. They delve into the collapse of major civilizations in the late Bronze Age and the intriguing sequel to his award-winning work. Dr. Cline shares insights on biblical archaeology and internat...

Dr. Tero Alstola, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, discusses his work on ancient Near Eastern cultures and the social history of Babylonia in the first millennium BCE. He talks about his research on ancient immigrants, network approaches to historical data sets, and the use of computer-aided study of the Akkadian language. The conversation delves into his involvement in the 69th Rencont...

In this episode of Digital Hammurabi, Dr. Daniel Schwemer, an expert in magic and witchcraft in the Ancient Near East, joins the host to discuss the recent excavation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Boğazköy-Hattuša. The focus of the conversation is on a tablet written in a previously unknown language that was discovered during the excavation. Dr. Schwemer shares his journey into the study of...

 Many people want to own a piece of the past, but eBay really the answer? Definitely not, and Dr. Erin Thompson, the nation's only full-time professor of art-crime, tells us why!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Museum of the Bible rarely out of the news due to their stolen, smuggled, or faked artifacts, the antiquities market is getting more attention than ever. Dr. Patty Gerstenblith, research professor of law at DePaul University, founding president of the Lawyers Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, and former chair of the President's Cultural Property Advisory Committee in the...

The Museum of the Bible has a reputation for housing fakes and looted objects; most recently, the institution was in the news for their forged Dead Sea Scrolls, the arrest of their consultant, Dr. Dirk Obbink, and the revelation that the famous "Gilgamesh Dream Tablet" housed in the museum was removed from Iraq illegally.  Dr. Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale Divinity School...

Dr. Stavrakopoulou is professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at Exeter University, and star of the BBC's "Bible's Buried Secrets". Hear about her research into what ancient Israelite religion was actually like, and how it's (mis)represented in the Bible! Dr. Stavrakopoulou on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProfFrancesca Originally recorded May 23 2020. Hosted on Acas...

Bethany Hucks is a Ph. D. student at the University of Heidelberg, studying the Roman reuse of Egyptian motifs in material culture. Listen in to hear about her Ph. D. research, and about why diversity is so important for the study of the ancient world. Originally recorded June 7th 2020. Bethany on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RomanAegyptiaca White Homework: https://www.toriglass.com/white-homework...

Apocalypticism is a poorly-understood genre of literature that is found in the Hebrew Bible, and has given rise to countless predictions of the end of the world. Join Megan and Dr. Josh as they talk to Dr. Stephen Cook, professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Virginia Theological Seminary, to talk about this fascinating genre of text. Recorded March 21st 2020. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Death is the one common thread binding humanity together, but how we treat the dead and think about the afterlife varies by culture. Dr. Pinar Durgun is an archaeologist and art historian primarily interested in Anatolian burial practices, and in this episode of the Digital Hammurabi Podcast, she talks to us about jar burials, the afterlife, and ghosts in the ancient world.  Originally recorded Oc...

What importance does ancient Egypt hold for modern Egyptians, and what can museums do to recognize and honor this relationship? In this episode, Megan talks to Heba Abd el Gawad, Egyptian Egyptologist, Ph. D. student at Durham University, and postdoctoral researcher on the "Egypt’s dispersed heritage: views from Egypt" project at the University College of London.  Relevant links: Scatter...

For our inaugural podcast episode, we chose to focus on one of the most important technological innovations of the ancient world - the invention of writing! This episode introduces you to cuneiform, the writing system developed during the late 4th millennium BCE, with an interview with Dr. Jennifer Ross of Hood College, and a narration of Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, the Sumerian literary comp...