The Third Hour Podcast

First of the apocryphal books is Tobit, a comedic tale of gifted goats, concealed angels, and happy conclusions. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss its significance.

The Books of Obadiah and Malachi complete our tour of the Twelve Minor Prophets and the Hebrew Bible. But wait! There's more!

What do the books of Joel and Jonah have in common? Spurious provenance! But what's more unexpected is the way they present contrasting approaches to the peoples who live around Judea. Join us on the Third Hour Podcast to learn more!

The second half of the Book of Daniel concerns apocalyptic images — although those images refer to an apocalypse that never arrived, and which was never intended to communicate anything about the modern world. Today on the Third Hour, we discuss the not-so-hidden history of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a big jerk whose reign directly led to the theological invention of a bad place after death.

The first six chapters of the Book of Daniel recount a handful of folktales. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we examine these tales in detail, touching on not only their historical inaccuracies, but also their profound moral meanings to those in the diaspora.

The Book of Esther takes us into the realm of historical fiction, riffing on ancient figures and sparking a drinking festival. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss its background, departures from reality, and why it's a worthwhile text.

Today we investigate the books of Haggai and Zechariah, which illuminate another perspective on the beginning of the Second Temple Period, and in some cases contrast with the narratives found in Ezra and Nehemiah.

The Book of Nehemiah portrays yet another step in the reconstruction of post-Exile Jerusalem. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss some of the ways Nehemiah's priorities differ from Ezra's, the composition of the religious classes, and the politics behind the rebuilding of the city walls.

At long last, the Babylonian Exile is over! Thanks to the edicts of Cyrus the Great, the Jewish people have been released, allowing the reconstruction of Jerusalem as a client state of Persia. However, the state of affairs is far from perfect, leaving the inhabitants of the Province-Across-the-River uncertain about their families' future.

The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, doesn't have a good reputation in Mormonism. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss the reasons behind the poem's ignominy, as well as the beauty of its prose and some of the ways it has been interpreted throughout history.

The Book of Job has been interpreted and reinterpreted countless times across the centuries. Today, we look at two modern retellings: Joel and Ethan Coen's A Serious Man and Edward Greenstein's  Job: A New Translation . Along the way, we discuss the book's many meanings, its ancient context, and how this most unorthodox story may have entered the Biblical canon.

The Book of Job ranks among the Hebrew Bible's most poetic and enigmatic books, an examination of suffering and the answers we offer to that suffering. Today on a double-length episode of the Third Hour Podcast, we dig into the particulars of the story, our own reactions to it, and the ways it challenges our behaviors and even our broader religious traditions.

The Babylonian Captivity is the watershed event of the Hebrew Bible, a catastrophe that will preoccupy its latter books. Today we examine Lamentations and Ecclesiastes, which offer contrasting responses to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Whoa! Another Isaiah! This week on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss Trito-Isaiah in some depth, including the textual clues that have led most scholars to conclude that it was written by a different author than those who wrote the first two Isaiahs, the way its author's understanding of the covenant differs from his predecessors, and the milieu that influenced his work.

Early Christians often identified the Book of Isaiah as "the fifth gospel." Yet its theology, rhetoric, and even authorship complicates such easy description. Today, the Third Hour Podcast talks about the book's second major section. Who was Deutero-Isaiah? What did they hope their audience would learn from their writing? Hopefully we can shed some light on those enduing questions.

In its second half, the Book of Ezekiel tones down the sexual imagery but becomes no less enigmatic. This week on the Third Hour Podcast, we investigate some of the book's most notable passages, including the valley of dry bones and the destruction of Gog and Magog, and discuss some complicating factors in the way these have been interpreted throughout history.

Age Warning! The Book of Ezekiel has traditionally been withheld from students until the age of thirty — the reasons for which we will investigate in this episode as we discuss the extreme visions, behaviors, and ethical code that are the hallmarks of this prophet.

In stark contrast to the first half of the Book of Jeremiah, the second half shifts tone, genre, and even theology. Join us for a discussion of Jeremiah's politicking, prophecy, and his unique approach to Babylon.

The Book of Jeremiah is famous for its lamentations. What might surprise some listeners, however, is the ways that Jeremiah inverts expectations. In this episode, we discuss the prophet's laments, sarcasm, and perhaps most importantly, his invective for the priests, temple, prophets, and even God.

As the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel progressed, the prophets of the Kingdom of Judah reacted in a variety of ways. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we're looking at four such prophets, each with their own perspective on the invasion of Assyria: Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk.

You've heard it before: the Book of Isaiah is notoriously difficult, nigh impossible to decipher without a deep understanding of symbolism. Nothing could be further from the truth! Join the Third Hour Podcast as we discuss the particulars of First Isaiah — the original author whose works fill the first 39 chapters of the final book — including some essential historical context that makes Isai...

The Book of Hosea is a challenging text for a number of reasons: translation, transmission, and complex political dynamics, not to mention the distastefulness of its central metaphor. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we examine what we can learn from engaging with a difficult text.

With the Book of Amos, we witness the birth of a new literary tradition, one that will continue throughout the remainder of the Hebrew Bible. Utilizing song, poetry, persuasive essays, oracles, and other forms, the author expresses a new ethical model, complete with a novel understanding of covenant, causality, and justice.

The Books of Chronicles have always presented unique problems to Biblical scholars and religious authorities. Today on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss not only what makes Chronicles difficult, but also why it can prove instructive to our understanding of the history and theology of its time.

The final chapters of Kings cover two collapses as Assyria defeats Israel and Babylon defeats Judah. Interspersed with these disasters are accounts of kings both righteous and wicked — according to the Deuteronomist, that is. Join the Third Hour Podcast as we dig into the authorship and history of these twin collapses.