In the 1st century, very few people "read" the Hebrew scriptures. Instead, they were "heard" — read aloud (or performed) in the synagogue and other spaces. In this episode, Catrin Williams joins Helen and Dave to discuss "ancient media culture," the different ways that people consumed biblical texts in the time of Jesus, and how literacy, orality and "aurality" were in constant conversation. If you're curious, here's the mysterious Greek/Hebrew amulet that was found near Caernarvon fort in Wales...
Oct 14, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 83
From the "Last Temptation" to "Life of Brian," so many filmmakers have tried their hand at portraying the greatest story ever told, with mixed results. Matthew Page — author of 100 Bible Films and the creator of the Bible Films Blog — joins Helen and Dave to discuss the best and worst Jesus movies. Here are trailers and clips from some of the films discussed in today's episode: Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) filmed in Leeds! La Vie du Christ (1906) Son of Man (1969) Il Messia (1975) Life of Brian ...
Oct 07, 2024•55 min•Season 3Ep. 82
The 3 endings of the Gospel of Mark present a real "choose your own adventure." Scholars think that the original text ended at Mark 16:8 with Mary Magdalene and the other women running in terror from the empty tomb on Easter morning. So why do most Bibles continue for 12 more verses? Helen explains why ancient scribes felt the need to tidy up the messy original ending of Mark's gospel. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Tr...
Sep 30, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 81
It's time to re-think the Documentary Hypothesis — the prevailing theory about the authorship of the Torah. Guest Angela Erisman has a fresh take on the literary history of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, showing how these creative texts reflect ancient political realities. Angela's forthcoming book is The Wilderness Narratives in the Hebrew Bible: Religion, Politics, and Biblical Interpretation . Look for it in November 2024. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, ple...
Sep 23, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 80
Written in the 2nd Century CE, the non-canonical "Gospel of Mary" gives us a taste of the wild diversity of Early Christianity. Religious historian Sarah Parkhouse joins Helen and Dave in the Time Machine to explain the significance of this mysterious Gnostic tribute to Mary Magdalene. For more, check out Sarah's book, Eschatology and the Saviour: The Gospel of Mary among Early Christian Dialogue Gospels . SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, please consider supporting the sho...
Sep 16, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 79
People have lived in Jerusalem for 5,000 years. Archeologist Jodi Magness hops in the Time Machine to give Helen and Dave a tour of Jerusalem's long and fascinating history. Buy Jodi's book — it's fantastic! Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (2024) SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club , our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributi...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 78
The destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE was a cataclysmic event for the people of Judaea and the Galilee. Our guest Nathanael Vette argues that all four New Testament gospels were written after 70 when Jewish communities were grappling with the loss of the Temple and an uncertain future under harsh Roman rule. Nathanael has found remarkable evidence in Mark that times the first gospel's authorship during the Jewish-Roman Wars. Check out Nathanael's full article: " The Son of Man and the Sea: ...
Sep 02, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 77
Bottoms up! In today's mildly alcoholic episode, we talk with guest Elaine Goodfriend about the role of wine in Ancient Israel, and why the Israelites weren't big beer drinkers like their Egyptian and Mesopotamian neighbors. For more info, check out Elaine's excellent articles: Wine in Ancient Israel Beer in Ancient Israel Shekhar: Is it Wine or Beer? And here's a link to the Jezreel Winery in the Galilee that Elaine mentioned. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, please consi...
Aug 26, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 76
The authors of the New Testament were playing with genres, philosophies and themes that were well-known in Greco-Roman literature. Guest Robyn Faith Walsh teaches us how to read the Bible for what it was in the 1st and 2nd centuries — part and parcel of a wider literary world. Robyn's eye-opening new book is The Origins of Early Christian Literature and we can't recommend it highly enough. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you like the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Tim...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 75
When did this ancient practice begin? Was it unique to the ancient Israelites? And what did Paul really think about circumcision? Helen and Dave cover it all with guest Ryan Collman, author of The Apostle to the Foreskin: Circumcision in the Letters of Paul . SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the Time Travelers Club , our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Pleas...
Aug 12, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 74
The gospels claim that John the Baptist was just preparing the way for Jesus, but what if his role was much bigger? In this episode, Helen and Dave are joined by James McGrath , who argues that Jesus started out as John's disciple and only rose to prominence after John's arrest and execution. James has written two new books about John the Baptist! The first book is already out — Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist . And the second, more scholarly volume will be released in October — John of ...
Aug 05, 2024•56 min•Season 3Ep. 73
Thank you listeners for another amazing season of Biblical Time Machine! We couldn't do this without you. EXCITING NEWS FOR SEASON 3 Season 3 is just a few weeks away and we're unveiling some exciting new perks for members of the Time Travelers Club . We're a listener-supported podcast (no ads!), so we rely on our patrons to keep the show going. If you become a subscriber , you'll get all kinds of new perks in Season 3, including: bonus content and extended interviews for every episode membershi...
Jul 01, 2024•18 min
The Eucharist is such a common part of Christian worship that it's easy to overlook how strange it is — drinking wine that represents Jesus's blood, eating bread that represents His flesh. The ritual would have been even more shocking to Jesus's Jewish followers, for whom consuming blood (even metaphorically) was absolutely forbidden. The New Testament says that Jesus himself instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but earlier writers like Paul describe something more like a communal meal w...
Jun 24, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Join Helen and Dave as they attempt the impossible — to cover the entirety of biblical history in one fact-packed episode! To help us, we recruited Dan McClellan from the Data Over Dogma podcast to walk us century by century, book by book through the creation of the Bible. It's like listening to a full season of Biblical Time Machine in one sitting. (In a good way!) For a deeper dive into the biblical history topics discussed on today's show, check out these past podcast episodes ---> Biblica...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 71
The " Song of Miriam " is one of the oldest verses in the Hebrew Bible and it's a prayer. What was the nature and role of prayer in ancient Israelite religion? And how can we trace the evolution of prayer into the New Testament period and Jesus's institution of the "Lord's Prayer"? Guest Judith Newman takes us on a fascinating exploration of the history of prayer in ancient Judaism and early Christianity. Check out Judy's book, Before the Bible: The Liturgical Body and the Formation of Scripture...
Jun 10, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Finally, Helen and Dave turn to the most important topic of any time period — food! What the heck did regular folks in the Levant eat back in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE? The Hebrew Bible is a lousy recipe book, so we talked to Jacob Damm , an archeologist who specializes in the food and foodways of Ancient Israel. Grab a snack for this one. You're gonna get hungry. More from our content partner Bible Odyssey: Milk and Honey in Ancient Israel SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the p...
Jun 03, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 69
If Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is accurate, peering inside the fabled Ark of the Covenant will result in mild to severe face-melting and occasional head exploding. In the Hebrew Bible, the Ark doesn't melt any faces, but it does inflict its fair share of divine violence. Guest Rachelle Gilmour explains the fascinating history and lore behind the Ark of the Covenant. More from our content partner Bible Odyssey: The Ark of the Covenant Shiloh SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you...
May 27, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 68
One of the longest-running debates among biblical scholars is over the existence of a hypothetical "lost gospel" called Q. If you compare the synoptic gospels — Mark, Matthew and Luke — there are similarities and differences that can't easily be explained. Was there an even earlier source about Jesus that these gospels were based on? And if so, who wrote it and why was it lost? Our guest today is Paul Foster , a colleague of Helen's at the University of Edinburgh. Paul is a passionate Q supporte...
May 20, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Of all the problematic heroes in the Hebrew Bible, Samson takes first prize. Samson is hailed as a hero of the Israelites — a "Nazirite" consecrated to God with superhuman strength — but he's also a mass murderer, womanizer and all-around menace to society. Helen and Dave welcome Mahri Leonard-Fleckman to the podcast to try to make sense of the wild (and wildly entertaining) Samson cycle. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the Time Travelers...
May 13, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 66
In 1945, dozens of previously unknown Christian texts were discovered near the Egyptian desert town of Nag Hammadi. Some texts were closely tied to the New Testament, like the Gospel of Thomas, but others were pretty wild, portraying the God of the Hebrew Bible as a demon trickster. All of these texts were labeled "gnostic," but scholars continue to debate what "gnostic" really means and what to make of these curious works from the early centuries of Christianity. Helen and Dave are joined by Ki...
May 06, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Countless things could sicken or injure you in the ancient world, so where did people turn for help? Much like today, there were no shortage of healthcare options: herbs, drugs, surgery, saliva — even a literal hole in the head! Helen and Dave welcome historian Jared Secord to discuss what passed for medical care in the ancient Mediterranean and why Jesus fits the profile of a faith healer. Check out Jared's cool new book, co-authored with Kristi Upson-Saia and Heidi Marx, Medicine, Health, and ...
Apr 29, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 64
Every Passover, Jewish families gather to recount the miraculous story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt. But how much of this age-old tale is true? Helen and Dave welcome Carol Meyers back to the podcast to talk about the limits of Exodus archeology and to put forward some intriguing theories about the historical origins of the Ancient Israelites. For even more from Carol about the Exodus and Moses, check out this terrific interview she did with PBS NOVA and her book Exodus...
Apr 22, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 63
If you thought everyday life in the 1st century was disgusting, wait until you step inside a Roman prison. In our very first LIVE episode, we talk with Matthew Larsen , historian of ancient incarceration, about the conditions Paul and other early Christians experienced in ancient prisons — nasty food, nastier smells and what it meant to be sent off to the mines. Members of the Time Travelers Club can watch a video version of the podcast! This episode was recorded LIVE at the 2024 SBL Global Virt...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 62
In the 1st-century Roman world where Christianity was born, 20% of the population was enslaved. Enslaved people were laborers, farmers, artisans, scribes, teachers, servants and sex workers. And as our guest Candida Moss explains, enslaved people also played a critical role in the spread of Christianity, including the authorship of biblical texts. How does it change our understanding of the Bible and Early Christianity when we recognize the influence of enslaved people? Does Jesus's revolutionar...
Apr 08, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 61
" The Chosen " is a global phenomenon. The streaming series about the life of Jesus is now in its 4th season, which is building toward Jesus's final week in Jerusalem. Helen and Dave were thrilled to chat with actor Richard Fancy , who plays high priest Caiaphas on "The Chosen." Richard did some serious research to prepare for his role — he even read Helen's book ! Find out why Richard sympathizes with Caiaphas, a biblical "baddie" who was caught between warring political factions. And learn how...
Apr 01, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 60
The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity, but the reality of the empty tomb is largely a matter of faith, not history. All of the evidence pertaining to the Resurrection is found within the New Testament. So how can anyone definitively prove that the Resurrection did or did not happen? If anyone can do it, Dale Allison can. Dale is a committed Christian and unblinking scholar who isn't satisfied with either the apologetic or skeptical arguments around the Resurrection. In tod...
Mar 25, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Jesus's mortal life ended on a Roman cross, one of the cruellest execution methods known to man. But how common was crucifixion in the Roman world and how accurate was the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus's agonizing end? In this fascinating (and somewhat gruesome) episode, we dive into the debate over the true shape of Roman crosses, whether Jesus carried his entire cross, and the ultimate cause of death from crucifixion. Special thanks to our expert guest John Granger Cook , author of Crucif...
Mar 18, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Capernaum is known as "the Town of Jesus," since so many of Jesus's miracles and preaching happened in this small town on the Sea of Galilee. In the centuries after Jesus's death, Capernaum transformed from a Jewish fishing village into a Christian holy site. Thanks to archeology, we can learn more about Jewish-Christian relations in Capernaum during this much-debated period in the history of the Holy Land. Helen and Dave are joined by Wally Cirafesi , an archeologist and New Testament scholar w...
Mar 11, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 57
The history doctor is in! Helen and Dave welcome Dr. Ricky Shinall — an MD with a PhD in biblical studies — to help us diagnose leprosy in the ancient world. Did biblical leprosy have anything to do with modern Hansen's disease? Were lepers considered "untouchable" pariahs? And what does all of this have to do with ritual impurity? For more, check out Dr. Shinall's article " Skin Disease and Social Exclusion " at our content partner Bible Odyssey. BREAKING NEWS The Biblical Time Machine Store is...
Mar 04, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 56
In the 6th Century BCE, on a tiny island in the Nile River, once stood a Temple to Yahweh. Far from Jerusalem, the ancient Jews of Egypt's Elephantine Island worshipped a mighty god they called "Yaho" in one of the first diaspora Jewish communities outside of Palestine. How they got there and who they became is a fascinating and little-known story. On today's episode, Helen and Dave talk with historian Karel van der Toorn , professor of ancient religion at the University of Amsterdam and author ...
Feb 26, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 55
