Podcast
Bible and Archaeology
The place for anything and everything about the lands, civilizations, and archaeology of the Bible. Join Biblical scholar Dr. Jordan Jones and guests as they discuss the stories, people, and objects we all think we know.
Have a question? You can send it to us at: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
Where to find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology
- Episodes
- 149
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 46 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 6 days ago
Episodes
149 episodes, newest first
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45 min
The Ghost Stories Hiding in the Bible
Season 1, Episode 145
Show notes
Does the Bible have ghost stories? This week, Travis Proctor joins Bible & Archaeology to explore the haunted side of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament! From the Witch of Endor and the ghost of Samuel to ancient haunted houses, Jesus' resurrection, the empty tomb, and Doubting Thomas, we uncover surprising connections between biblical narratives, ancient Greco-Roman ghost stories, and beliefs about life after death.
📚 Reading Recommendations
The Haunted Bible with Travis Proctor
🌐 For more about Travis, check out: www.traviswproctor.com
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Travis Proctor
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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45 min
What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Garden of Eden
Season 1, Episode 144
Show notes
What really happened in the Garden of Eden? This week, biblical scholar David Carr joins Bible & Archaeology to rethink the Garden of Eden story in Genesis! From the serpent and forbidden fruit to original sin, the image of God, Cain and Abel, and Noah's Flood, we explore how the Hebrew Bible challenges familiar assumptions about creation, humanity, and paradise.
📚 Reading Recommendations:
Unmaking Eden: Genesis and the Domestication of the World by David M. Carr
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. David Carr
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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46 min
How Bad Did Ancient Rome Smell?
Season 1, Episode 143
Show notes
How bad did Ancient Rome really smell? This week, historian Garrett Ryan of Toldinstone joins Bible & Archaeology to explore everyday life in the Roman Empire! From Roman sewers and sanitation, to free bread, retired gladiators, and the role rats and mosquitoes played in the fall of Rome, we'll explore how seemingly trivial questions reveal surprising connections between Roman history, culture, religion, and daily life. Because in the ancient world, there is no trivia.
📚 Reading Recommendations
Leaky Aqueducts, Battle Pigeons, and Mystery Cults: More Frequently Asked Questions About the Ancient Greeks and Romans by Garrett Ryan📺 You can hear more from Garrett on his YouTube Channel Toldinstone
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Garrett Ryan
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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47 min
The Flood Story Before Noah
Season 1, Episode 142
Show notes
The story of Noah's Flood has striking parallels in ancient Mesopotamia, but some of those flood traditions predate the biblical text by more than a thousand years. This week, Joseph Lam joins Bible & Archaeology to explore the flood stories of Atrahasis, Gilgamesh, and ancient Mesopotamia.
Why did the gods send the flood? What did an ancient ark supposedly look like? And does the evidence really mean that the Bible simply “copied” an older story? We look beyond the familiar similarities to ask what these different versions of the flood share and what the biblical authors are actually trying to say when they retell the flood story.
🔗 Resources & Links
Watch Joseph's episode on Why Creation Stories All Look the Same
Check out Joseph's Creation Stories of the Ancient World with Great Courses
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Joseph Lam
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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1 hr 7 min
Paul's Weirdest Promise: You'll Outrank the Angels
Season 1, Episode 141
Show notes
Did Paul think his followers would become angels? Scholar David Burnett says no. He argues Paul thought they'd outrank them.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul says his followers will judge the angels and describes resurrection bodies that shine like stars. David Burnett argues that this reflects an ancient cosmic hierarchy in which the stars were understood as celestial beings, and that Paul's vision radically extends this transformation to ordinary followers, including Gentiles. This week, David Burnett joins the podcast to talk about Paul's cosmos, why "monotheism" may be the wrong category, what Paul was fighting against in Corinth, and why Paul thought some people would shine brighter than others.
📚 Reading Recommendations:The Meanings and End(s) of Monotheism by Josiah S Bisbee (Editor), David A Burnett (Editor), Daniel O McClellan (Editor)
David is a PhD candidate in New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. You can check out David's published work, follow him on social media, and/or support his research via his LinkTree here: https://linktr.ee/davidaburnett
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: David Burnett
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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52 min
The Dead Sea Scrolls Were Found. The Story Came Later.
Season 140, Episode 1
Show notes
The Dead Sea Scrolls are famous for the story of how they were discovered, but how much of that story is really about the texts themselves? Eva Mroczek joins Bible & Archaeology to explore why we’re fascinated by lost and hidden texts, how discovery stories turn ancient sources into mysteries, and what these stories reveal about our hopes for recovering the past. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to ancient stories of hidden Bibles and the modern search for lost texts, we explore why the story of discovery can become the content itself.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
📚 Reading Recommendations:
Hidden Scrolls, Buried Bibles: How We Discover the Sacred Past by Eva Mroczek
What do the Dead Sea Scrolls really prove? Forgers, smugglers, and the myth of discovery by Eva Mroczek
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Eva Mroczek
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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1 hr 6 min
How Assyria Changed God
Season 1, Episode 139
Show notes
The Assyrians built one of the ancient world’s most powerfulempires, but what drove the Assyrian Empire's dramatic rise? And why did it fall so quickly? This week, Eckart Frahm joins Bible & Archaeology to trace Assyria's history, from its emergence as a major power to its eventual collapse. Along the way, we explore the reigns of famous Assyrian kings likeTiglath-Pileser III and Ashurbanipal, the Assyrians’ impact on the ancient Near East, what the Bible gets right (and wrong) about the Assyrian Empire, and how encounters with Assyria may have shaped the biblical idea of God.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
📚 Reading Recommendations
Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire by Eckart Frahm
Three New Kings of Assyria by Alexander Johannes Edmonds and Eckart Frahm
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Eckart Frahm
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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48 min
Samson's Story Isn't About His Hair. Judges 13–16 Explained
Season 138, Episode 1
Show notes
What is the story of Samson really about? Samson is often remembered as the strong man whose power was tied to his hair, but the story in Judges 13–16 is far more complicated. This week, Bob Cargill joins the podcast to explore Samson’s story, from his unusual birth and Nazirite status to his conflicts with the Philistines and his eventual downfall. We look at Samson’s violence and his role as a judge of Israel to find out what this strange and often troubling story is actually trying to say.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Robert Cargill
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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46 min
How the Israelite Priesthood Really Developed
Season 1, Episode 137
Show notes
Who controlled religion in ancient Israel? The Israelite priesthood may look like a straightforward institution, but its history is anything but simple. This week, Nathan MacDonald joins the podcast to to trace the development of the ancient Israelite priesthood and present his reconstruction of how the Israelite priesthood developed, drawing on the Hebrew Bible and the broader history of ancient Israel. We explore competing priestly traditions, the role of the temple, and the struggle for religious authority to find how Israel’s priests became such an important part of its religious and political life.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
📚 Reading Recommendations
The Making of the Tabernacle and the Construction of Priestly Hegemony by Nathan MacDonald
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Nathan MacDonald
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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47 min
Why Biblical Books Didn't Have Titles
Season 136, Episode 1
Show notes
Why is Genesis called Genesis when ancient Israelites didn’t call it that? And why didn't books in the Hebrew Bible have titles? This week, Seth Sanders joins the podcast to discuss how writers organized, referenced, and transmitted these titleless biblical texts, and what the absence of titles reveals about the Bible's origins and implications.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
🔗 Read "Why Didn’t Biblical Books Have Titles?" by Seth Sanders
📚 Reading Recommendations From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon by Seth L. SandersThe Invention of Hebrew by Seth L. Sanders
📺 More podcasts with Seth:The Invention of the Alphabet with Prof. Seth Sanders
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Seth Sanders
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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1 hr 7 min
How Satan Became God’s Greatest Enemy
Season 1, Episode 135
Show notes
Satan wasn't always God's greatest enemy. In the Hebrew Bible, “the satan” appears as an agent in God's heavenly court. But by the New Testament, Satan has become the Devil, God's cosmic opponent, and in Revelation, he is a terrifying dragon. This week, Peter Miller returns to Bible & Archaeology to trace the surprising development of Satan across the New Testament. How did this figure evolve from Matthew and Paul to Revelation? Why does Satan become associated with evil, temptation, demons, and cosmic rebellion? And where did the image of the dragon come from?
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
👉 Podcasts Referenced:
Did Christians Get Satan Wrong? Why The Hebrew Bible Says Something Different
Witch Hunts, Black Cats, and the Bible: The Surprising Connection
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Peter Miller
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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45 min
The Philistines Stole the Ark of the Covenant. Then People Started Dying.
Season 1, Episode 134
Show notes
What happened when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant? In 1 Samuel, the Ark brings plague, mice, death, and toppled idols to the Philistines, forcing them to return it to Israel. But the strange events don’t end there because more Israelites die on its return. But why? This week, Bob Cargill is back to explore one of the Bible’s strangest stories. Join us as we examine what this story of the Ark’s capture and return reveals about the Ark of the Covenant, the Philistines, ancient Israel, and the Hebrew Bible’s formation.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Bob Cargill
Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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42 min
Why Did Hezekiah and Josiah Really Change Israel’s Religion?
Season 1, Episode 133
Show notes
What happens when kings try to control how an entire kingdom worships? This week, Shane Thompson joins us to explore cult centralization in the ancient world through three famous rulers: Hezekiah, Josiah, and Akhenaten. What can archaeology, the Hebrew Bible, and ancient Near Eastern history tell us about these dramatic reforms? From religious reforms in Judah to Aten worship in ancient Egypt, we examine how monotheism, temple worship, political power, and royal authority intersected.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
📚 Reading Recommendations
"The Varied Forms of Cult Centralization in the Ancient Near East" by Shane M. Thompson
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Shane M. Thompson
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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38 min
What the Bible Really Says About Sex Work
Season 1, Episode 132
Show notes
This week, Leslie Virnelson joins us to explore how the Hebrew Bible's view of sex work differs dramatically from modern assumptions. From big-name characters like Ruth and Tamar to the concepts of prostitution and adultery, we'll challenge some of the most common misconceptions about sexuality, sex work, and law in the biblical world.
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch
📚 Reading Recommendations
Fruit of Her Hands: Women, Work, and Society in the Hebrew Bible by Leslie G. Virnelson
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Leslie Virnelson
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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34 min
Why The Odyssey Was Never Historically Accurate
Season 131, Episode 1
Show notes
Is The Odyssey historically accurate? This week, classicist Celsiana Warwick joins the podcast to explore some of the enduring questions behind Homer's Odyssey, from Odysseus' "heroism" and the real role of Penelope, to questions of historical accuracy in translation and adaptation.
📚 Reading Recommendations
Wilson (accessible/contemporary)
Fitzgerald (poetic)
Lattimore (line by line)
✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Celsiana Warwick
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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36 min
Did Archaeologists Find The Tabernacle?
Season 1, Episode 130
Show notes
Did archaeologists really find the biblical Tabernacle at Shiloh? Every year, headlines claim a new "discovery" has uncovered the Ark of the Covenant or the Tabernacle, but what does the archaeology actually show? This week, Jordan and Mary Kate examine the latest excavations at Shiloh, the history of research at the site, the claims made by the Associates for Biblical Research, and what earlier excavations by Israel Finkelstein revealed.📚 Reading RecommendationsThe Highlands of El, Shiloh and Merneptah’s Israel by Israel Finkelstein
Excavations at Shiloh 1981–1984: Preliminary Report by Israel Finkelstein
Holy Grail find? Archaeologists claim they may have uncovered ruins linked to Ark of the Covenant by NY PostSeilunShilohAbout Associates for Biblical Research
✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Featuring: Dr. Jordan Jones and Mary Kate LichtyEdited by Mary Kate LichtyProduced by Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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39 min
Is John's Gospel More Historical Than We Thought?
Season 1, Episode 129
Show notes
Why do historical Jesus scholars skip the Gospel of John? This week, Dr. Paul Anderson joins the podcast to explore why John has often been dismissed as "too theological," what archaeology and topographical details reveal about the Gospel, and whether John preserves independent historical traditions alongside its theology. Can historians afford to ignore John, or is it time to rethink our approach to this text?
📚 Reading Recommendations
Archaeology, Jesus, and the Gospel of John: What Recent Discoveries Show Us Edited by Paul N. Anderson
✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Paul Anderson
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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40 min
Why Does Jesus Keep His Identity Secret?
Season 1, Episode 128
Show notes
Why does Jesus repeatedly tell people not to reveal who he is in Mark? For over a century scholars have explained this through the “Messianic Secret.” But what if we’re missing a key piece?
This week Robyn Walsh joins the podcast to place Mark in the context of Greco-Roman literature. Comparing Mark to Homer’s Odyssey and other ancient texts, she argues Jesus’ hidden identity may reflect familiar literary conventions rather than something unique to Mark.
👉 We discuss:
–What the Messianic Secret is
–Why it shaped New Testament scholarship
–How Homer and Greco-Roman authors help us understand Mark
📚 Reading Recommendations
“The Miracle-Mongers: The Gospels at the Edges of Empire,” Judaica: Neue digitale Folge, special issue Nature Miracles and Paradoxography in Biblical Reception of the First Centuries CE, ed. Monika Amsler, Bd. 7 (2026): 1–20.
“City and Country,” The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus, eds. James G. Crossley and Chris Keith (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2024), 324–342.
“IVDAEA DEVICTA: The Gospels as Imperial ‘Captive Literature,’” Class Struggle in the New Testament, ed. Robert Myles (London: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, January 2019), 89–114.
William Wrede, The Messianic Secret, trans. J. C. G. Greig
William Wrede, Das Messiasgeheimnis in den Evangelien: zugleich ein Beitrag zum Verständnis des MarkusevangeliumsTeresa Morgan, Literate Education in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds
Dennis R. MacDonald, The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of MarkMarianne Palmer Bonz, The Past as Legacy✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Robyn Walsh
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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50 min
Nicaea Didn't Decide the New Testament (So Who Did?)
Season 1, Episode 127
Show notes
How did the New Testament become the New Testament? This week, we are exploring the long process of canon formation with Ian Mills. From the myth of a single moment at Nicaea, the impact of authority, popularity, councils, and empire, to the role of figures like Marcion and Jerome, we'll unpack the gradual standardization that shaped the New Testament canon (or as much as we can).
📚 Reading Recommendations
The Hypothesis of the Gospels: Narrative Traditions in Hellenistic Reading Culture by Ian N. Mills
✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Ian Mills
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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44 min
The Empire That Invented Its Own History, and Made It Stick
Season 1, Episode 126
Show notes
After the death of Alexander the Great, a new imperial power emerged across Western and Central Asia: the Seleucid Empire. But how did it actually hold such a vast territory together, and how much of its “history” was carefully constructed after the fact?
This week, we explore how Seleucid rulers shaped memory, built cities, minted propaganda on coins, and even influenced dating systems to legitimize their rule with Ben Abbott. Were they inheriting empire, or inventing it as they went?
📚 Reading Recommendations
Forging the Anchor: Antiochus I and the Creation of the Seleucid Empire by Benjamin Abbott
✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on Patreon.
✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on YouTube to see a video recording of this show.
🌐 Everywhere you can find us: Linktree
🎙️ Credits
Guest: Dr. Benjamin Abbott
Hosted and edited by Dr. Jordan Jones
Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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