Bible and Archaeology

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...

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...

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...

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...

The Hebrew Bible loves to promote Hezekiah and Josiah as great kings, promoting them as the righteous reformers of ancient Israel who were responsible for centralizing of the worship Yahweh in Jerusalem. But was it that...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In 2 Kings 3, Israel appears to lose a battle after the king of Moab performs a child sacrifice on the city wall. Why would the Hebrew Bible preserve a story where a foreign god seems to defeat Israel’s armies? This...

What happened when you died in ancient Israel? The Hebrew Bible offers no clear picture of heaven or hell, but it does preserve a fascinating world of ancestors, burial rituals, Sheol, and the ongoing process of dying...

In this episode, Susan Ackerman joins us to explore the life cycle of women in ancient Israel, from puberty and marriage to motherhood, ritual impurity, and death. We discuss why childbirth made women “unclean,” why...

Did ancient Israelites really sacrifice children? Dr. Kristine Garroway joins us to separate myth from archaeology. We dig into child burial practices, infant mortality, and what the archaeological record actually tells...