Biblical World

Episode: We're back, with Tablet VII of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an emotional high point in the epic. Chris and Amy take us into the friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the aftermath of Humbaba's death, and the curse-filled waiting for Enkidu's fate to unfold. Tune in and enjoy! Click to listen back to PART 1,  PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, and PART 7. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Image Attribution:By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90610606 Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: Kyle Keimer joins to add insights from archaeology to an earlier OnScript episode called Misunderstanding Sacrifice (listen HERE). Dru and Matt L talk about the incomplete pictures gained from archaeology AND the Bible, and how to grapple with both. This episode is cross-listed with the OnScript podcast. Guest/Co-Host: Kyle Keimer is know to listeners of our Biblical World podcast, and follow THIS link to get to know him more. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you would like to support the work of OnScript and Biblical World. Image Attribution: By illustrators of the 1890 Holman Bible - http://thebiblerevival.com/clipart/1890holmanbible/bw/altarofincensealtarofburnt-offeringlaver.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9424389

Episode: In this first of our "Second Temple Series," Mary Buck takes us back well before the Second Temple Period, back to the Assyrian Period. Beware, there's a pop quiz here! Learn which Second Temple site is her favorite, and much more! Host: Mary Buck is back hosting this new series!! Image Attribution: By יעקב - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15709510 Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: We're back, with Tablet VI of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Chris and Amy take us on a deep dive into the "love" of Ishtar, Gilgamesh refusing that love as cruel and temporary, the Bull of Heaven's rage and death, and the impending fate of Enkidu. Tune in and enjoy! Click to listen back to PART 1,  PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, and PART 6. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Image Attribution: By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92742680 Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: Part 2 of our Best Archaeological Finds for 2024 (we're not that far into 2025!). Enjoy this second of a two-part series.  Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Related Episodes: Have a listen to Part I HERE. Image Attribution: Cuneiform tablet known as Letter ZTT 22. (Credit: Ziyaret Tepe Archaeological Project)

Episode: Back by popular demand is our Best Archaeological Finds series, and this one for 2024 (we're not that far into 2025!). Enjoy this first of a two-part series. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: Cuneiform tablet known as Letter ZTT 22. (Credit: Ziyaret Tepe Archaeological Project)

Episode: We're continuing our series on Egypt and the Bible! In this episode we're focused on the geography, archaeology, and the history of the exodus, including the route and wilderness wanderings. We discuss the sites Pi-Ramesses, Pithom, and Succoth. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Mark Janzen Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: By Ancient_Egypt_map-en.svg: Jeff Dahlderivative work: Wikipedia Egypt Series: Check out these other episodes in the Egypt Series * Egypt and the Bible (Part 1) - https://onscript.study/egypt-and-the-bible-part-1-mark-janzen-and-chris-mckinny/ * Egypt and the Bible (Part 2) - https://onscript.study/egypt-and-the-bible-part-2-mark-janzen-and-chris-mckinny/ * Karnak and Egyptology - https://onscript.study/podcast/biblical-world-karnak-mark-janzen/ * The Egyptian Plagues - https://onscript.study/the-egyptian-plagues-real-world-calamities-on-the-nile-egypt-series/ * Early or Late Emergence of Israel - https://onscript.study/early-or-late-emergence-of-israel-egypt-series-chris-mckinny-and-mark-janzen/

Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris are joined by John Monson to discuss the history of one of their favorite subjects – the Historical Geography of the Bible.  Guest: Dr. Monson was born to missionary parents in Zaire but spent most of his youth in Jerusalem, Israel, where he developed an interest in biblical studies, archaeology, and historical geography. Prior to coming to Trinity he taught for eleven years at Wheaton College, where he received the Faculty Achievement Award in Teaching. His archaeological fieldwork has taken him to Syria, Lebanon, and numerous excavations in Israel. He's the author of Dothan I: Remains from the Tell (1953-1964), co-editor, (Eisenbrauns, 2005), 1 Kings in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, and The Temple of Solomon (Oxford University Press, forthcoming) (adapted from the TEDS website). Hosts: Chris and Kyle Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Resource: Jerusalem University College offers short term study courses in Historical Geography in the land of Israel, both in-person and online. https://www.juc.edu/academics/short-term-study-programs/historical-geographical/ Image Attribution: https://www.juc.edu/academics/master-arts/biblical-history-and-geography/  

Episode: Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris talk about the fundamentals of biblical archaeology - both its underlying methodology and why they remain hopeless devotees to it. This episode includes stories from the field, the similarities and differences with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and so much more!  If you wondered what biblical archaeology is and why you should care - this is the episode for you. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: Courtesy of the Khirbet el-Ra'i Expedition

Episode: We're back, with Tablet V of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Chris and Amy take us on a deep dive into the great cedar forest at the mountains of the gods, where they will face Humbaba, guardian of the forest. Tune in and enjoy! Click to listen back to PART 1,  PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, and PART 5.  Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Article by Amy mentioned in the Episode: Balogh, Amy L. "Chapter 2 The Tree of Life in Ancient Near Eastern Iconography". In The Tree of Life, (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2020). Access the article HERE. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: Wikipedia. By Rama, CC BY-SA 3.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50284881  

Episode: Chris and Kyle continue their series on the book of Judges, looking at the Ephraimite conquest of Bethel in Judges 1:22-26. They cover problems in the archaeology of Bethel, and they discuss the identity of the "Hittites" in this same passage.  Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Help support OnScript and Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image: Khirbet Banat Bar, sometimes identified with the town of Zeredah in Ephraim, birthplace of Jeroboam. By Bukvoed - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97495425

Episode: In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss a recent journal article that claims to have found new evidence of Sennacherib's 701 BC campaign against Judah. The article makes a lot of interesting, but ultimately problematic claims about the Historical Geography of the Biblical World. (Note: Although the audio makes reference to video, we were unable to do the video) Hosts: Chris and Kyle Give: Help support OnScript and Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image: King seated on his throne, within the walls of a captured city, including three houses and seven tents. [Quyunjik], Layard, nypl.digitalcollections.510d47dc-4779-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.001.g Stephen Compton Article - https://popular-archaeology.com/article/first-ever-discovery-of-ancient-assyrian-military-camps-includes-biblical-site/

Episode: New co-host Jason Staples speaks with Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about her new book, Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (Oxford University Press, 2024), the spectacular synagogue mosaic her team discovered at Huqoq, why specializing in pottery is an advantage for archaeologists, and lots more. Guest: Dr. Jodi Magness is Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Magness' research interests, which focus on Palestine in the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods, and Diaspora Judaism in the Roman world, include ancient pottery, ancient synagogues, Jerusalem, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Roman army in the East. Her most recent books are Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (New York: Oxford University, March 2024); and Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Reevaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik's Schweich Lectures. The Schweich Lectures of the British Academy 2022 (London: The British Academy/Oxford University Press, June 2024). Three of Magness' books have won awards: Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth (Princeton: Princeton University, 2019) was selected as a finalist for the 2019 National Jewish Book Award in the category of History, the Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award; The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002; revised edition 2021) won the 2003 Biblical Archaeology Society's Award for Best Popular Book in Archaeology in 2001-2002 and was selected as an “Outstanding Academic Book for 2003” by Choice Magazine; and The Archaeology of the Early Islamic Settlement in Palestine (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2003) was awarded the 2006 Irene Levi-Sala Book Prize in the category of non-fiction on the archaeology of Israel. Her other books include The 2003-2007 Excavations in the Late Roman Fort at Yotvata (co-authored with G. Davies) (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015); The Archaeology of the Holy Land from the Destruction of Solomon's Temple to the Muslim Conquest (New York: Cambridge University, 2012); and Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011). In addition, Magness has published dozens of articles in journals and edited volumes. (from the UNC website) Give: Help support OnScript and Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.  

Episode: Recorded on a whim after a chance meeting in Jerusalem, Wave Nunnally shares his experience of recent events in Israel, the parables of the Kingdom, and his friendship with the lead guitarist for Petra. Oh yea, all in one (shortish) episode! Guest: Dr. Wave Nunnally is Professor Emeritus of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Evangel University in Springfield, MO. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Book of Acts  and Knowing Your Bible.  He leads regular study trips to Israel, which include training materials (see The Bible Unplugged) on-site teaching, and follow-up coaching.  More of Wave's material can be found at http://centralfaithbuilders.com/. To connect with him further, see www.wavenunnally.com facebook.com/wavenunnally youtube.com/wavenunnally Photo: Matt and his wife Abi meeting Wave and Lacey in Jerusalem Give: Help support OnScript and Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: Here's the fifth in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun and fascinating tour through Tablet 4, so tune in and enjoy! Click HERE  HERE HERE and HERE for parts 1, 2, 3 & 4. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image: Hero mastering a lion. Relief from the façade of the throne room, Palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad (Dur Sharrukin), 713–706 BCE. Unknown artist - Jastrow (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=866865  

Episode: You asked (a long time ago), we answered (finally)! In this Q&A episode, we respond to listener questions about how to raise your kids to be like Chris and Kyle, prophetic practices, 1 Cor 11, chambered gates, Pharisees, forgery scandal, and much more! Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Description/Attribution: 6-chambered gate at Gezer. This iron-age gate shares a common pattern with iron-age gates at Lachish and Megiddo. Since these are listed in biblical texts as cities fortified by Solomon, these fortifications are often called "Solomonic" gates. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Six-chambered_gate_at_Tel_Gezer_%285751855767%29.jpg)

Episode: Matt Lynch speaks with Jerusalem University College president and Biblical World co-host Oliver Hersey. We discuss study of the world of the Bible and his thesis that the Sinai Covenant can be illuminated through knowledge of ancient marriage customs. Knowing ancient marriage customs can help us understand the plundering of the Egyptians, the birth of Moses, the genealogy in Exodus 6, and the events at Sinai! Enjoy. Guest/Co-Host: Dr. Oliver Hersey is the president of Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel, an institution committed to helping students engage the geography, history, archaeology, languages, and cultures of the biblical world. He loves providing students opportunities to see the contours of the Holy Land and teaching them about the cultural backgrounds, history, and literary traditions of the ancient Near East, particularly as they inform our understanding of the Bible. His research interests lie in comparing ancient Near Eastern texts with biblical texts. Exemplary of this is his dissertation titled “The Marriage at Mount Sinai: Reading Exodus in the Context of ancient Near Eastern Diplomatic Marriages.” Hersey completed his PhD in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and has taught at North Park University in Chicago. For information about JUC and their programs, visit HERE. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. OR, to support JUC, visit HERE. Image Description/Attribution: Image shows Maathorneferure and Hattusili III before Ramesses II from the Marriage Stela of Ramses II in Abu SimbelBy Lepsius - Richard Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien, 1897, Abt III, Band 7, Bl. 196, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15169398

Episode: Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny speak with Jeff Chadwick, Jerusalem Center Professor of Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies at BYU about his excavations at biblical Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide). Youtube Link - https://youtu.be/ovhfNwdcabQ Guest: Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick serves at BYU as Jerusalem Center Professor of Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies, and also as Religious Education Professor of Church History and Jewish Studies (in the Department of Church History and Doctrine). Dr. Chadwick has also researched, surveyed, and excavated at several historical and biblical sites in Israel, including Jerusalem and Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide) in the 1980s, Ekron (Tel Miqne) in the 1990s, and at Gath of the Philistines (Tell es-Safi) since 2001 and for the last twenty years. He is currently senior field archaeologist with the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project in Israel (Aren M. Maeir, Bar-Ilan University, Project Director), where he directs excavations in Area F in the "upper city" and in Area D in the "lower city" of the ancient Philistine capital city. He is also director of the American Expedition to Hebron (AEH) Publication Project and associate member of the original AEH excavation staff. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) and is a senior fellow at the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. He is the author of three books, editor of a fourth, and has published more than seventy academic articles, chapters, and studies. (from the BYU website) Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: By eman - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1839054  

Episode: Here's the fourth in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun tour through Tablet 3, so tune in and enjoy! Click HERE  HERE and HERE for parts 1, 2 & 3. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image: By Katolophyromai - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67292492 

Episode: In final part of our three-part series (finally!), Chris and Kyle discuss the year's top ten archaeological discoveries and stories related to the Bible, including in this one, a weird and strange discovery.  Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help OnScript and Biblical World continue by becoming a one-time or regular donor. Photo Attribution: Huqoq Samson Mosaic, from https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-vivid-color-1500-year-old-huquq-mosaic-depicts-samson-animals-hunting/

Episode: Here's the third in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun ep, so tune in! Click HERE and HERE for parts 1 & 2. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: Here's the second in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! They finish Tablet 1 in this episode, discussing Gilgamesh's need to tame his passions, his journey into the wilds, the character Enkidu, links to early Genesis (e.g., Enkidu as Adam), links to Daniel and much more! Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: In this episode of Biblical World, Kyle interviews Paul Evans about his new book, Sennacherib and the War of 1812: Disputed Victory in the Assyrian Campaign of 701 BCE in Light of Military History (T&T Clark, 2023). They delve into military history and consider how the goals and ideologies of individual combatants/nations lead to alternate narratives of how events unfolded and what those events meant. The ideas of what is "true" and "accurate" in historical reporting is given greater nuance by comparing Sennacherib's third campaign with the War of 1812. Guest: Dr. Paul Evans is Associate Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College. Currently, Paul is writing a two-volume commentary on 1-2 Chronicles for The New International Commentary on the Old Testament NICOT series published by Eerdmans. Paul previously wrote a commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel published in the Story of God series by Zondervan. Paul's earlier work includes a monograph entitled The Invasion of Sennacherib in the Book of Kings: A Source-Critical and Rhetorical Study of 2 Kings 18-19, which was awarded the 2010 R.B.Y. Scott Award by the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies recognizing an outstanding book in the areas of Hebrew Bible and/or the Ancient Near East. Paul's most recent monograph, and the subject of this podcast episode, is entitled Sennacherib and the War of 1812: Historical Reconstructions of the Assyrian Campaign of 701 BCE in Light of Military History (Bloomsbury, 2023). In addition Paul has many research articles in print, with most focused on the historical books of the Old Testament. (from the McMaster Divinity website) Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World continue by becoming a one-off or regular donor.

Episode: Part 2 in our 3-part series on the top ten archaeological discoveries and stories related to the Bible from 2023. Some are honorable and some ... dishonorable. We talk about the lead "tablet" from Mt. Ebal, cosmic rays, the location of Canaanite Jerusalem, and other sensational and significant finds and stories from the year. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!  Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World continue by becoming a one-off or regular donor. Photo Attribution: Remains of the Pool of Siloam from the Second Temple Period, photo by Markbarnes - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57691358

Episode: In this three-part series - Chris and Kyle discuss the year's top ten archaeological discoveries and stories related to the Bible. Part 1 discusses the most important finds related to the Bronze Age. We talk Hittites, the location and identification of Sinai, and much more! Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World continue by becoming a one-off or regular donor. Photo Attribution: The Lion Gate at Hattusa - Photo by Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany - The Lion Gate flanked by two towers, located at the southwest of the city, the lions were put at the entrance of the city to ward off evil, Hattusa, capital of the Hittite Empire, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123588439

Episode: Kyle and Mark talk with Prof. Steve Ortiz about the Archaeology of the United Monarchy. In particular, they focus on the so-called "Solomonic" gates while also touching on the historicity of David and Solomon and issues in the use and dating of archaeological materials. Guest: Dr. Steven Ortiz is the Director of the Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University where he is also a professor of archaeology and biblical studies. He was the director of the former Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the principal investigator and co-director, along with Sam Wolff, of the Tel Gezer Excavation Project and is one of the directors of the Ilibalyk Project, Kazakhstan, and is the co-director at Tel Burna (Biblical Libnah). He has over 30 years of archaeological experience in Israel as he has been a senior staff member at a variety of major sites. Ortiz's research and publications focus on the archaeology of David and Solomon, Iron Age I and II transition, and the border relations between Judah and Philistia. He has served or currently holds leadership positions in several scholarly and academic associations. He currently serves on the board of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem. He has served ASOR since 2001 as a board member and on various committees. (Adapted from the Lipscomb University website) Photo Attribution: CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=247678. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.  

Episode: What do we know about children in ancient Israel, about who they were, the lives they led, and the people in their lives? Kristine Garroway is at the forefront of a new interest in the lives of children, and she draws on insights from comparative Ancient Near Eastern literature, archaeology, and the biblical text to help us get to know them better. Guest:  Dr. Kristine Garroway is Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College, at the LA campus. She's excavated at Ashkelon, Tel Dor, and Tel Dan, and is the author of Children in the Ancient Near Eastern Household (Eisenbrauns 2014) and Growing up in Ancient Israel (SBL 2018), and has another book forthcoming, The Cult of the Child: The Death and Burial of Children in Ancient Israel (OUP). We'll be discussing Growing Up in Ancient Israel, which won the BAR 2019 Publication Award for Best Book Relating to the Hebrew Bible. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help OnScript and Biblical World continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: Welcome to the first of a multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! Why is this story so important, and what might it say about how we read the Bible? Where did it come from? What's its relationship to real places and history? What does it have to say to themes like guilt, grief, and what it means to be human? Does Gilgamesh have anything to say about the development of the Bible, or the biblical flood story (Gen 6-9), or David and Jonathan? This is an in-depth series, so gird your loins and get ready for a wild ride. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh References: Irving Finkel, The Ark Before Noah. Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Description and Attribution: Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assyrian palace relief (713–706 BC), from Dur-Sharrukin, now held in the Louvre By, Unknown artist - Jastrow (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=866865

Episode: Suzanna Millar and Sébastien Doane introduce us to a newer field in biblical studies that focuses on animals in the Bible and ancient Near East. Millar and Doane co-chair "The Bible and Animal Studies" program unit at the Society for Biblical Literature. Guests: Dr. Suzanna Millar is the Chancellor's Fellow in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at the University of Edinburgh. She co-edited the Cambridge Companion to Biblical Wisdom literature, and is also interested in ecology and non-human animals. She's also editing the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Animals and is writing a book tentatively entitled Animals and Power in the Books of Samuel. Dr. Sébastien Doane is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the Université Laval. He's the author of several books, including Questions controversées sur Jésus (Montréal, Novalis, 2023) and Analyse de la réponse du lecteur au récit des origines de Jésus en Mt 1-2 (Leuven, Peeters, 2019). He's currently writing Reading the Bible Amid the Environmental Crisis: Interdisciplinary Insights to Ecological Hermeneutics (Lexington). Image Attribution: By Syrischer Maler um 1335 - The Yorck Project (2002), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159265 Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World continue by becoming a regular donor. Live Event! If you'd like to attend our live event in San Antonio on Nov 19, click HERE.

Episode: In this episode, Amy Balogh interviews Prof. Azzan Yadin-Israel (Rutgers University) about his recent book Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple (Univ of Chicago Press, 2023) in which he finally solves the mystery of how the “fruit” of Genesis 2-3 came to be known as an apple. This is the third installment of the “New Perspectives on the Bible and Nature” series. Guest: Prof. Azzan Yadin-Israel is Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. He's the author of four books, the most recent of which we discuss in this episode: Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple (Univ of Chicago Press, 2023) Scripture and Tradition: Rabbi Akiva and the Triumph of Midrash. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015. Intuitive Vocabulary: German. Lingua Press, 2013. Scripture as Logos: Rabbi Ishmael and the Origins of Midrash. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004. Extra! The book has a companion site that art/iconography lovers will certainly want to check out: https://treeofknowledgeart.com Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: In this episode, Amy speaks with Prof. Erica Ferg (Regis University) about the impact of geography on the religious history of the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Baal Cycle from Ugarit and the biblical story of Elijah. Erica's research focuses on the agricultural communities of the Levant and the lived experiences that shaped how people viewed the religious traditions of the biblical world in the pre-modern era, which is the subject of her book Geography, Religion, Gods, and Saints in the Eastern Mediterranean (Routledge, 2020). Guest: (From the Regis Univ. website) Dr. Erica Ferg is Associate Professor of Liberal Arts and Religious Studies at Regis University. Her research focuses on Mediterranean comparative religion, comparative linguistics, and archaeoastronomy. Prior to academia, Erica was a Persian linguist in the United States Air Force. Erica's first book, Geography, Religion, Gods, and Saints in the Eastern Mediterranean, was published in paperback in January 2022 by Routledge. Erica currently is at work on her second book, entitled Starry Nights: A Celestial History of Religion in the Mediterranean. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: This episode covers new terrain for Biblical World. Amy speaks with Ron Simkins about the environmental crisis, ancient Israel, and an economy of enough. This is part 1 of our series on "The Bible and Nature".  Guest: (From the Creighton University website) Ronald Simkins is Professor of Theology and Classical & Near Eastern Studies at Creighton University. He also directs the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, with specialties in the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel, Hebrew, and epigraphy. He regularly teach courses on the Hebrew Bible, archaeology, and history. He's the founding and general editor of the Journal of Religion & Society. He has also produced the digital archaeology project, The Virtual World Project (http://www.virtualworldproject.org), which enables scholars and students to take virtual tours of archaeological sites in Israel and Jordan. He, along with other colleagues, continue to contribute to the project. Simkins is the author of Creator and Creation: Nature in the Worldview of Ancient Israel (Hendrickson, 1994), Yahweh's Activity in History and Nature in the Book of Joel (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1991), and most recently, Creation and Ecology: The Political Economy of Ancient Israel and the Environmental Crisis (Cascade, 2020). Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.  

Episode: Biblical World co-host Kyle Keimer discusses his research on King Hezekiah's preparations for the Assyrian attack in 701 BCE. How do archaeologists determine the nature and extent of Hezekiah's defensive network? Did the Judeans use fire signals? How did the king prepare for war (and pay for it)? Listen in for a fascinating discussion of Keimer's archaeological, biblical, and geographical thoughts on this crucial event in Judah's history.  Guest: Kyle Keimer is Senior Research Fellow in the Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University, where he was Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, History, and Language of Ancient Israel. He also lectures at Jerusalem University College. For over 20 years he has been excavating in Israel and Cyprus and was co-director of the Khirbet el-Rai excavations. He loves digging as much as he loves working with ancient texts, especially the books of 1-2 Samuel and Isaiah. His research currently focuses on the early Israelite monarchy in text and archaeology. He's co-edited Registers and Modes of Communication in the Ancient Near East (Routledge) and The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge), and he's published articles in various journals. His UCLA Ph.D. dissertation was on "The Socioeconomic Impact of Hezekiah's Preparations for Rebellion." Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris chat with Shlomit Bechar of Haifa University about her recent book Political Change and Material Culture in Middle to Late Bronze Age Canaan (Eisenbrauns 2022). We tackle the topic of how changes in the material culture relate to political events (in particular the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt and Thutmose III's campaign to Canaan), the excavations at the mega-site of Hazor, the challenges in defining archaeological periods, literary archives in Hazor, and we even hear about Kyle almost finding the long-sought archive at Hazor. We also hear about Shlomit's new project excavating in the lower city of Hazor. Guest: (from the Univ. Haifa website) Shlomit Bechar is a senior lecturer at the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. She is the director of the excavations in the Lower City of Tel Hazor in the Upper Galilee. Shlomit specializes in ceramic analysis to ask questions relating to social differentiation, interconnections between different cultures, trade relations, economic change and challenges, and more recently to identify methods of resilience to climate change. She combines the study of pottery and architecture with geochemical and geophysical aspects, environmental considerations, economic processes and the wider socio-political context, while leading and joining several interdisciplinary research projects. Her current projects examine the interactions between humans and environment in wetlands, focusing on the inland wetland of the Hula Lake, identify the creation of memory and narratives through archaeology, and study the daily life of people in the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Link to Dr. Bechar's excavation in the Lower City of Hazor https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/dig/tel-hazor-lower-city/#directorsSec   Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: Chris and Kyle chat with Ken Dark about his work in and around Nazareth, which has illuminated our understanding of early Roman-period Nazareth. Ken talks about his survey on the northern outskirts of Nazareth, his re-analysis of the Franciscan excavations at the Church of the Annunciation, and his work at the nearby Sisters of Nazareth Convent. Guest: Prof. Ken Dark (KCL London) He's the author of Archaeology of Jesus' Nazareth (OUP), The Sisters of Nazareth Convent: A Roman-Period Byzantine and Crusader Site in Central Nazareth (Routledge), and Roman Period and Byzantine Nazareth and its Hinterland (Routledge), and he's the co-author of books like Hagia Sophia in Context, The Landscape of Roman Britain, and Constantinople. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image Attribution: Nazareth (1657) By Jansson, Jan, 1588-1664 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nazareth_1657.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120977092

Episode: This wide-ranging interview explores the joys, travails, and wonders of archaeology related to the history and context of the Bible. Discussion focuses on Pauline archaeology, especially on Cyprus, but also his excavations in Kazakhstan, Sudan and elsewhere. Guest: (from the Libscomb University website) has forty years of experience as an archaeologist, working extensively in Cyprus, the Near East, Egypt, Central Asia, and the United States. He started his archaeological career as a professional archaeologist for a private company in the USA from 1991-2003. He next served (2003-2011) as Director of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) in Nicosia, Cyprus, one of the premier archaeological research centers in the Eastern Mediterranean. Before coming to Lipscomb University, Tom was a Professor of Archaeology from 2011-2020 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth Texas. Dr. Davis currently directs the Lanier Center excavations at the early Christian site of Kourion (Cyprus). He also serves as Project Co-Director and Field Director, of the Ilyn Balik Expedition, Kazakhstan, as Project Coordinator for the Recordation Project of the West Wall of the Cour de la Cachette in the Temple of Karnak, Luxor Egypt, and as Co-director for the Nuri Pyramid Project in Sudan. Dr. Davis has lectured extensively in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia. He's the author of Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology. Image Attribution: On site image from https://www.lipscomb.edu/news/sculpture-young-boy-highlights-lanier-work-kourion-summer Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: This episode is the final installment in the 3-part archaeology of Passion Week discussion. Chris and Kyle take a detailed look at how archaeological finds in Jerusalem can help us better situate and understand the events of this fateful week. Chris and Kyle discuss the location of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, the Garden Tomb, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and traditions about Jesus' death and burial. (republished from 2021) Hosts: Chris and Kyle Resources: Archaeology of the Passion Week Bibliography; Archaeology of Passion Week Visuals (pt 3). Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image by DEZALB from Pixabay

Episode: This episode is part two of the three-part series on the archaeology of Passion Week. Chris and Kyle take a detailed look at how archaeological finds in Jerusalem can help us better situate and understand the events of this fateful week. They delve into the Gospel of John, the Last Supper, and Jesus' trials. (republished from 2021) Hosts: Chris and Kyle Summary: Chris and Kyle discuss the following topics: - Archaeology and the Gospel of John—the pools of Siloam and Bethesda - The Garden of Gethsemane - The room of the last supper - Jesus' Jewish and Roman trials - Herod's palace - The Praetorium and Gabatha - The Via Dolorosa. Resources: Archaeology of the Passion Week Bibliography; Archaeology of Passion Week Visuals (pt 2). Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image by Heather Truett from Pixabay

Episode: This episode is the first of a three-part series on the archaeology of the Passion week. Chris and Kyle take a detailed look at how archaeological finds in Jerusalem can help us better situate and understand the events of this fateful week. (This episode is republished from 2021). Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Summary: Chris and Kyle discuss the following topics: – Traditions about the Passion Week – How we connect the archaeology to the texts – Dating and timing the events of the Passion Week – Views of Jerusalem – Jesus in the Temple – Pontius Pilate and Archaeology Resources: Archaeology of the Passion Week Bibliography; Archaeology of Passion Week Visuals (pt 1). Give: Help support OnScript podcast and the Biblical World podcast as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image by Anna Sulencka from Pixabay

Episode: What happens when we ignore the physical settings of the Bible? In this episode, Biblical World co-hosts explore the significance of the land for biblical interpretation. We journey to Shechem, Nahal Besor, and the end of the Jordan River to discover the historical and theological significance of geographical locations for biblical interpreters. We also discuss some helpful resources for understanding the geography of the Bible. Co-hosts: Chris McKinny, Amy Balogh, Kyle Keimer Mentioned in this episode: 1. The Sacred Bridge: Carta's Atlas of the Biblical World 2. https://www.biblicalbackgrounds.com/ Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us! Photo attribution: Jordan River Aerial by W. Robert Moore - The National Geographic Magazine, Dec. 1938, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29624912 Tell Balata/Shechem - By TrickyH, Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48030017  

Episode: In this episode, we discuss the god Moses. Yes, you heard that right! It's there in Exod 7:1. But what does this mean? How can we make sense of the transformation of Moses from a man of "uncircumcised lips" to a god? What happens if we read this story in its ancient Near Eastern context? How is Moses also like an idol? We explore this and many other intriguing aspects of the character Moses in this episode with new Biblical World co-host Amy Balogh. This ep is cross-listed with the OnScript podcast.  Guest: Amy L. Balogh, Ph.D., is Lead Lecturer of the Humanities for the Department of Liberal Arts at Regis University's School for Professional Advancement. She is also founder and co-chair of the new Society of Biblical Literature program unit Comparative Method in Biblical Studies, and Assistant Editor of the forthcoming Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books (2 vols., Lexham Press). In December 2022, Balogh also became the founding president of the newly formed Religion & Bible Society of the Rocky Mountain Great Plains Region, a 501(c)3 professional organization dedicated to the academic study of the Bible and religion. She's the author of Moses among the Idols: Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East (Lexington Books, 2018). Her forthcoming book uses comparison and myth theory to examine the tension between humankind and nature as expressed in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern literatures. She now joins as a new co-host on the Biblical World podcast! Hosts: Matt Lynch and Chris McKinny Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!  

Episode: In this episode of the Egypt and the Bible series, Chris and Mark discuss the Egyptian background and context of the ten plagues from the Book of Exodus, including the details of real-world calamities. Hosts: Chris and Mark    See Mark's edited book, Five Views on the Exodus (Zondervan, 2021).   Egypt Series: Check out our other episodes in the Egypt series: Visits of the patriarchs to Egypt Egyptian influence and the early chapters of Exodus Early and late date of the exodus Parts one, two, three, four, and five of the Five Views on the Exodus series. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: Elephantine continues to fascinate scholars of Second Temple Judaism, in part, because it shows that there wasn't just one Jewish temple after the return from exile. In this episode, which is part of longer episode to be released later on OnScript, Collin Cornell discusses this fascinating site and its significance for understanding early Judaism. This is part 1 of a longer interview that will release later on OnScript.  Guest: Collin Cornell is Office of the Provost-Candler School of Theology Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Candler School of Theology (at Emory University). Before returning to Emory, he taught for three years as a visiting assistant professor of biblical studies in the School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee). For one year he managed Sewanee's Center for Religion and Environment, coordinated Sewanee's Indigenous Engagement initiative, taught Old Testament for Duke Divinity School's hybrid MDiv program, and served as academic dean of the Stevenson School for Ministry, a local formation project of the Episcopal Church. Collin is author of one book, Divine Aggression in Psalms and Inscriptions (Cambridge University Press, 2020), editor of two, Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH's Ancient Look-Alikes (Penn State University Press, 2020) and The Incomparable God: Readings in Biblical Theology (Eerdmans, 2023), and co-translator of a third, Biblical ABCs: The Basics of Christian Resistance (Lexington Books, 2021). He is currently working on a book entitled, Monotheism and Divine Aggression, for Cambridge University Press. He is also working on The Lords that Never Were: Early Judaism and the Gods of the Hellenistic Levant. He has also written several articles on Elephantine. (adapted from the Candler School of Theology Website) Image Attribution: "Aswan, Elephantine, west bank, Egypt, Oct 2004." CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181182 Host: Matt Lynch Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: In this episode - Chris and Kyle are joined by Nathan Steinmeyer (Biblical Archaeological Review, Assistant Editor) to discuss BAR's dig issue - one of the best resources for finding a place to dig! Also, hear about how Kyle got into archaeology.  To find a dig:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/digs/ To find out more about Biblical Archaeology Review:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazines/ Hosts: Chris and Kyle Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: George Pierce joins hosts Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny to discuss their newly edited volume The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge, 2022). This volume brings together a world-class line-up of scholars and includes a whopping 47 essays on ancient Israelite society, economy, religion, language, culture, history, and more!  Participants: Kyle, Chris, and George A. Pierce. Book: The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge, 2022). For a table of contents, see HERE. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: In part 2 of this series, Kyle and Chris discuss additional historical and archaeological aspects associated with the origin stories of Jesus as seen in Matthew and Luke. They discuss the archaeological background and traditions associated with the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They also explain a number of other historical background elements connected with Matthew's use of the Old Testament focusing – in particular – on the impact of the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian conquests of Israel and Judah in prophetic literature and how that context still matters for how one reads the origin narrative of Jesus in Matthew. (This is a re-broadcast of a previously published episode) Relevant Articles The Accommodations of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem: Κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7* STEPHEN C. CARLSON Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us! Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Episode: Biblical World hosts Chris and Kyle talk about the archaeology and historical context of Christmas. They try not to be Grinches. This is part 1 of a two part series. This is a re-broadcast of an episode from last year. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer. Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us! Image by by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Episode: One site in Jerusalem, this episode explores the cultural backgrounds to the book of Ruth. We discuss agriculture, famine, marriage relationships, orphans, widows, geography and much more!  Hosts: Oliver Hersey (JUC) and Chris McKinny (Geshur Media). Find out more on Jerusalem University College and Geshur Media.  Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help support the ongoing work of OnScript and Biblical World!

Episode: In this episode, Chris and Kyle interview Koert van Bekkum (ETF Leuven) about his views on Solomon's Administrative Division in 1 Kings 4 in its Ancient Near Eastern context. What is the purpose of this list? Are there parallels to this list in the ANE? What does this list tell us about the nature of Solomon's “kingdom”? Hosts: Kyle and Chris Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help support the ongoing work of OnScript and Biblical World! Resource: See Koert's ARTICLE "The Situation is More Complicated: Archaeology and Text in the Historical Reconstruction of the Iron Age IIA Southern Levant."

Episode: Chris McKinny and Mark Janzen discuss the early vs. late date for the date of the exodus, date of the conquest, the emergence of Israel in the land of Canaan, and biblical chronology. Hosts: Chris McKinny and Mark Janzen Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help support the ongoing work of OnScript and Biblical World!

Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris take a look at giants in the wider literary, cultural, archaeological, and geographical context of the Biblical World. A previous episode discussed giants in connection with Hebron in Judges 1. This episode focuses on the narratives that mention Philistine giants. For more information see - “Encounters with Fossil Giants” Giants in the Biblical World graphic, prepared by Chris McKinny The skull of an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museumm, National University of Singapore. (See here for link).