Podcasts about Jethro

If you ____________________ who God is, you will misunderstand ____________________ else.[Exodus 3:1 ESV] Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.God speaks clearly in ____________________ seasons.[Exodus 3:2 ESV] And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.God's presence ____________________ us.[Exodus 3:3 ESV] And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."Revelation begins with ____________________.[Exodus 3:4 ESV] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."Before God ____________________ what He will do, He ____________________ who He is.[Exodus 3:5 ESV] Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."Holiness is not a ____________________, it is God's ____________________.[Exodus 3:11, 14 ESV] But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" [14] God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"Your ____________________ does not rest on who you are, it rests on who God is.[Exodus 4:10-11 ESV] But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." [11] Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?Don't let your ____________________ turn into ____________________.[Isaiah 43:1-3a] But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. [2] When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. [3] For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Jethro, Moses, and the Mission of God with Josh LiemExodus 18Who gets included into the family of God?  This baptism Sunday, we explore Exodus 18: the story of Jethro's conversion and advice to Moses.  Discover what he has to teach us about leadership, delegation, and how God's truth can come from unexpected places.  Join us as we celebrate Andrew's baptism and recommit ourselves to the mission of making disciples together.--For reflection & discussion:What stood out to you from Andrew's testimony?  Share your own testimony— your journey of what led you to faith, baptism, and this community.Moses received wise counsel from a Midianite priest. Have you ever received meaningful wisdom from someone outside the faith, or from an unexpected source? How did you test it?Where in your own life are you tempted to write someone off as an outsider or enemy? What would it look like to see them as a potential brother or sister?Jethro's criteria for leaders were capability and character. Who in your life models both? How are you developing those qualities yourself?Jesus' commission to make disciples, baptize, and teach wasn't just for pastors — it's for all of us. What's one concrete way you could take that seriously this week?Jethro heard what God had done and it moved him to worship. Who in your life needs to hear your testimony right now?  Pray for them in your prayer time.

What if death isn't a clean switch—off, then on—but something messier? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro dig into a deeply unsettling early-20th-century medical case involving a European woman who was pronounced dead… and then woke up during her own autopsy. Not metaphorically. Not dramatically. Literally on the table. Declared clinically dead by the standards of the time, her body was wheeled from the ward, stripped, positioned, and cut open by doctors who had no reason to believe anyone was listening. But when she revived, she didn't describe darkness, tunnels, or visions of light. Instead, she calmly and accurately recounted what the doctors had done and said after she was declared dead—details she could not have seen, overheard, or reasonably guessed. The case appeared quietly in early medical journals, written in careful, restrained language, and then largely disappeared from discussion. Long before near-death experiences entered popular culture, this account suggested something far more uncomfortable: that awareness may linger longer than we think, and that consciousness doesn't always follow the tidy rules we assign to it. From there, the conversation widens into the blurry boundaries of clinical death, historical accounts of awareness during catastrophic injury, and why medicine—especially in its early modern years—may have preferred to quietly file away cases that didn't fit the model. Then, because this is The Box of Oddities, things take a turn. The episode also explores unlucky days across cultures—Friday the 13th, Tuesday the 13th, Friday the 17th, and other calendar dates humans have decided are cursed—and why we seem so determined to assign meaning to randomness. And finally, the story of Vincent Coleman and the Halifax Explosion: a railway dispatcher who knowingly stayed at his post to send a final warning that saved hundreds of lives, moments before one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in human history leveled much of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It's an episode about presence where none was expected, warnings sent too late—or just in time—and the uncomfortable possibility that the line between being here and being gone isn't as sharp as we'd like to believe. Fly it proudly, you beautiful freak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe today you feel alone. Perhaps due to your mistakes and failures you have isolated yourself from others. Maybe you are struggling and you wonder where God is. Possibly, you feel as if you are on the far side of the wilderness. Stand on this truth from God's Word: He will never leave you or forsake you.Main Points:1. This morning as I was reading my Bible, I found myself in Exodus chapter three. It's the story where Moses meets God at the burning bush. Six words leaped off the page as I read the familiar story. It says Moses was on “the far side of the wilderness.” Moses wasn't just in the wilderness, he was on the far side of the wilderness. What is the wilderness? The dictionary defines it as “an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.” In other words, Moses was as isolated as a person could get.2. Yet, on the far side of the wilderness, with not another person in sight, Moses was not alone. It's here Moses has a life-changing encounter with God. He is reminded he is not alone, he is not forgotten, and God's purpose for his life has not changed.3. Moses never forgot about the day he encountered God at the burning bush. It was a revelation of God's continued purpose and plan for his life, but the greater lesson for Moses was the necessity of God's presence. Today's Scripture Verses:Exodus 3:1 - "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness..."Psalm 139:7-10 - “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”Exodus 33:15-16 - “Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

As the nation of Israel begins their journey into the wilderness, they find themselves without food and water, but rather than turn to the Lord, they complain to Moses. After seeing such amazing and tangible deliverance and providence, the nation of Israel still worries that they will not be cared for. God provides quail as well as something that has never been seen before: fine flakes of something called manna, a white substance that resembled coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Later, Moses's father-in-law Jethro suggests a system for justice which resounds throughout history.Exodus 16 - 1:01 . Exodus 17 - 8:01 . Exodus 18 - 11:25 . Psalm 29 - 16:24 . Psalm 30 - 18:02 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro begin exactly where all great mysteries begin: with a frozen burrito and a deeply personal kitchen ritual that absolutely does not need to exist—but does anyway. From there, things escalate quickly. What starts as a discussion of oddly satisfying micro-rituals (the kind everyone has but no one can justify) turns into a deep dive beneath the sands of Egypt, where recent radar imaging claims suggest something massive and geometric may exist far below the Pyramid of Khafre. We're not talking about a hidden chamber or a forgotten hallway. We're talking about enormous cylindrical shafts, spiraling downward hundreds of meters, arranged with unsettling precision. Are these structures real? Are they geological accidents? Or are they deliberately engineered spaces—older than the pyramids themselves—designed for purposes we no longer understand? Kat and Jethro explore theories ranging from ancient engineering marvels to acoustic resonance chambers capable of inducing altered states of consciousness. Chanting, vibration, infrasonic frequencies, and architecture as a mechanism for transcendence all enter the chat. Along the way, the conversation veers (as it always does) into related oddities: Stonehenge acoustics, the Dyatlov Pass mystery, binaural beats, and the idea that sound itself may have been one of humanity's earliest tools for altering perception and brushing up against the unknown. Then, just when you think you're safe, we go underwater. Meet the Bobbit worm—also known as the bearded fireworm—a real, very ancient, nightmare-fuel marine predator that hides in sand, senses vibrations, and snaps prey in half with terrifying speed. Equal parts fascinating and horrifying, this ten-foot ambush worm becomes an unexpected mirror to the episode's earlier themes: ancient design, patience, hidden systems, and things that wait quietly beneath the surface until the moment they strike. This episode blends humor, history, speculative science, biology, and the deeply human urge to find meaning in rituals, structures, and creatures that predate us by millions—or even billions—of years. From kitchen counters to subterranean spirals to venomous sea monsters, The Box of Oddities asks the question it always asks best: not just what might be down there—but why the idea of it makes us so uncomfortable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

In this special episode, Jethro Jones defends his doctoral dissertation on how school principals can use AI for innovation rather than just efficiency. The research challenges the common "save time" narrative around AI in education and introduces the concept of "cognitive equity" - using AI to expand capabilities and solve problems that weren't previously possible.Through a full-day workshop with 11 Wyoming principals, Jethro demonstrated that when professional development focuses on authentic problems rather than tools, leaders can create innovative solutions like student mental health check-in apps, digital citizenship games, and curiosity trackers. The study revealed three key barriers (time, training, and resources) and emphasized the importance of sustained, problem-focused professional development that allows for productive struggle. LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

On this Friday the 13th edition of Inbox of Oddities, Kat and Jethro open the mailbag and let the Freak Fam take the microphone. From Ohio to Australia, Wisconsin to Vermont, listeners share experiences they can't quite explain—and aren't sure they want to. A woman who lives alone wakes up to find coins appearing on her nightstand… even after setting up a camera to prove nothing happened. A listener describes hearing her beloved dog—gone just hours before—return one last time, warm and unmistakably real. A cemetery worker receives a phone call from someone insisting they were just called first. And a disconnected phone number delivers a voicemail years later… in a mother's voice. Other stories drift into stranger territory: a dying grandfather who insists the room is “breathing,” deathbed visions of unseen visitors, the unsettling sense of a space suddenly feeling busy, and the lingering question of whether some voices are meant to be heard—but not answered. There's also a look at extravagant funerals, eerie coincidences, and the quiet comfort of knowing you're not alone when you file something under unexplained and keep going. These are the kind of things you think about later, when the house is quiet. Welcome to the Inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro wander into one of the strangest phrases ever to appear in official U.S. government records: “Unexplained human presence detected.” Buried inside real Freedom of Information Act documents, this calm, clinical line appears again and again across decades of federal incident reports—acknowledging signs of human movement, interaction, and intention… without ever finding a human being. What does it mean when trained professionals confirm a presence, rule out mechanical causes, and then simply stop writing? The conversation drifts through surveillance systems, human perception, AI pattern recognition, and that deeply familiar feeling that someone was just there—close enough to leave a trace—before vanishing. From there, the episode plunges (sometimes literally) into Devil's Hole, Nevada: a narrow limestone fissure hiding a warm surface pool, a bottomless-seeming abyss, and the only natural habitat of the critically endangered Devil's Hole pupfish. The hosts explore how this unassuming opening drops more than 1,200 feet into darkness, has claimed multiple divers, reacts to earthquakes thousands of miles away, and even attracted the obsessive attention of Charles Manson. With stories of vanished bodies, seismic sloshing, baffling depths, and fragile life clinging to a single rocky shelf, this episode blends government mystery, geological terror, and existential unease—plus a brief, emotional detour involving a rescued monarch butterfly named Crumplewing. As always, it's strange, funny, unsettling, and just grounded enough in real documentation to make it linger long after the episode ends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2.23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.3.1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Send a textIf you're ambitious, driven, and used to carrying everything on your own, this episode is for you.In today's conversation, we unpack a powerful leadership lesson from Exodus 18. A moment when Moses faithfully serves the people, yet unknowingly sets himself up for burnout. From morning to evening, Moses becomes the bottleneck, trying to handle everything alone. It isn't a lack of heart or commitment; it's a lack of sustainability.Through the wisdom of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, we learn an uncomfortable but freeing truth: doing everything yourself doesn't make you strong; it slowly wears you down.In this episode, we talk about:How burnout can hide behind good intentionsWhy gatekeeping is not real leadershipThe danger of blind spots when you're too close to your own lifeWhy receptivity to correction mattersHow obedience requires action, not just agreementThis message is especially for leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and believers who feel overwhelmed, stretched thin, or exhausted from trying to be everything to everyone.Scripture referenced: Exodus 18Sign up for Activate Your Calling: Create, Build, & Promote Your Gift: https://bit.ly/4r0QixGSign up to be notified about Faith to Launch Community: https://bit.ly/FaithtoLaunchPlease join me in my YouTube only series, 30 Days to Becoming a Stronger, More Confident You in Christ: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkkBA4-h1A56MxObeO__s873pdUnnWQ5

In this powerful Weekly Word, we dive into Parashat Yitro (Exodus 18) and uncover a prophetic blueprint for becoming a governor of prosperity as we prepare for the upcoming Hebrew calendar shift into Nissan.As we move through the month of Shevat (Shabbat)—the season of new trees, pruning, growth, and abundance—God is preparing His people for next-level stewardship, leadership, and supernatural provision. This message reveals how the Torah readings prophetically position us for the crossover from deliverance to dominion.Key revelations in this message include:• The prophetic shift from “Let My people go” (Parashat Beshalach) to governance and structure (Parashat Yitro)• Why abundance requires management, not just blessing• Jethro's wisdom to Moses and God's model for shared leadership and endurance• The biblical role of able men (Chayil)—men and women of substance, faith, and strength• How God leads us from toiling into rest, from lack into shalom• Breaking the poverty mindset through Matthew 6 and kingdom thinking• Learning to make decisions from being seated with Christ in heavenly places• Preparing spiritually for the month of Nissan, the true biblical new yearThis teaching will challenge you to examine:What God is asking you to releaseWhat responsibilities you're meant to delegateWhether you're living from fear and worry or from peace and prosperityHow God is positioning you to help others enter their place of shalomScriptures covered:• Exodus 18 (Parashat Yitro)• Matthew 6:25–34• Ephesians 2:6• Hebrew insights on shalom, endurance, and chayilRESOURCES MENTIONED• Cracking the Time Code https://www.candicesmithyman.com/shop/p/preorder-cracking-the-time-code-step-into-supernatural-acceleration-stop-cycles-of-delay-and-secure-gods-promises-today• New Eternal Kingdom Order Course• Dream Winners Coaching & CertificationWww.dreammentors.org• Hebrew Calendar & Torah Reading ResourcesGet your Wall Calender and copy of “365 Prophetic Revelations from the Hebrew Calendar”Www.candicesmithyman.com or out of USA go to https://amzn.to4aQYoR0FREE Mentoring Call – February 12(10 AM & 6 PM EST) FREE impartation & activation monthlyREGISTER HERE- http://bit.ly/4gfRKXmPodcast: Manifest His Presence on SpotifyEvents & Itinerary:https://candicesmithyman.com/eventsVisit: CandiceSmithyman.com for books, courses, & prophetic resources

Could ancient Romans really talk to the dead—and did they build a device to help them do it? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro tumble headfirst into one of archaeology's strangest unsolved mysteries: the Roman dodecahedron. These small bronze objects—covered in holes, studded with knobs, and found almost exclusively in frontier regions of the Roman Empire—have baffled historians for centuries. No instructions. No records. No explanation. Just geometry… and silence. We explore a growing theory that these objects weren't tools or toys at all, but ritual devices used for necromancy. Drawing from documented Roman practices—curse tablets, grave rituals, offerings to the dead—we examine how light, fire, human remains, and sacred geometry may have combined to create controlled states of altered perception. Not summoning ghosts exactly… but thinning the veil just enough. From Plato's cosmic geometry to the eerie absence of these artifacts in Rome itself, the clues point toward forbidden practices quietly carried out on the edges of empire—where Roman order collided with older Celtic beliefs about the dead being nearby, accessible, and occasionally helpful. Along the way, the episode drifts (as it always does) into unexpected territory: midnight peanut-butter trauma, the strange comfort of reincarnated pets, and a surprisingly deep dive into how humans have measured time—from candle clocks and cow milkings to Planck time and absurdly large cosmic units. Because when you start talking about death, you inevitably end up talking about time… and how little of it we feel we have. It's a conversation about ancient fears, forbidden knowledge, and the unsettling possibility that some things were never written down because they worked just well enough to scare people into silence. Fly your freak flag proudly—and maybe don't peer too deeply into glowing bronze objects near a grave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabbi Vann

In this special handoff episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones announces he's passing the podcast to Mike Caldwell, founder of LinkedLeaders, as Jethro transitions to his new role as Director of Operations at Life Lab, a character education company creating video curriculum for middle and high schools—a move that aligns perfectly with his doctorate in character education, which he's defending the day after this episode airs. The episode explores why this partnership makes sense, as both Transformative Principal and LinkedLeaders focus on supporting school leaders through connection, mentorship, and learning from others' experiences, with Mike's platform connecting principals with mentors who have actually done the work they're struggling with through features like "Leadership Suites" that give districts their own dedicated spaces while accessing a broader community. Jethro shares insights about using AI tools like Open Claw to streamline operations and eliminate repetitive tasks in his new role, while both hosts emphasize a core theme: school leaders desperately need safe spaces to connect with peers who understand their challenges, since they often can't discuss struggles with staff below them or administrators above them. After 13 years and over 10 years of episodes, Jethro confidently hands off the podcast to Mike, who will continue providing valuable conversations for educational leaders worldwide. LinkedLeaders: You need support. Get just-in-time mentoring at LinkedLeaders.comWe're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

This week in Follow: The Exodus Story, we were joined by guest speaker Dontae Brown, Mercy Hill's Youth Ministries Director, teaching from Exodus 18.After the Red Sea and the wilderness provision, Israel enters a new phase of their journey—learning how to live as God's people together. Through Moses and Jethro, we discover an unexpected truth: God often gives His wisdom through other people, and receiving it requires humility.Moses had seen miracles, spoken with God, and led a nation out of slavery. Yet when his father-in-law confronted him about carrying the burden alone, Moses didn't defend himself—he listened. His humility opened the door for God's wisdom, bringing peace, endurance, and shared responsibility among the people.In this message, we learn that pride closes us off from God's guidance, but humility allows us to grow. God never designed one person to carry the work alone—He forms His people as a body, calling believers to support, encourage, and walk together in faith.God's wisdom doesn't only come through dramatic miracles. Sometimes it comes through correction, community, and the people He places around us.Scripture Covered:Exodus 18:5–24Proverbs 15:31–33Numbers 12:3Big Ideas:• Humility is the doorway to receiving God's wisdom• God uses people to shape our walk with Him• The Church was designed to share burdens, not carry them aloneWhether you need to grow in humility, offer support to others, or ask for help yourself, this passage reminds us that God forms His people together.

Jewish Faith & Jewish Facts with Rabbi Steven Garten. Aired: February 08, 2026 on CHRI Radio 99.1FM in Ottawa, Canada. For questions, email Rabbi Garten at rabbishg@templeisraelottawa.com For more CHRI shows, visit chri.ca

Download the notes here:https://esm.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/02.7.26-Congregational-Notes-5.pdf*********************************Website: esm.usPastor Mark BiltzMission Statement: (https://esm.us/about/)El Shaddai Ministries exists to take Torah to the nations by restoring the Biblical and historical perspectives that have been lost over the last 2000 years, uncovering replacement theology, and healing our Christian-Jewish relationships.Statement of Beliefs:https://tinyurl.com/4ks6eznu

This week on the podcast, we're unpacking the surprising salvation of a pagan priest. Jethro, the priest of Midian, encounters the God of Israel and His response ends up shaping Israel's journey through the wilderness.Be sure to SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss a video from TFI! Donate to TFI: https://www.togetherforisrael.org/givingpageThe ORIGINS Bible Study: https://www.togetherforisrael.org/storeWeekly Email Sign up: http://eepurl.com/ga8y7HVisit our Website: https://www.togetherforisrael.orgDownload our App: https://subsplash.com/togetherforisrael/download-appJoin us for a tour: https://www.tfi.tours

EXODUS 18:1-20:23

EXODUS 18:1-20:23

Parshas Yisro is a tale of two narratives. It begins with the dramatic arrival of Jethro, father-in-law of Moshe. He heard about all the miracles that the Almighty performed for the nation during the Exodus and decided to join the nation. The Parsha details his arrival together with Moshe's wife and their two sons, the […]

Parshas Yitro 5786 ספר שמות פרק יח פסוק י ‫וישמע יתרו כהן מדין חתן משה את כל אשר עשה אלהים למשה ולישראל עמו כי הוציא יקוק את ישראל ממצרים׃‬ _Sefer Shemot Chapter 18 Verse 10_ _Jethro priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that Hashem had done for Moses and for Israel—Hashem's people: how the Eternal had brought Israel out from Egypt._

In this episode of Bible Fiber, we explore the Torah portion Yitro (Exodus 18:1–20:23). While most weekly readings have titles that describe actions, this portion is one of only five named after a person: Jethro, the Midianite priest and father-in-law of Moses.We look at how Jethro served as an "executive consultant" to Moses. He identified a major flaw in Moses' leadership and provided the recipe for its correction. By advising Moses to delegate authority, Jethro helped build the foundation for the Israelite judicial system. Jethro is more than a biblical figure; he is the chief prophet and spiritual ancestor of the Druze community. About 140,000 Druze live in Israel today, with over one million across the Levant.Support the show

Fr. Matthias Shehad explores how God prepares us for salvation through the support and interactions with others. Using biblical examples such as Mary and Elizabeth, Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, and Joseph, he highlights the importance of community, mutual encouragement, and forgiveness in the Christian journey. He emphasizes that salvation is not an isolated process but one strengthened by serving and being served within the church body. Fr. Matthias discusses how challenges and conflicts in relationships offer opportunities for growth in humility, patience, and mercy. Drawing on stories like Moses receiving advice from Jethro and the conflict between Paul and Barnabas, he shows how wise counsel and reconciliation are essential in spiritual development. This sermon encourages embracing community, offering support, and trusting God's guidance through others as integral to preparing for salvation. Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

When Bureaucracy Kills You on Paper and the 1906 exorcism of Clara Germana Cele.  What if you woke up one morning and discovered the government had already buried you—on paper?  In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore the quietly terrifying phenomenon of bureaucratic death: real cases in which living people were officially declared dead due to clerical errors, missing-person rulings, or database failures—and then found it nearly impossible to prove they were alive again. Bank accounts frozen. Benefits canceled. Identities erased. All because a system designed for finality has no process for resurrection.  From Social Security records that spread like digital wildfire to court rulings that insist you missed the deadline to object to your own death, this story exposes the absurd and Kafkaesque consequences of modern bureaucracy. We look at documented cases including men who stood in court, breathing and speaking, while judges acknowledged their physical existence—yet refused to reverse their legal death.  Then, just when you think reality has regained its footing, we pivot into one of the most chilling possession cases on record: the 1906 exorcism of Clara Germana Cele, a young orphan raised in a South African mission school. Accounts describe violent behavior, alleged levitation, sudden fluency in multiple languages, and a prolonged exorcism sanctioned by the Catholic Church. But viewed through a modern lens, the story raises unsettling questions about trauma, power, colonialism, and what happens when fear becomes doctrine.  Is possession supernatural—or is it what happens when vulnerable people are given no language for their suffering?  As always, we separate documented facts from speculation, explore credible historical sources, and sit comfortably in the discomfort where certainty breaks down. Also included: dangerously compassionate lizard-warming strategies, the unexpected poetry of snowplow names, and the reminder that sometimes the scariest thing in the room isn't a demon—it's a system that refuses to see you.  Because being alive, it turns out, is not always enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why would a powerful, respected spiritual leader abandon comfort, status, and certainty to join a nation of former slaves in the desert?In this morning's class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the story of Jethro—not as ancient history, but as a living mirror. Through a surprising Talmudic question, we uncover what Jethro really heard that compelled him to move from observer to participant.This class weaves together three forces that define the Jewish story, irrational hatred, the moral genius of Torah, and the supernatural resilience of the Jewish people and asks a deeply personal question:What does Judaism ask of us when it's easier to stay comfortable?Jethro's journey challenges us to stop watching Jewish life from the sidelines and start stepping into it with intention, courage, and responsibility.KEY TAKEAWAYSBeing inspired is easy. Showing up changes everything.Irrational hatred is often the shadow cast by something deeply holy.Torah isn't just tradition, it's a radical moral framework that reshaped civilization.Jewish survival defies history, logic, and probability.You don't need to be born into greatness, but you do need to choose it.Judaism isn't meant to be admired from a distance, it's meant to be lived.The real question isn't what did Jethro hear? It's what are we hearing—and what are we doing about it?#Jewish #Judaism #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons  #Jethro #FromFanToPlayer #JewishIdentity #TorahLife #PurposeOverComfort #LivingJudaism #JewishResilience #WhyBeJewish #KabbalahForEveryone #RabbiBernath #JewishNDG #MeaningOverConvenience #StepIntoTheStory Available now:Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In the darkest place imaginable, four men discovered that gratitude can keep you alive. This episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah begins not in ancient text, but underground—inside the testimony of former hostage Eli Sharabi, who describes a ritual he and three others created in captivity: every night, they forced themselves to name one good thing that happened that day. Not because it felt true—but because without gratitude, hope would die. Key Takeaways Gratitude isn't a feeling—it's a practice Jethro's greatest gift wasn't law—it was blessing Saying it out loud is how we stay human Timestamps [00:00] Introduction: The Power of Gratitude [02:04] Elie Sarabi's Story of Survival [03:05] The Ritual of Thanksgiving [06:24] Jethro's Blessing and Its Significance [09:45] The Concept of Blessings in Judaism [13:24] Voice Gift Play: A New Way to Share Stories [14:27] The Importance of Verbalizing Gratitude [27:31] Finding the 'Why' in Survival [30:52] Conclusion: The Secret to Survival Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/705869 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

Moshe's father-in-law Jethro, Yitro in Hebrew, had been the world's foremost pagan priest and idolatrous practitioner...but then he turned his life around completely, declaring that the God of Israel is the One True God. How does such a turnabout happen? What was the price he paid for clinging to the truth, and what are the lessons learned for today's spiritual seekers? In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman reflect on the life story of this true servant of God and brave iconoclast...for whom the Torah portion including the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai is named. Our hosts also discuss the relationship between the Ten Commandments and all the other commandments of Torah. What makes these ten stand out especially, and why were they uttered aloud at Sinai?_________Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:PayPal: infojerusalemlights@gmail.com or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886Lubbock Texas 79490In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem IsraelWebsite: www.rabbirichman.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel:    / jerusalemlightsrabbichaimrichman  Follow us on Facebook:   / rabbichaimrichman    / 282440396475839  

Send a textWhy would a powerful, respected spiritual leader abandon comfort, status, and certainty to join a nation of former slaves in the desert?In this morning's class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the story of Jethro—not as ancient history, but as a living mirror. Through a surprising Talmudic question, we uncover what Jethro really heard that compelled him to move from observer to participant.This class weaves together three forces that define the Jewish story, irrational hatred, the moral genius of Torah, and the supernatural resilience of the Jewish people and asks a deeply personal question:What does Judaism ask of us when it's easier to stay comfortable?Jethro's journey challenges us to stop watching Jewish life from the sidelines and start stepping into it with intention, courage, and responsibility.KEY TAKEAWAYSBeing inspired is easy. Showing up changes everything.Irrational hatred is often the shadow cast by something deeply holy.Torah isn't just tradition, it's a radical moral framework that reshaped civilization.Jewish survival defies history, logic, and probability.You don't need to be born into greatness, but you do need to choose it.Judaism isn't meant to be admired from a distance, it's meant to be lived.The real question isn't what did Jethro hear? It's what are we hearing—and what are we doing about it?#Jewish #Judaism #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons  #Jethro #FromFanToPlayer #JewishIdentity #TorahLife #PurposeOverComfort #LivingJudaism #JewishResilience #WhyBeJewish #KabbalahForEveryone #RabbiBernath #JewishNDG #MeaningOverConvenience #StepIntoTheStory Available now:Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Caller Questions & Discussion: JJ discusses the story in Exodus 18 where Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, advises Moses to delegate his responsibilities instead of handling everything alone. My 11-year-old daughter is terrified of vomiting. Should I seek professional help? Sometimes she refuses to eat because she feels nauseous. During the Superbowl, what advice do you have for people who have a tendency to overindulge with food, alcohol, or betting? How much help should I provide my 34-year-old son, who has struggled with bipolar disorder and psychosis? I'm considering renting an apartment for him. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but I think it caused my diabetes. Can I stop taking my medication?

The arrival of Jethro, the preparation for Sinai, and the nature of the Sinai revelation – these are some of the subjects featured in our parsha. In this very special and atypically extemporaneous Parsha podcast, we offer four interesting ideas: one on the unique route that Jethro took to the truth; one on the particular […]

The arrival of Jethro, the preparation for Sinai, and the nature of the Sinai revelation - these are some of the subjects featured in our parsha. In this very special and atypically extemporaneous Parsha podcast, we offer four interesting ideas: one on the unique route that Jethro took to the truth; one on the particular form of pleasure that Torah bestows upon those who learn it; a supremely clever idea on the boundaries placed around Mount Sinai; and a fascinating observation on the splitting of the sea and the splitting of the heavens.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox:TORCHPO BOX 310246HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Why did Henry David Thoreau care so much about pencils—and why did some phone numbers keep ringing long after they were disconnected? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro wander into two stories that shouldn't be connected… but somehow are. First, we look at the surprising industrial legacy of Henry David Thoreau, long before Walden Pond. As a young man working in his family's pencil business, Thoreau applied chemistry, precision, and quiet rebellion to fix America's worst pencils—changing how graphite was processed, how pencils were graded, and why most pencils are still yellow today. It's a story about innovation, independence, and how financial stability made room for deep thinking… and eventually, deliberate living. Then, the episode takes a darker turn. During the 1960s and 70s, people across the U.S. reported receiving phone calls from businesses that had been closed—sometimes for decades. Funeral homes. Pharmacies. Local shops. Callers insisted they had just spoken to someone on the line. Engineers found nothing. Phone companies found no active service. The FCC investigated. No explanation stuck. What emerged instead was something stranger: the idea of telecom afterimages—echoes of human habit lingering in old copper wire. Conversations without ghosts. Voices without intent. Systems that didn't quite know how to forget. This episode explores how infrastructure remembers, how absence isn't always clean, and why the most unsettling stories are often the quietest ones—ordinary conversations that shouldn't exist, but somehow do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most significant event in all of human history is the Revelation at Sinai, which occurs in Parshas Yisro. Prior to that monumental experience and the conveyance of the Ten Commandments, Moshe's father in law, Jethro, arrived at the camp and makes an important suggestion for improving the efficiency of the judicial process. – – […]

The most significant event in all of human history is the Revelation at Sinai, which occurs in Parshas Yisro. Prior to that monumental experience and the conveyance of the Ten Commandments, Moshe's father in law, Jethro, arrived at the camp and makes an important suggestion for improving the efficiency of the judicial process.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox:TORCHPO BOX 310246HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

This Sunday, Pastor Blake leads us in reflecting on the power of testimony as we witness God's faithfulness shared among His people. Through Moses' reunion with Jethro, we are reminded of the importance of remembering what the Lord has done and declaring His goodness.      Want to watch a version of this message? Check out our live broadcast archive at www.declarationchurch.net/live.

How might pastors approach the many administrative needs of a congregation? Pastor John draws four helpful guidelines from Jethro's counsel to Moses.

What happens when a military base shuts down… but the signals don't? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro dig into a strange, documented mystery tied to Camp Hero in Montauk, New York—a Cold War radar installation officially decommissioned in the early 1980s. Years after the gates were locked and the radar went dark, amateur ham radio operators began logging unexplained voice transmissions seemingly originating from the abandoned site. These weren't bursts of static or pirate radio chatter. Operators reported calm, procedural phrases—short, clipped, emotionally neutral language consistent with military communications. Even more unsettling: some transmissions appeared to echo Cold War–era radar terminology that had been out of use for decades. The reports were consistent, carefully logged, and compelling enough that they were forwarded to the FCC, which investigated and acknowledged the anomalies… but never provided a public explanation. Kat and Jethro walk through what we know for certain about Camp Hero, the documented reports from experienced radio operators, and why Montauk's long history of high strangeness makes this case especially unsettling. From theories involving atmospheric conditions and signal propagation to more speculative ideas about residual transmissions, time displacement, and non-intelligent “hauntings” of technology itself, this episode explores how systems built to listen may sometimes keep doing so long after we think they've stopped. Along the way, the conversation veers—delightfully—into unexpected territory, including bizarre animal adoption names, Denmark's most aggressively tasteless amusement park, and the thin line between serious investigation and the absurd places curiosity can take you. As always, the story stays rooted in documented accounts, official records, and firsthand reports—leaving you to decide whether these voices were nothing more than interference… or echoes from something that never fully powered down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a wall hides more than it should? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore two unsettling, very real stories where history was quietly sealed away—literally and figuratively. First, we descend into the forgotten basement of Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts, where renovation crews in the 1990s uncovered a bricked-over corridor that didn't exist on any blueprints. Inside were intact treatment rooms, restraint fixtures, and medical equipment from an era psychiatric institutions would rather forget. No records. No documentation. And once discovered, the space was quietly sealed again. Then we shift to a powerful and often overlooked chapter in American medical history: Freedom House Ambulance Service in Pittsburgh. In the 1960s, a group of Black paramedics—trained at an unprecedented level—quietly invented modern emergency medical care. They saved hundreds of lives, revolutionized on-scene treatment, and laid the foundation for today's EMS systems… before being erased from history when the city took over the program. Along the way, we talk about institutional amnesia, medical ethics, abandoned practices, historical erasure, and why the scariest stories are often the ones that actually happened. Because sometimes the question isn't what's haunting a place—It's what was deliberately forgotten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15:19.5In this episode of Transformative Principal, host Jethro Jones interviews Benny, a 16-year-old sophomore at Alpha School in Austin. Benny discusses his Alpha X project—a YouTube channel explaining how video games are educational.The conversation explores Alpha School's innovative model, which combines AI-based academics in the morning with passion-driven project work in the afternoon. Benny shares insights on how video games teach critical life skills like problem-solving, resilience, teamwork, and communication through active learning environments.Jethro challenges Benny to stop perfecting his first video and start publishing immediately, emphasizing that consistent practice beats endless research. They discuss the importance of learning through doing, the value of failure in video games versus traditional education, and how Alpha School's approach helps students develop real-world skills.Alpha School academics and workshops. Benny's youtube channelUploading many videos as opposed to researching to make one video. Active worlds do 1.5x better than kids in traditional learning situations.Video games teaching organic skills. Portal 1 and 2 are great for teaching logicProfessor Layton Franchise - puzzle games.What makes you give up? Motivational models - motivating a student for doing a certain task or achievementHow minecraft raised us better than our schools. Brainlift Google DocAbout BennyBenny is a 16-year-old sophomore who attends Alpha High School. He enjoys playing video games, playing instruments, and debating a variety of topics. He has lived in Austin, Texas his whole life and has been attending Alpha for three years. At Alpha, students complete an AlphaX project, an individual project based on their passions. When he was in middle school and during his first year at Alpha High School, Benny's project was based on music therapy. However, as he progressed through high school, he began to change his project to a YouTube channel that explains how video games are educational. This change was inspired by the first thing he does when he gets home from school, which is playing video games.

In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore how some mysteries don't announce themselves with screaming headlines or dramatic hauntings—but instead settle in quietly and refuse to leave. The episode slips into dark territory with the true and well-documented case of the Hexham Heads—two crude stone carvings unearthed by children in a backyard in 1970s England. What followed were subtle but persistent disturbances: unexplained knocking, moving objects, and a growing sense that the house itself was reacting to something that should never have been brought inside. Investigated by members of the Society for Psychical Research, the case raises an unsettling possibility—that some hauntings are tied not to places but to objects that carry history badly. In the second half, the episode turns from the paranormal to forensic science with the decades-long mystery of Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee. Discovered murdered in Florida in 1971, she remained unidentified for over fifty years despite repeated exhumations, reconstructions, and scientific analysis. Advances in forensic technology finally restored her name—Maureen Lou Rowan—while also revealing how earlier scientific conclusions were quietly skewed by embalming practices of the era. The story becomes a sobering reminder that science evolves, truth is fragile, and identity can be lost far too easily. Along the way, Kat and Jethro weave in observations about human behavior, survival instincts, and the strange overlap between curiosity, caution, and consequence. No jump scares. No neat endings. Just a lingering sense that some things—objects, histories, and unresolved lives—leave marks long after they're buried. If you're fascinated by haunted objects, unsolved mysteries, forensic breakthroughs, and the quieter side of the unexplained, this episode delivers stories that stay with you well after the final sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses. But he was also the one responsible for Moses's success as a leader over the people of God. Jethro provides five ways for leaders to thrive. Whether you lead a family, a small group, a large organization, or a fast-paced business, these five practices are imperative.I. Change Your Approach (vv. 13-18)II. Instruct the People (vv. 19-20)III. Build a Team (v. 21)IV. Trust the Team (vv. 22-23)V. Take Good Advice (v. 24)Talk with God: Meditate on Matthew 19:30 as you ask the Lord to strengthen you in each of these five areas.Talk with others: As a Connect Group, discuss how you can apply these practices to your daily life.Talk with kids: How did David respond to God's forgiveness?

Sometimes the strangest stories aren't dramatic. They're subtle. Ordinary. And impossible to shake. In this episode of Inbox of Oddities, Kat and Jethro share listener stories that live in the uncomfortable space between coincidence, memory, and something quietly off. These are not tales of screaming ghosts or shadow figures—but moments where reality seems to hesitate, update itself, or fail to line up the way it used to. Listeners write in about objects reappearing exactly where they were already searched for, buildings that forget which lights should be on, paintings that appear to change over time, and memories that don't match the physical evidence left behind. One message describes a calm, reassuring voice coming through a baby monitor. Another recalls a grandmother's unsettling phrase: “Not everyone comes back the same way.” Along the way, Kat and Jethro reflect on anxiety, aging memory, and the thin line between perception and certainty—mixing empathy, humor, and curiosity in the way only The Box of Oddities can. There are also moments of levity from the Freak Family: accidental near-microwaved laptops, quicksand metaphors, Australian heatwaves, rescued kookaburras, haunted municipal buildings, and the strange bond that forms when thousands of people start noticing the same small weird things. This episode isn't about answers.It's about the feeling you get when nothing is wrong… but nothing is entirely right either. If you've ever had the sense that the world quietly shifted when you weren't looking—this one's for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if two of America's most infamous unsolved murders were never separate at all? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Jethro explores a startling new claim that uses artificial intelligence, cryptography, and old-fashioned detective work to suggest a single suspect may link the Zodiac Killer and the Black Dahlia—two crimes long thought to belong to different eras and different monsters. At the center of the theory is the Zodiac's infamous Z13 cipher, a short, taunting code that promised to reveal the killer's name and resisted decryption for more than 50 years. A self-taught cold-case researcher applied AI-driven computation to generate and eliminate more than 70 million possible name combinations, cross-referencing them against military records, census data, timelines, and geographic constraints. The result? A single identity with chilling connections to Elizabeth Short, the victim known as the Black Dahlia. Retired detectives and former intelligence cryptography specialists weigh in on why this approach is different—and why it may be the closest anyone has come to a real answer. But that's only part of the journey. Kat and Jethro also dive into a collection of real human facts that sound completely fake—from the faint light emitted by the human body, to phantom limbs that can feel wet, to why eyewitness memories are far less reliable than we want to believe. Along the way, a Freak Family email reveals how deeply The Box of Oddities can rewire your brain (sometimes permanently). Finally, Kat closes the episode with one of history's most unsettling books: the Codex Gigas, the largest medieval manuscript ever created. Said to contain the entire Bible, medical texts, exorcisms, and forbidden knowledge—and famously featuring a full-page illustration of the devil—the manuscript's uniform handwriting and impossible scale raise an ancient question: was this the work of a single monk… or something else entirely? True crime, forbidden manuscripts, unsettling science, and the quiet moment when coincidences stop feeling accidental—this is The Box of Oddities doing what it does best. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do carnival sideshows, government paperwork, and half-billion-year-old nightmare creatures have in common? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore three very different corners of history where certainty was offered in place of understanding—and where things were far stranger than advertised. First, they step into the vanished world of early 20th-century hygiene exhibits: traveling carnival attractions that promised education but delivered fear. Set up alongside Ferris wheels and midway games, these sterile tents used wax models, shock imagery, and moral absolutism to teach the public what would happen if they failed to behave “correctly.” Disease was framed as punishment. Fear wasn't a side effect—it was the lesson. Then, in a Thing in the Middle, the focus shifts from bodies to paperwork. Kat and Jethro examine bizarre bureaucratic oddities: citizens declared dead while still alive, laws that regulate technologies no longer in use, records preserved on media that can no longer be read. It's a reminder that systems meant to create order can quietly lose track of reality. Finally, the episode dives deep into the Cambrian Explosion, a brief moment in geological time when life experimented wildly with form. From five-eyed predators to spined worms reconstructed upside-down for decades, these ancient creatures reveal a world where evolution hadn't settled on any final draft yet—and where “normal” hadn't been invented. Across carnivals, governments, and deep time, a pattern emerges: confidence without nuance, spectacle over explanation, and the human desire to make complicated worlds feel simple. The tents are gone.The paperwork remains.The creatures are fossilized. But the urge to replace understanding with certainty is still very much alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inbox of Oddities is back with another lovingly chaotic collection of listener stories, strange coincidences, quiet creepiness, and accidental comedy. In this episode, Kat and Jethro share a perfectly timed real-life oddity involving a disappearing blood bus, because sometimes the universe has a sense of humor—and it's not always kind. From there, the Freak Fam delivers. A childhood bedroom that made everyone feel watched—but never threatened. A night security guard who hears a humming tune no one else should know. A smart speaker that apologizes unprompted at 3:14 a.m. A Nevada rest stop that leaves footprints where no one was standing. And a Maine hunting trip that ends with three missing days, clean boots, and a man who never went into the woods again. There's also talk of misheard song lyrics, imaginary dream logic, family phrases that make no sense to outsiders, mysterious radio cutouts in hospital parking lots, and the oddly comforting ways this show has woven itself into listeners' daily lives—from late-night drives to chemo appointments. No monsters. No jump scares. Just rooms that don't want company, places that feel… aware, and moments that refuse to be explained. Exactly the way we like it. If you enjoy subtle paranormal experiences, uncanny coincidences, listener mail, strange comfort, and humor that sneaks up on you, this one's for you. Fly that freak flag proudly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices