Podcasts about mesopotamian

Greg Jenner is joined in the ancient world by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh.Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed sometime in the third millennium, and were told and retold throughout Mesopotamia until a Babylonian scholar named Sîn-leqi-unninni wrote down what has become the standard version. The tale he recorded tells of a tyrannical king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and the transformative journey he takes with his enemy-turned-friend (and possibly more), Enkidu. In the 3100 lines of the poem, they fight forest guardians and celestial bulls, anger the gods, and even challenge death itself.In this episode, we retell the story of Gilgamesh, exploring the history of the epic's composition, what it tells us about ancient Mesopotamian storytelling and beliefs, and how it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century, written in cuneiform on clay tablets housed in the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. We also look at the themes of companionship, community and environmental protection that are still relevant today, and ask the question: is Gilgamesh just a legend, or was he based on a real king?This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Katharine Russell Written by: Katharine Russell, Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

Welcome to Day 2881 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2881 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2881 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled:  The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled To modern readers shaped by pluralism and academic detachment, the confrontational tone of the Bible may seem abrasive. But this response overlooks what the Bible truly is. It is not a disinterested theological reflection. It is a weapon. It is a series of books forged in the heart of a spiritual and historical rebellion. Its message was not formed in a vacuum but in the aftermath of Babel and the divine treason of the bene elohim who had been placed over the nations. Understanding the polemical nature of the Bible begins by understanding the world it was written to confront. The first segment is: What Is a Polemic? And Why the ANE Was Full of Them A polemic is a targeted argument or critique meant to expose, undermine, or discredit a rival idea, practice, or system. Unlike a simple disagreement or neutral description, a polemic is written to confront. It deliberately challenges an existing claim and seeks to replace it. In the ancient world, polemics were often theological, political, and cultural all at once. The gods, kings, and cities of rival nations were not treated as irrelevant. They were treated as threats that had to be addressed. In the context of the Ancient Near East, polemics were deeply embedded in the stories nations told about themselves. Every origin story, temple hymn, or divine genealogy was not just a description of how things came to be. It was a claim of legitimacy. To say your god created the world or defeated the sea monster or chose your king was to declare supremacy over other peoples and their gods. It was to say, “Our story is the true one. Yours is a counterfeit.” For example, when Babylon claimed that Marduk created the world by killing the goddess Tiamat, it was not just promoting cosmology. It was justifying Babylon's imperial authority as the city of the supreme god. When Egypt said that Ma'at held the universe together through the Pharaoh's divine rulership, it was declaring that Egyptian order was the divine ideal, and everyone else lived in chaos. In such a world, writing something like Genesis 1 was not a quiet religious reflection. It was a direct challenge to every claim made by Egypt, Babylon, and Canaan. It was a polemic. And in the Bible, this polemical instinct is not occasional. It is foundational. Israel's Scriptures were not meant to fit within the theological frameworks of other nations. They were meant to shatter them. The second segment is: Babel and the Reordering of the World Genesis 11 describes a human rebellion that goes far deeper than building a tower. At Babel, humanity attempted to unify under its own authority and defy Yahweh's mandate to fill the earth. But the judgment that followed did more than scatter languages. According to Deuteronomy 32, verses eight and nine, when Yahweh divided the nations, He appointed the bene elohim, divine sons of God, to oversee them. Only Israel would remain His direct possession. The nations were not abandoned without guidance. But over time, the spiritual beings given authority over them failed in their stewardship. They began to crave worship and corrupted the justice they were meant to uphold. Psalm 82 records Yahweh standing in judgment over these divine rulers, declaring that they would fall like mortals. This cosmic judgment sets the stage for the mission of Israel and the tone of Scripture itself. The third segment is: Israel: The Counter-Nation Unlike the nations that inherited rebellious rulers, Israel was created from scratch. Yahweh did not reform an existing people. He called Abram from among the disinherited nations and made a new people who would be His portion. Israel was not simply chosen for privilege but created for purpose. As stated in Exodus 19 verse six, they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This priestly identity means Israel's role was inherently polemical. Their laws, festivals, temples, and scriptures were not private religious expressions. They were public declarations that the gods of the nations were false, the powers behind them were corrupt, and that Yahweh alone was Most High over all the earth. The Bible, as the written witness of Israel's calling, reflects this purpose. The Fourth Segment is: Polemics in the Biblical Texts The polemical nature of the Bible is woven deeply into its stories, laws, songs, and prophecies. These are not culturally isolated documents. They are intentional confrontations with the dominant worldviews shaped by the fallen gods of the nations. The Fifth segment is: Creation and the Flood Genesis one is not merely an account of beginnings. It is a direct response to Mesopotamian creation myths such as Enuma Elish, which portray creation as the result of divine violence and chaos. In contrast, the biblical God creates through speech, with order and intention. There is no struggle, no divine bloodshed, no pantheon. It is a declaration that the gods of Babylon are not creators but pretenders. Likewise, the flood account in Genesis six through nine subverts the flood stories of the surrounding cultures. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods send the flood in terror and regret it. In the Bible, the flood is just, purposeful, and moral. It is a surgical judgment on a world corrupted by human violence and divine rebellion, not the panicked act of unstable deities. The sixth segment is: Conquest and the Defeat of the Gods When Israel enters the land of Canaan, the conquest is not simply a political campaign. It is a cosmic battle against the corrupted spiritual rulers of the land. The defeat of Pharaoh in Egypt is explicitly described as Yahweh executing judgment on the gods of Egypt. The plagues are not random punishments but targeted humiliations of Egypt's divine protectors. Jericho's fall, the silencing of Baal on Mount Carmel, the defeat of Dagon before the Ark in 1 Samuel 5, and the crushing of Leviathan imagery in the Psalms all follow the same pattern. The text is not just reporting history. It is declaring war on the false gods and the unseen rulers who manipulated the nations into darkness. The seventh Segment is: Psalms and Prophets as Weapons The Psalms, often viewed only as worship poetry, are filled with divine council imagery and subversion of Canaanite theology. Psalm 29, for instance, uses storm language that sounds like a Baal hymn but places Yahweh as the one who rides the storm and subdues the waters. In Ugaritic myth, Baal defeats Yam to earn his throne. In the Bible, Yahweh sits enthroned above the flood before it ever lifts its head. The prophets likewise deliver blistering critiques of the nations and their gods. Isaiah 19 declares judgment not just on Egypt but on its idols, priests, and necromancers. Ezekiel 28 mocks the divine claims of the Prince of Tyre, unmasking him as a fallen being in Eden. These are not veiled jabs. They are open condemnations of spiritual rebellion embedded in political empires. The Eighth segment is: The New Testament: The War Reaches Its Climax By the time of Christ, the powers of the nations had not been dethroned. The world remained under their sway. Jesus refers to Satan as the ruler of this world and frames His ministry as a battle to bind the strong man and plunder his house. Every healing, exorcism, and storm-calming miracle is a polemic in action. Jesus is not just showing compassion. He is confronting the gods. The cross itself is the ultimate polemic. It appears to be a defeat but is actually a triumph. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:15, Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame. This is courtroom and battlefield language. The spiritual powers that once ruled unchallenged were publicly exposed as weak, condemned, and temporary. The apostles carry this mission forward. Paul sees the preaching of the gospel as a cosmic declaration to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. The church is not merely a new religious community. It is the living proof that

In this week's episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Jake Tawney of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education speak with Dr. Snezana Lawrence, an independent scholar affiliated with Middlesex University London, about the origins and development of mathematics across human civilizations. Dr. Lawrence reflects on her work, including her book A Little History of Mathematics, tracing early counting systems and artifacts such as the Mesopotamian cuneiform and Egyptian mathematical practices. She explains how Greek thinkers like Pythagoras and Euclid shaped mathematics, geometry, and logical reasoning, while highlighting India's development of zero and the later adoption of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. She connects these mathematical traditions to modern science through Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and the Newton–Leibniz calculus controversy, underscoring mathematics as the language of science and discovery across time and diverse human civilizations. In closing, Dr. Lawrence reads a passage from her book, A Little History of Mathematics.

Send us Fan MailA city that promises security. A tower that promises unity. A plan that quietly says, “We don't want God's way.” We open Genesis 11:3–4 and slow the story down until you can see why the Tower of Babel still feels familiar in modern life and modern culture.We talk through Nimrod's rise, why ancient tradition paints him as more than a talented leader, and how a single decision can steer a whole people toward centralised power instead of obedience to God's command to spread out and fill the earth. We also dig into the practical details: why they chose bricks in the Mesopotamian valley, what “burn them thoroughly” implies, and how tar mortar and archaeology make Babel feel grounded in real history.Then we follow the spiritual trajectory of the tower itself. What starts as a permanent community project becomes reputation-building, defiance, and a religious centre tied to the host of heaven, astrology, and deception. We wrestle with the idea that Babel becomes a seedbed for corrupt worship and the kind of spiritual confusion Scripture later describes as “Babylon.”We close by turning from darkness to clarity: Jesus Christ is the truth, and His word is truth. John 8:31–32 is our anchor, reminding us that continuing in His word leads to freedom. Subscribe, share this devotional with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Bible teaching that points to Jesus as more than enough.Support the showhttps://www.jacksonfamilyministry.comhttps://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/

What if the most dangerous spiritual abuse doesn't look abusive at all?What if it looks like loyalty, obedience, and being ‘on fire for God'?How theology, prophecy, and deliverance get distorted.Support this show!! : https://www.bibspeak.com/#donateGrab your free gift: the top 10 most misunderstood Biblical verses: https://info.bibspeak.com/10-verses-clarifiedJoin the newsletter (I only send 2 emails a week): https://www.bibspeak.com/#newsletterShop Dwell L'abel 15% off using the discount code BIBSPEAK15 https://go.dwell-label.com/bibspeakDownload Logos Bible Software for your own personal study: http://logos.com/biblicallyspeakingSign up for Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaig…Use Manychat to automate a quick DM! It's great for sending links fast.https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/nd14879vojabStan.Store—way better than Linktree! It lets me share links, grow my email list, and host all my podcast stuff in one place.https://join.stan.store/biblicallyspeakingSupport this show!! : https://www.bibspeak.com/#donate Dr. Anna Kitko originally a British-trained Cambridge graduate, Anna's clinical work focuses in the realm of Cults and New Religions by weaving together an eclectic background in Theology, World Religion, Christian Apologetics, and modern Psychology for a therapeutic experience that is spiritually focused and mindful of the boundaries of Holy Scripture. She carries two undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida in Philosophy and Religion as well as a Master of Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. On top of this, Anna is a current Research Associate with the University of Salford, Manchester UK, carrying a Master of Science in the Psychology of Coercive Control and having authored the first psychometric in the world measuring spiritual abuse in demonic deliverance settings. Respectively, she is a member and regular lecturer for the International Cultic Studies Association and the Director of Theological Integrity for Ratio Christi: Campus Apologetics Alliance; an international Christian Apologetics network. Locally, Anna is Theological Director of Integrated Wellness Tennessee, a non-profit mission providing clinical mental health care to those in the community who otherwise could not afford care financially. Her expertise focuses on cases of spiritual abuse, cultic and coercive control, brainwashing, domestic violence, human trafficking, terrorism, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Dissociation, and spiritual pathologies such as Prelest. She is an unabashed Christian and the center of her therapeutic interventions is housed in an office modeled after a 12 th century monastic cloister. Anna possesses a knowledge of a vast array of historic therapeutic interventions from Mesopotamian exorcism protocols, to meridian work, and all the way to modern interventions such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR. She also is well versed in the healing of popular and fraudulent mental health interventions such as SOZO and Apostolic Demonic Deliverance. email: annakitko@ratiochristi.orgYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@annakitkoRecommended reading inspired by this episode:

The Old Testament was not written in a vacuum. It was written inside a world. A world of clay tablets and cuneiform, flood epics and creation myths, law codes carved into stone centuries before Moses climbed the mountain. Dr. Joshua Bowen has spent his career decoding that world. And what he found does not diminish Scripture. It puts it in focus.Dr. Bowen holds a Ph.D. in Assyriology from Johns Hopkins University and is the founder of Digital Hammurabi. He reads Sumerian, Akkadian, and Biblical Hebrew, and has spent years working the primary cuneiform sources that form the ancient backdrop of the Hebrew Bible. In this conversation, we cover the Mesopotamian parallels to Genesis, the flood traditions that predate Noah, the law codes that share striking overlap with the Torah, and the theological genius behind how Israel reworked those traditions to say something no surrounding culture was saying about God.In this episode you will learn:- Why the ancient Near East is essential background for anyone who takes the Bible seriously- How the Enuma Elish and Genesis 1 interact and what that interaction actually means- What the Gilgamesh Epic reveals about the biblical flood narrative and why borrowing an earlier story does not undercut the theology- How the Laws of Hammurabi, Ur-Namma, and Eshnunna relate to the legal material in the Torah- Why the goring ox law appears in nearly identical form across multiple ancient law collections- How Israel used surrounding mythology as a polemic, arguing theologically through the very stories the surrounding nations told- What Genesis 1 is doing in response to the Enuma Elish and why Yahweh does not even have to fight- How the Babylonian exile shaped Israelite identity and the final form of the Hebrew Bible- Why understanding these ancient texts deepens rather than destroys a serious reading of ScriptureGet Dr. Bowen's book:Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?: https://www.amazon.com/Did-Old-Testament-Endorse-Slavery/dp/1734358629Explore Digital Hammurabi:https://www.digitalhammurabi.comStay Connected with Johnny Ova:Website: https://johnnyova.comSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyovaGet Johnny's latest book: The Revelation Reset: https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Reset-Johnny-Ova/dp/B0C9SFQX4J

What if your deepest desires weren't your own? In this chilling episode of Unknown and Mysterious Creatures, we descend into one of the most unsettling entities in paranormal lore—the succubus. A seductive night demon said to visit in the darkest hours, feeding not just on desire… but on life itself.From ancient Mesopotamian spirits to the legend of Lilith, and from medieval demonology to modern-day sleep paralysis encounters, the succubus has haunted humanity for thousands of years. Victims across centuries describe the same terrifying pattern: waking in the night, paralyzed… aware… and not alone. Is this simply the mind playing tricks in its most vulnerable state? Or could something far older—far more intelligent—be exploiting us in our sleep?Get our merch at: bonfire.com/store/umcreatureConsider becoming a patron at patreon.com/kingasilasFollow us on X @umcreature

In 2016, the idea of a hidden planet lurking far beyond Neptune reignited one of astronomy's biggest mysteries. Since then, the search for "Planet Nine" has captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike—raising profound questions about how our solar system formed, and whether we've overlooked an entire world in our cosmic backyard. Today, I'm joined by Konstantin Batygin, professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and one of the leading architects of the Planet Nine hypothesis. We discuss the evidence for the theory, the controversy surrounding it, and the new evidence that could be found this year supporting the idea that Planet Nine actually exists! We also discuss what its discovery would mean for astronomy and how it could reshape our understanding of the solar system. Finally, we explore the line between science and mythology—from cultural Mesopotamian legends like Nibiru and the Anunnaki to what Planet 8's discovery would mean for people who follow Anunnaki folklore. Does this mean Sumerians were right? Join us as we get rebelliously curious. Join us as we get rebelliously curious. Watch the YouTube interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQUIu1X47y8 Follow Chrissy Newton: Winner of the Canadian Podcast Awards for Best Science Series. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM32gjHqMnYl_MOHZetC8Eg  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingchrissynewton/  X: https://twitter.com/chrissynewton?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingChrissyNewton  Chrissy Newton's Website: https://chrissynewton.com Top Canadian Science Podcast: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/canadian_science_podcasts/   

Episode 543 Nick the Rat crawls out of the Brooklyn sewer for Episode 543 with a deep dive into the oldest obsession in human history — demonology. From ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets and King Solomon's grimoire to Elizabethan spirit mediums and the Loudun possessions, Nick traces 5,000 years of humans trying to make contact with something they don't fully understand. Then he asks the question nobody else is asking: is firing up your AI chatbot really all that different from summoning a demon? Also on tonight's episode — Nick returns from Charlotte, NC with strong opinions about sidewalks and Wells Fargo, roasts the TSA over a $45 Real ID shakedown, and breaks down the United Airlines flight that turned around because someone named their Bluetooth speaker "bomb." Special guest Lilith the demon summoner calls in to share her craft, Mystery Man delivers a truly unhinged Bigfoot story from 1847, Zindu absolutely loses it over professional sports, and Jane Hanoi reports live from the Dark Sewer Network News. Donations, voicemails, and a late-night AI bubble rant round out one of the wildest episodes yet. Welcome to the sewer. #sewerchat #NickTheRatRadio #Demonology #AIConspiracy #Demons #Paranormal #ConspiracyTheory #DarkSewerNetwork #MysteryMan #JaneHanoi #Occult #Grimoire #KingSolomon #SleepParalysis #ArtificialIntelligence #AIBubble #Underground #Brooklyn #PodcastEpisode #LateNightRadio #WeirdPodcast #TrueParanormal #SpiderNoir #TSARant #DemonSummoning #CultPodcast A paranoid rat discusses conspiracies, secret agendas, and things they don't want you to know — while playing hand-picked underground music. Call in live: 1-917-719-5923 Originally aired: 06/10/26 All music is Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0). All artists are credited during the episode. For more info: www.nicktherat.com

In this episode of Dark Academy, we gather in the Midnight Library to discuss all things Exorcist. The whole show is the Exorcist. Join me as we journey from the ancient ruins of Iraq and the legend of the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu to the streets of Georgetown, where a young girl's possession would forever change the horror genre.But the story doesn't end there.The movie was based on real events. A real demon possession? You may ask. Yes! Or so they say. We'll explore the claims, the exorcisms, the skeptical explanations, and the events that blurred the line between faith, fear, folklore, and reality.Then step into the resulting American fear of the occult, demon possession, ouija boards and the rise of the Satanic PanicFinally, we'll close with the strange and unsettling stories surrounding the production of The Exorcist itself. From mysterious fires and on-set injuries to deaths connected to the cast and crew, many came to believe the film was cursed long before audiences ever sat down to watch it.Was Roland Doe truly possessed?Did The Exorcist unleash a new era of fear?And was the production really cursed?Grab your candle and join me in the Midnight Library circle as we explore one of the darkest stories in horror history.Topics include: The Exorcist, Roland Doe, Ronald Hunkeler, exorcisms, Pazuzu, demonology, Catholic exorcism rituals, Satanic Panic, paranormal folklore, horror history, and alleged curses.

How do you define a spiritual cult or high-control group?What separates deep commitment from coercion?Why is ‘high control' such a critical psychological category?Support this show!! : https://www.bibspeak.com/#donateGrab your free gift: the top 10 most misunderstood Biblical verses: https://info.bibspeak.com/10-verses-clarifiedJoin the newsletter (I only send 2 emails a week): https://www.bibspeak.com/#newsletterShop Dwell L'abel 15% off using the discount code BIBSPEAK15 https://go.dwell-label.com/bibspeakDownload Logos Bible Software for your own personal study: http://logos.com/biblicallyspeakingSign up for Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaig…Use Manychat to automate a quick DM! It's great for sending links fast.https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/nd14879vojabStan.Store—way better than Linktree! It lets me share links, grow my email list, and host all my podcast stuff in one place.https://join.stan.store/biblicallyspeakingSupport this show!! : https://www.bibspeak.com/#donate Dr. Anna Kitko originally a British-trained Cambridge graduate, Anna's clinical work focuses in the realm of Cults and New Religions by weaving together an eclectic background in Theology, World Religion, Christian Apologetics, and modern Psychology for a therapeutic experience that is spiritually focused and mindful of the boundaries of Holy Scripture. She carries two undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida in Philosophy and Religion as well as a Master of Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. On top of this, Anna is a current Research Associate with the University of Salford, Manchester UK, carrying a Master of Science in the Psychology of Coercive Control and having authored the first psychometric in the world measuring spiritual abuse in demonic deliverance settings. Respectively, she is a member and regular lecturer for the International Cultic Studies Association and the Director of Theological Integrity for Ratio Christi: Campus Apologetics Alliance; an international Christian Apologetics network. Locally, Anna is Theological Director of Integrated Wellness Tennessee, a non-profit mission providing clinical mental health care to those in the community who otherwise could not afford care financially. Her expertise focuses on cases of spiritual abuse, cultic and coercive control, brainwashing, domestic violence, human trafficking, terrorism, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Dissociation, and spiritual pathologies such as Prelest. She is an unabashed Christian and the center of her therapeutic interventions is housed in an office modeled after a 12 th century monastic cloister. Anna possesses a knowledge of a vast array of historic therapeutic interventions from Mesopotamian exorcism protocols, to meridian work, and all the way to modern interventions such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR. She also is well versed in the healing of popular and fraudulent mental health interventions such as SOZO and Apostolic Demonic Deliverance. Recommended reading inspired by this episode:

In this week's episode, I take a look at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Spring 2026, and rate them from least to most favorite. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store: DRAGONJUNE The coupon code is valid through June 15, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 305 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 29th, 2026 and today we'll be discussing my Spring Movie Review Roundup for 2026, where I discuss the movies and streaming shows I watched over the last few months. We will also have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is DRAGONJUNE. And as always, you get the coupon code and the links in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through June the 15th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's move on to my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. As I mentioned last week, Dragon-Mage is out and you can get it at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and it's doing well, so thank you for that. My next main project is Blade of Thieves and as of this recording, I am on chapter 11 of 25, though that'll probably expand in the final draft, which puts me at 56,000 words in. So I'm almost halfway through. I think probably it's going to be the length of Blade of Wraiths or a little longer, but we'll see. I'm hoping to have it out towards the end of June, but depending on how June goes, that might slip till July. Hopefully we can avoid that. I'm also 5,000 words into Cloak of Frost and that will be my main project once Blade of Thieves is done. I'm hoping to have Cloak of Frost out towards the end of July, but depending on how June goes, it might slip to August. For audiobook projects, Blade of Wraiths is still processing at ACX, though I believe as of right now, you can get it at Google Play, Kobo, Spotify, and my own Payhip store. The other stores should be available within a few weeks. As of right now, I don't actually have any current audiobooks in production, though we have some scheduled for the future. Once Blade of Thieves is finally done, Brad Wills will record that for us. Hollis McCarthy is scheduled to record Cloak of Worlds in June, if all goes well. Leanne Woodward will be recording Dragon-Mage sometime in July, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. Hopefully we'll have new things for you to read and listen to before much longer. 00:02:32 Main Topic: Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup Now without any further ado, let's move on to our main topic, my Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup. It's time for the Spring 2026 Movie Review Roundup, where I review the movies and streaming shows I watched over the last few months. As always, they're listed from least favorite to most favorite. The grades are wholly subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions and thoughts. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's go to the movies. First up is Kicking and Screaming, which came out in 2005. This is a family comedy with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. Pharrell plays Phil Weston, a mild mannered vitamin store owner and Duvall plays his father, Buck Weston, owner of a successful chain of sports equipment stores. Buck is one of those hyper competitive guys who has to win at everything and Phil has always rolled with it. But when Phil's son is a benchwarmer on the youth soccer team that Buck coaches, Phil's had enough and starts coaching a rival team to get his son into the game and to defeat his father. Along the way, of course, he descends into Will Ferrell style comedic lunacy, but the PG version since this is a PG movie. Mike Ditka was also hilarious as Phil's sidekick and assistant coach. It seemed like an '80s family movie. It was a sort of movie where you could have taken the entire family to the theater in 2005 and everyone would have been at least moderately entertained. Overall Grade: C Next up is the animated Lord of the Rings, which came out in 1978. As I mentioned, this was the animated version of Lord of the Rings from 1978. Extremely ambitious, but I think it's fair to say this landed in ambitious failure territory, but they tried the best they could given the constraints of the technology at the time and the actual available budget. They tried to pack the entirety of the Fellowship of the Ring and the first half of The Two Towers into about two hours and 20 minutes. I'm sorry to say it just didn't work. Like Dune, the Lord of the Rings is one of those books that requires like 10 hours of very expensive filmmaking to pull off properly. That said, I think it is fair to say that this stumbled so that the Peter Jackson live action trilogy could run. Adapting a book (especially a big book) into a movie is a challenge and I don't think this quite got there. Too much was cut out and if you hadn't read the book, you would probably have no idea what was happening or just been confused the entire time. Additionally, the movie relied heavily on rotoscoping and it didn't always quite work. Like the rotoscope Nazgul looked creepy and unsettling, so that worked for them. However, the rotoscoped orcs just looked bad. You know how in live theater stagehands will dress all in black? The orcs kind of looked like that, albeit they're wearing yellow ponchos over their black stagehand outfits, almost like the stagehands were expecting inclement weather backstage. That said, the vocal performances and the music were very good. So an ambitious and admirable failure. As I said, I think the filmmaker's vision exceeded the grasp of their budget and the available technology of the 1970s. Overall Grade: C Next up is Airplane!, which came out in 1980. It was interesting to watch this as a cultural artifact. It had the leisurely pace of an '80s movie, with far more absurdist humor. It was a parody of various airplane disaster movies from the 1970s. It's also interesting that this is remembered as a Leslie Nielsen movie nowadays, though Leslie Nielsen 's character is only a supporting character. For all that he's known for his absurdist humor these days from later movies, Nielsen plays his character stone cold dead straight, which makes him all the funnier, amazingly enough. Some of the jokes in this movie have aged very badly, but it's still worth watching as an interesting and amusing cultural artifact, given how it influenced the entire genre of comedy movies afterwards. There's also the obligatory three seconds of nudity that can get cut on cable TV broadcast. Overall Grade: B- Next up is the Thomas Crown Affair, which came out in 1999. This is an interesting remake of a movie from the 1960s. Pierce Brosnan plays Thomas Crown, a billionaire who has grown bored with his life, so he orchestrates the theft of a priceless Monet painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The heist goes off flawlessly and the museum's insurance company sends out investigator Catherine Banning (played by Renee Russo) to retrieve the painting and avoid a hundred million dollar insurance payout. Banning immediately intuits that Crown is the thief and sets about to find the painting. This investigation is complicated by the fact that Crown and Banning immediately develop a strong attraction and start an affair. It was interesting to watch since neither Crown nor Banning are particularly sympathetic characters. In 2026, the phrase "bored New York billionaire" has much more sinister connotations than it did in 1999 and Banning breaks all kinds of laws and sleeping with her target is not a particularly bright idea. That said, the opening heist was interesting and Crown's final gambit to return the painting was extremely clever and enjoyable to watch. So overall, I like the movie, but there's still way too much nudity. Cable broadcasts are probably like 10 minutes shorter than the actual runtime from cutting it all out. Overall Grade: B- Next up is Whiskey Galore, which came out in 2017 and this is a remake of the original Whiskey Galore from 1949. Honestly, this is exactly the same movie from 1949 that I watched in the Movie Review Roundup for Summer 2025, just updated with modern filmmaking techniques. If the movie makers in the '40s could have done it this way, they would have. Though I would recommend watching the 1949 one first and then the one from 2017. Overall Grade: B Next up is Super Mario Galaxy, which came out in 2026. And I have to admit, it felt a little strange to be the oldest person at the theater watching Super Mario Galaxy, but I've been playing Mario games since before any of these kids were born, so I think I had a right to be there. Anyway, I would say this movie is about 75% as good as the first one. It was a little overpacked and the plot wasn't quite as tight, but it's still fun to watch. The animation was excellent and I enjoyed all the callbacks to the various Mario games and since I haven't actually played all the Mario games (as a reminder, I played no console games of any kind between 1998 and 2019), I'm sure there were quite a few I missed. The plot is that Bowser Jr is coming to rescue his father, Bowser, who's been held captive since the end of the last movie. To power his doomsday weapon, Junior kidnaps Princess Rosalina and Princess Peach goes to rescue her while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi stay to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. Their separate subplots will end up crossing when Bowser Jr. invades the Mushroom Kingdom to get Bowser. Glen Powell was an excellent choice to voice Fox McCloud. I'd say if you could imagine a movie that the audience would enjoy and the critics would hate, you'd end up with Super Mario Galaxy. Since that appears to be what happened to the tune of $970 million, it appears that metaphor was accurate. Also, to be less glib, "movies you can take your kids to" do serve a valuable social function (in my opinion). Overall Grade: B Next up is the Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, which came out in 2026. This was a comedy with a fun premise. Reggie Dinkins (played by Tracy Morgan) was an elite NFL player who got bounced out of the league for placing bets on himself. Years later, he teams up with an indie filmmaker named Arthur Tobin (played by Daniel Radcliffe), to make a documentary to rehabilitate his image. However, Tobin has his own issues. He has an Oscar, but after the Oscar, he got hired to direct a Marvel movie and cracked under the pressure. He and Reggie have to go on a journey to recover their reputations. I thought this was a pretty funny sitcom. Tracy Morgan is a comedic natural, but Daniel Radcliffe turned out to be an excellent comedic actor as well. He was great in that Weird Al biopic a few years ago and he's very funny in this. Craig Robinson was also great as Jerry Basmati, Reggie's sleazy nemesis. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which came out in 2026. I enjoyed this. It was like three pretty good episodes of The Mandalorian show put together. The end result was an adventure movie that kind of reminded me of the best of 1980s fantasy and sci-fi movies with a lot of creature work and a lot of action scenes. For an extended stretch of the movie, Grogu takes over as the primary protagonist, and given that Grogu is a very expensive puppet, that's an impressive feat. The plot picks up from the end of The Mandalorian show. The Mandalorian and his adopted son Grogu are now working for the New Republic, helping to hunt down Imperial warlords. Mando gets assigned to hunt down in a mysterious Imperial warlord named Commander Coin, but the only people who have information on Coin's location are the Twins, a pair of Hutt crime lords and relatives of Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi. The Twins are willing to give up Coin's location if Mando does a job for them, but as Han Solo could have warned Mando, working for the Hutts is not a good idea. I was surprised that the reviews for this movie were as mixed as they were, but I suspect that's a combination of three social factors: Number one, cumulative ill will towards Disney as a corporation, which has done numerous sketchy things in the 2020s. I think something similar happened with Microsoft and Starfield. Number two, the lingering bad aftertaste of the sequel trilogy and number three, the tendency of the hardcore Star Wars fandom to chronically overthink things. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is the animated Hobbit, which came out in 1977. Peter Jackson's Hobbit Trilogy from the 2010 famously stretched The Hobbit across three movies, which really didn't work and added a bunch of epic battle scenes, which was totally off for what was essentially a children's book. The animated 1977 version of The Hobbit, by contrast, went in a different direction, neatly adapting it down to 70 minutes or so, presumably because animation is very expensive. At the time, this got mixed reviews, but looking back nearly 50 years later, I think we can appreciate it more because of the sheer amount of work that goes into hand-drawn animation. Like computer-based animation is unquestionably a lot of work as well, but hand-drawn animation is on something of a higher level in terms of difficulty, in my opinion. That said, I think this adaptation did a better job of compressing the story down than the animated Lord of the Rings movie I mentioned earlier in this episode. There's also a lot of 1970s style folk singing-like a LOT. I suspect J.R.R. Tolkien would have hated every single adaptation ever made of any of his works (with perhaps the exception of the audiobooks), but he would have approved of the number of songs and poetry in this. Though it was amusing that the high elves in this movie sing in a '70s folk music style. It would be humorous if in the Silmarillion, Earnedil the Mariner had finally crossed the Sundering Seas to reach Valinor and appeal the aid of the Valar against Morgoth and his hordes, only to hear '70 style folk music echoing across the shining hills of the Undying Lands. Anyway, it's definitely worth watching this if you like The Hobbit or old style animation. Overall Grade: A- Next up is House of David Season 2, which came out in 2026. I wrestled with what grade to give this because it used a lot of AI for the big battle scene in episode one and as long time readers and listeners know, I do not generally approve of LLM generated slop. Ironically, I think episode one, the big battle sequence with all the AI, was definitely the weakest point of the entire second season. Everything else was better. That said, all the character drama and interactions and acting were really good, which amusingly shows that while LLM stuff can generate blurry scenes of mounted soldiers charging at night, the real human emotion comes from, well, real human emotion. Anyway, this picks right up from the end of Season 1, right after David kills Goliath, which means it takes place during most of the events with the third quarter of the book of 1 Samuel from the Bible. David becomes one of the chief commanders of King Saul, but David is secretly the anointed king of Israel. Saul's deteriorating mental state becomes threatening to David while Saul's children scheme for position (with the exception of Jonathan, who has accepted that God has chosen David as the next king of Israel) and the Philistines prepare for war against Israel. It is interesting how the show alternates between leaning into the Grimdark aspects of life in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age and avoiding them. Like, constant warfare was a fact of life for a Mesopotamian king around 1000 BC. But the show also shows David as having passionate romantic love for Saul's daughter Michal and in the Bible, David ended up with at least eight wives that we know about (there were likely others) and an unnamed number of concubines. So late Bronze Age/early Iron Age monarchs were not likely to have been in the grips of fervent romantic love. Though based on the Psalms he wrote, David seems to have been a man who definitely was in touch with his emotions and quite possibly he would have passionately loved multiple women at the same time. Anyway, I enjoyed the show. While I am not an expert, I probably have a higher than average level of Old Testament knowledge. So when the show expanded on something from 1 Samuel (such as the role of Doeg, the murderous Edomite shepherd), I could see where they were coming from. Or the subplot where Jonathan falls in love with an Israelite woman since in the Bible, David took care of Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, logically, Jonathan had a wife at some point. Related to that as Saul continues his descent, in a moment of rage in 1 Samuel, he calls Jonathan "the son of a perverse and rebellious woman" and the show has a subplot explaining how Saul came to see Queen Ahinoam as a "perverse and rebellious woman". So I enjoyed this and will definitely watch Season 3 when it comes along. That said, the opening battle with the AI generated battle scenes is still definitely the weakest part of the series, though. Overall Grade: A- Next up is Maul: Shadow Lord, which came out in 2026. And in my opinion, this was pretty good. I think he could call the plot Sith Noir. Maul, desiring vengeance against the Emperor for all the pain he has endured, has decided to rebuild his criminal syndicate (previously destroyed in the Clone Wars) and use it to bring down the Empire. Meanwhile, Captain Lawson, a detective on a minor world, is trying to rebuild his relationship with his teenage son and keep his career afloat. This becomes tricky when a pair of fugitive Jedi fleeing from the Inquisitors turn up on their world. But in the younger of the two Jedi, Maul sees a potential apprentice for himself, one he could corrupt to the dark side. The animation has improved by quantum leaps and bounds since the days of the Clone War show. The lighting and the shadows are excellent. Maul looks spooky and a little uncanny. The lightsaber fights are quick and fluid. No spoilers, but the final episode is absolutely excellent. I also think one of the best things about the Star Wars animation shows is how Maul's character has evolved from simply the cool swordsmen at the end of The Phantom Menace to a sympathetic yet still evil warrior-philosopher, a tragic figure whose every effort always contains the seeds of its own downfall. Overall Grade: A Next up is Emma, which came out in 2020. This is an excellent adaptation of the Jane Austen's novel. Good performances, good cinematography, and it captures the essence of the novel quite well and it's probably a must for Austen fans to see. I don't really have anything negative to say about it, say that it has the three seconds of unnecessary nudity that can be cut in cable broadcasts. Ironically, and quite amusingly, that three seconds of nudity is quite literally the only thing this movie has in common with Airplane!. Overall Grade: A Next up is No Packers, No Life, which came out in 2025. This was a fun documentary about a group of Japanese Green Bay Packers fans. Obviously, there are fairly large cultural and linguistic divides between the United States and Japan, so American football is not hugely popular in Japan. However, the Green Bay Packers are the only community owned team in the NFL to this day and so they're quite a bit more sympathetic than one that's owned by a faceless billionaire. Anyway, an American businessman goes to Japan and stumbles across a Japanese man wearing a Packers jersey at a bar. From there, he learns of a small club called the Japanese Packers Cheering Team that gathered to watch Packers games. This businessman in question happened to be from Wisconsin, so he befriended the Japanese Packers Cheering Team and invited them to Green Bay for a game. The invitation snowballed and so the entire club and their families arrived to watch the game. Sports fandom really isn't one of my interests, so it's always interesting to look at it from the outside. That said, this was an enjoyable documentary about cross-cultural communication at its best. Overall Grade: A Let's close out this episode with my favorite thing I saw in spring 2026, which was Project Hail Mary, which came out in 2026. This is another "science man solves space problem that saves the day with math and science", type science fiction adventure like The Martian, though some new twists on the formula. Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with all the other crew dead and no memory of how he got there. Gradually, he partially remembers and works out that he is part of Project Hail Mary, a last ditch effort to stop Earth's sun from dimming due to an extremophile organism called the Astrophage. Only one other star in Earth's stellar neighborhood was showing no signs of Astrophage infection, so Grace's ship was sent there on a suicide mission to try and recover some means of defeating the Astrophage. While there, he encounters an alien ship with a sole survivor and he slowly works out how to communicate with the alien, who he dubs Rocky. It turns out Rocky's people sent him there on a mission to solve the Astrophage problem as well and together Grace and Rocky try to work out how to save their respective home worlds. Quite enjoyable and worth seeing. At the time I typed this in March of 2026, it was the highest-grossing movie of 2026 and I think it deserved that, though it did eventually get overtaken by Super Mario Galaxy. Overall Grade: A I suppose that was an eclectic range of movies, wasn't it? Interestingly, I actually saw three of them in theaters: Project Hail Mary, Super Mario Galaxy, and The Mandalorian and Grogu, so I went to the theater three times in three months. I think that's the most I've been to the movie theater in a single year in the entirety of the 2020s. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show interesting. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.  

Archaeological discoveries reveal that Daniel's vision in chapter 8 follows the same pattern as a Babylonian king's dream - a 'dream within a dream' - the most authoritative type of vision in ancient Mesopotamian culture. In 556 BC, King Nabonidus claimed divine appointment through such a dream, commanding restoration of a pagan sanctuary. Three and a half years later, God gave Daniel his own dream within a dream, revealing that true sanctuary restoration would take 2,300 prophetic days, extending far beyond Babylon's existence. This discovery provides compelling evidence for Daniel's historical authenticity while revealing God's powerful response to competing claims about sanctuary restoration.

Two listeners.Two encounters with the dead that refused to stay buried.And one terrifying thread connecting them both.Harrison doesn't scare easily, six years of night shifts, no startle reflex. So why did standing at the mouth of a 5,000-year-old burial mound leave him certain that something deep in the dark had turned to face him… and was waiting to see what he'd do?Then Miriam takes us inside Harvard's Peabody Museum at 2am. A man pulled from the earth outside Ur a century ago. Catalogued. Displayed. Waiting. And one night, something stepped to her shoulder and made it clear it had known her all along.No bangs. No shadows. Just the unbearable sense of being assessed by something with all the time in the world.Producer Dom unpacks the dark folklore beneath it all: the Norse mound-dweller fed by a thousand years of fear, the Mesopotamian eṭemmu taking inventory of the living, and the chilling idea that for the trapped dead, time doesn't pass… it compresses.What happens when something that's waited a hundred years finally decides you're worth knowing?A Create Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I want to tell you about a clay mask. It sits in a glass case at the British Museum, in the Mesopotamian galleries. The mask is approximately three thousand eight hundred years old, made in southern Iraq during the Old Babylonian period. Its face was made to terrify. The hair tangles into serpentine coils across the brow. The grin is bared, with one tooth chipped on the left side. Hooded sockets sink the eyes into darkness. Time has cracked the surface of the clay in seven places that I have counted. That mask was paid for. Someone took silver from a temple administrator's hand and walked it across the city to a workshop, where a craftsman took clay and pigment and several days of his working life and converted them into a monster. The monster was a job. The figure left the workshop on the back of a delivery cart, settled by an invoice that the temple's accountants logged in their cuneiform ledgers. We do not know who the patron was. The artisan is also anonymous to us. The tablets that recorded the rate structures of the Old Babylonian craft economy survive in archives in London and Chicago and Berlin, and those tablets establish that the transaction happened, even though the specific contract for this specific mask has not survived.

The Old Testament wasn't written in a cultural vacuum, but who and what influenced its writers. Today we're talking about the cultural background of the Old Testament and how the literature and societies of the surrounding cultures impacted its creation.

Matthew Shindell explores how ancient civilizations interpreted Mars to understand their connection to the cosmos. He explains that archaeologists studying the Mayan Dresden Codex identified a "Mars beast" representing the planet's opposition and retrograde motion. In ancient China, astronomy served as a political tool, where planetary patterns helped hold rulers accountable for maintaining heavenly harmony. Shindell highlights Mesopotamian omen-tracking as the foundational "birth of science" due to their meticulous record-keeping and predictive mathematics. Finally, he discusses how Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Ptolemy struggled to reconcile Mars's erratic behavior with their earth-centered models. (1/4)june 1954

⚡ Typical Skeptic Podcast #2614 ⚡LIVE TONIGHT — 7PM EASTERN

⚡ Typical Skeptic Podcast #2614 ⚡LIVE TONIGHT — 7PM EASTERN

Long before Pazuzu terrorized audiences in *The Exorcist*, this ancient Mesopotamian demon struck fear into the hearts of the Assyrians and Babylonians—both as a harbinger of destruction and an unlikely protector against even greater evils.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/pazuzuFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: The Exorcist is widely regarded as one of the most influential horror movies of all time. Even now, half a century after its release, it continues to terrify audiences, in large part due to its horrifying practical effects and iconic antagonist: Pazuzu. (Pazuzu, The Demon ‘The Exorcist' Made Famous) *** Latoya Ammons and her family claim to have experienced demonic possession that began when they moved into what became known as the “house of 200 demons” in 2011. (The Haunting on Carolina Street) *** In the eerie depths of 1920s Los Angeles, a sinister tale unfolded, shrouded in secrets and steeped in darkness. It all began with May Otis Blackburn and her daughter, Ruth, who claimed to receive divine revelations from the angels Gabriel and Michael. Thus emerged the enigmatic Blackburn Cult, a group entangled in a web of prophecies, tributes, and whispered mysteries. (The Blackburn Cult) *** 19th-century freak shows brought both the extraordinary and the macabre to captivated audiences far and wide. Among the peculiar spectacles of these exhibitions stood a man whose skeletal frame defied all norms of human anatomy… as his skeleton and skin appeared to be the only parts of his anatomy intact. (Seurat, The Living Skeleton) *** In the heat of summer in 2008, a mysterious creature washed ashore on a beach in Montauk, Long Island, sending shockwaves through the community. What began as a simple sighting by local resident soon exploded into a media frenzy, with wild theories and speculation running rampant. (Hot Montauk Summer) *** While epic Hollywood films often depict gladiators as men, the truth is far more captivating. We'll step into the arena with the women who dared to defy convention and enter the gladiatorial games. (Gladiators Of The Fairer Sex)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:04.902 = Show Open00:03:56.963 = Pazuzu, The Demon ‘The Exorcist' Made Famous00:12:38.281 = The Blackburn Cult00:18:05.924 = Haunting on Carolina Street00:23:19.429 = Seurat, The Living Skeleton00:29:34.090 = Gladiators of the Fairer Sex00:44:04.311 = Hot Montauk Summer00:52:59.948 = Show Close & Bloopers*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Pazuzu, The Demon ‘The Exorcist” Made Famous” by Austin Harvey for All That's Interesting:https://tinyurl.com/3myts9h4“The Blackburn Cult” by Troy Taylor from the book “Taking Up Serpents: American Cults, Messiahs and Madmen”: https://amzn.to/4ak7SUG“The Haunting on Carolina Street” sources: https://tinyurl.com/2cvyfu46, https://tinyurl.com/bdzz467u,https://tinyurl.com/39u7b79f, https://tinyurl.com/35uvhbp6“Seurat, The Living Skeleton” by Kaushik Patowary for Amusing Planet: https://tinyurl.com/mr4xwp9k“Gladiators Of The Fairer Sex” by Paul Chrystal for Ancient Origins: https://tinyurl.com/ptzpv46v“Hot Montauk Summer” by TheGhostInMyMachine.com: https://tinyurl.com/2b74wzpx(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: March 26, 2024

Welcome back to the Tyndale House podcast series on Genesis 1–9. In episode 1, we opened the series by exploring the full depth of Genesis 1:1 in which God created the heavens and the earth, and how it stands apart from ancient Near Eastern creation myths. In this second episode, we move deeper into the creation story as the silence of the primordial world is broken by a divine command: 'Let there be Light.' Episode 2 examines what it means for God to create by speaking, why Genesis presents light as appearing rather than being explicitly ‘created', and how this moment shapes the chapter. Along the way, we continue comparing the biblical creation account with Mesopotamian creation myths, exploring how Genesis has a distinctive view of divine power, cosmic order, and the notion of ‘image'. In a world where only kings were considered images of gods, Genesis claims that all humans bear God's image is nothing short of remarkable.Perfect for listeners searching for:Genesis commentary Bible study podcastsCreation story vs ancient myths Old Testament background Hebrew word studies Hosted by Dr Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge, with Dr J Caleb Howard and Dr James Bejon who are both in the Old Testament research team at Tyndale House. Edited by Tyndale House 00:00 Introduction0:22 Day 1 and the creation of light5:45 God's delegation through as he creates7:00 Day four10:30 How Genesis 1 conceives of the world around it17:52 Day six, Genesis 1:2726:45 Day 7 – God rests31:00 reflectionsSupport the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

This episode is inspired by https://open.substack.com/pub/deadhidden/p/the-pyramids-were-not-tombs-they Host Jeff Shepherd walks listeners through a provocative Dead Hidden Substack piece that flips the conventional conversation about the pyramids: they weren't primarily tombs or alien runways but ‘counterfeit mountains' — human attempts to copy a remembered heavenly original. The episode contrasts archaeological facts (the Great Pyramid's astounding precision, empty king's chamber, and star shafts) with a theological reading that locates the pattern in Scripture. The show explores how a single sacred shape — mounds, ziggurats, pyramids, and stepped platforms across Egypt, Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, Sudan, Cambodia, and China — suggests a shared memory or obsession: man building artificial mountains to reach heaven. Shepard traces this idea through Genesis (Eden, the Flood, the Sons of God), Babel's tower, and the famous Mesopotamian ziggurat motif, arguing these are rebellious architectural responses to a heavenly pattern. Central to the episode is the contrast between two answers to humanity's longing for heaven: Babel's ascent (build higher) versus God's provision (tabernacle and sacrificial access). Shepard points to Exodus 25's command to make the tabernacle “after the pattern” and to Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28's descriptions of a pre-fall heavenly mountain — Mount Zion — that Lucifer once knew. The episode culminates with New Testament significance: Christ's descent, the torn temple veil at the crucifixion, and the claim that access to God comes by blood, not by climbing stone. Listeners can expect close readings of biblical texts (Genesis 3, 6, 11; Exodus 25; Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Matthew 27), historical observations about ancient monuments, and a theological argument that archaeology measures technique while Scripture explains motive. The episode features commentary on the Dead Hidden article and Jeff Shepard's reflections rather than an outside guest interview. Key takeaways: the pyramids as symbolic, rebellious imitations of a heavenly mountain; the Bible as a map to understand ancient motivations; the shift from human ascent to divine descent in Christ; and an invitation to rethink how we ask questions about ancient monuments. The host closes by inviting listener feedback and encouraging readers to follow the Dead Hidden piece for the full argument. Want to Understand and Explain Everything Biblically? Click Here: Decoding the Power of Three: Understand and Explain Everything or go to www.rightonu.com and click learn more. Use coupon code MAY50 for $50. value savings until May 31st.. Thank you for Listening to Right on Radio. Prayerfully consider supporting Right on Radio. Click Here for all links, Right on Community ROC, Podcast web links, Freebies, Products (healing mushrooms, EMP Protection) Social media, courses and more...https://linktr.ee/RightonRadio Live Right in the Real World! We talk God and Politics, Faith Based Broadcast News, views, Opinions and Attitudes We are Your News Now. Keep the Faith

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes → Timestamps: (00:00) A brief overview of these chapters.(02:35) The Israelites murmur and complain in the wilderness. How we respond to our afflictions will shape our character. We can strive to see God's hand in our lives like Nephi and Francis Webster.(15:34) The book of Numbers contains evidence that it is a compilation of separate traditions. Understanding these traditions helps to explain some contradictions in the text.(21:48) Israel murmurs and lusts for meat instead of manna. The Lord abundantly blesses them with quail.(25:11) Moses complains that he can't bear the burden alone and is commanded to choose 70 to assist him. The very essence of Christianity is to have compassion for those who are downtrodden.(29:24) The Greek translation of manna leads to fascinating possibilities. The Israelites loathe the manna and want something exciting and new.(35:41) Aaron and Miriam challenge Moses' authority. Numbers 12 portrays Moses as God's authorized representative, emphasizing hierarchical priesthood authority.(39:08) Moses sends 12 spies to search the land of Canaan. Ten of them bring back a negative report, telling of giants inhabiting the land. Joshua and Caleb give a positive report and say that Israel can take the land of Canaan.(43:20) Moses stands as intercessor, working to convince the Lord to not smite the Israelites. The adult Israelites murmur and want to die in the wilderness. The Lord grants this request, while also emphasizing that he desires to have a righteous people who will build Zion.(47:34) Miriam and Aaron die in the wilderness. Moses will see, but not enter the promised land.(49:42) The king of Edom refuses to let Israel pass peacefully through his land. We can choose to not be offended.(52:04) The Israelites are plagued and bitten by fiery serpents. Moses lifts up a serpent of brass to save those who will look upon it. This story is told in greater detail in the Book of Mormon. We should not be slothful because of the easiness of the way.(1:00:00) Og, the king of Bashan, is described as the last of the giants. His bed is described with the same dimensions as that of Marduk, a Mesopotamian deity.(1:02:16) Balak offers Balaam money, cattle, and great honors to curse Israel. Balaam refuses, and instead pronounces great blessings upon Israel.(1:13:54) Another perspective on why the Lord was angry with Balaam. → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 370 | Numbers, Come Follow Me 2026 (May 4-10) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

Step into the very first verse of the Bible with a new podcast series from Tyndale House, Cambridge, on Genesis (The Creation Story). Episode 1 explores the full depth of Genesis 1:1 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'. This single verse has shaped centuries of belief, debate, and scholarship, and we unpack why it still matters today.In this episode, we take a research‑rich, accessible journey through some of the most searched questions about the creation narrative:How does Genesis 1:1 compare to ancient Mesopotamian creation myths such as the Enuma Elish and other Near Eastern texts?Can we trust the historical reliability of this ancient narrative?What numerical patterns and structural features appear in the Hebrew text, and how might they highlight the intentional design of God's Word?Perfect for listeners searching for Genesis commentary, Bible Study podcasts, creation vs ancient myths, Old Testament background, and biblical numerology explained. Whether you're exploring Scripture for the first time or diving deeper into familiar passages, this episode offers a thoughtful, engaging look at the verse that starts it all.This episode is hosted by Dr. Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge and author of 'Can We Trust the Gospels?' And 'The Surprising Genius of Jesus'. He is joined by Dr. J Caleb Howard and Dr. James Bejon, who both work on the Old Testament names project at Tyndale house. Edited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTimestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Genesis 1:11:30 Is Genesis like Enūma eliš?1:50 What is the link between Genesis 1&24:41 Genesis 1:1-56:30 Mesopotamian texts and the links to Genesis8:54 Is Enūma Eliš well known in the Ancient Near East? (+ Star Wars)10:10 Back to links between Mesopotamian texts and Genesis12:30 Are there connections between Genesis 1:2 and Tiamat?15:00 Is Genesis 1 poetry?17:08 The descriptions of God in Genesis 1 in light of the canon of scripture22:15 James' love for biblical numerology27:15 Caleb's responseSupport the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

In this special presentation for Just World Educational's Iran Crisis series, Helena Cobban, the president of Just World Ed, delivered a pre-recorded talk for the Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center conference in Orinda, California, on April 25th. Unable to attend in person and having to record her remarks more than 24 hours before they would be delivered, she chose to take a long historical view of the crisis by tracing the Strait of Hormuz across 5,000 years of human history. She traced Hormuz's  origins as a key node connecting the formative ancient civilizations in the Indus Valley and Mesopotamian, and as a central artery in the vast Indian Ocean trading zone that once stretched from East Africa to China. She described that pre-European world as a thriving, self-governed commercial network with its own norms and technologies, drawing on the work of historian Janet Abu-Lughod. She then walked through the entry of five European imperial powers into that world: Portugal, Spain, England, the Netherlands, and France. She described what she called the "White Supremacist International," a succession of empire-building ventures driven by profit, looting, and the rise of finance capitalism. She traced Portugal's violent seizure of Hormuz in 1507 under Afonso de Albuquerque, followed by the London-based East India Company's takeover of the port in 1622, and drew direct parallels between those colonial methods and what Israel is doing in Palestine and Lebanon today. Cobban closed by urging viewers to work toward curbing Western military power and ending the war.Support the show

Join David Lee Corbo (The Raven) and Top Lobster on Nephilim Death Squad as Thomas the Paranoid American returns for one of the wildest episodes yet! Thomas, 15-year conspiracy & occult comic creator, ex-Disney animator, ex-military, and current Freemason, drops his viral theory: BUGS ARE DEMONS.He traces the 14th-century Middle English origin of “bug” meaning disembodied spirit, hobgoblin, and ghost — not insect — then connects it to biblical Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies), plague locusts that sting like scorpions, worms that don't burn, Exodus flies, and Mesopotamian scorpion-men from the Epic of Gilgamesh.Thomas announces live he is ready to renounce Freemasonry entirely and bend the knee to Christ as King. They break down Masonic boy bride rituals, Albert Pike, the controversial South American photo that triggers every Mason, and why low-level Masonry feels like Rotary Club networking while higher degrees hide darker truths.Plus: Bohemian Grove 2026 updates, general admission tickets still available first to Patreon members at TopLopsa.com, cursed Paranoid American merch (grab it at the Standard Coffee Shop Casino / NDS studio), Thomas's new children's chemtrails book “Connect the Dots” (Magic School Bus style with real research on Morgellons, nanotechnology, Draco star system & Space Preservation Act), eat-the-bugs WEF propaganda, parasites as spiritual conduits, pop culture insect demons in Men in Black (Edgar the Bug), Constantine (Vermin), The Tingler, Alien, Naked Lunch, Spawn's Violator, Nightmare Before Christmas Oogie Boogie, Kafka's Metamorphosis, and more.Thomas also performs at Bohemian Grove every year and is the official Donut convincer. Full episode packed with etymology, scripture, Hopi Ant People, Zoroastrian fly demon Nasu, devil's coach horse beetle, and why killing (or eating) bugs carries spiritual weight.Support the show & get early/ad-free access + Bohemian Grove priority: patreon.com/NephilimDeathSquadTickets & merch: TopLopsa.comThomas's comics, books & cursed merch: paranoidamerican.com  00:00 – Welcome to Nephilim Death Squad  00:45 – Patreon & Bohemian Grove 2026 Tickets Announcement (VIP sold out, General Admission still available for Patrons first)  03:10 – Introducing Thomas “Paranoid American” – 15 years of conspiracy/occult comics, ex-Disney animator, ex-military, current Freemason  05:55 – Thomas drops the bomb: “I'm ready to renounce Freemasonry and bend the knee — Christ is King”  08:40 – Paranoid American merch, cursed merch at the studio, and why it's all “full of lies”  11:20 – Bohemian Grove performance history + Thomas is the official “Donut convincer”  14:30 – How the “Bugs Are Demons” theory was born (flippant comment that went viral)  17:05 – Etymology bombshell: “Bug” originally meant disembodied spirit, hobgoblin, ghost (14th century Middle English)  20:15 – Biblical connections – Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies), plague locusts that sting like scorpions, worms that don't burn, Exodus flies  25:40 – Mesopotamian scorpion-men, Epic of Gilgamesh, and human-insect hybrids  29:50 – Morality of killing bugs – is it okay? Personal stories (cricket torture, son's environmentalism)  35:20 – Parasites as spiritual conduits + demonic possession overlap  39:10 – Pop culture insect demons: Men in Black (Edgar the Bug), Constantine Vermin, The Tingler, Spawn Violator, Oogie Boogie, Kafka's Metamorphosis  45:55 – Hopi Ant People, Zoroastrian fly demon Nasu, Devil's Coach Horse Beetle & more demon-named bugs  51:40 – “Eat the Bugs” WEF agenda + why it feels nefarious  56:30 – Thomas's new children's chemtrails book “Connect the Dots” (Magic School Bus style with real research)  1:01:10 – Chemtrails as spiritual Faraday cage theory  1:05:45 – Deeper Freemasonry talk: Albert Pike, boy bride ritual photo, low-level vs high-level Masonry  1:12:20 – Thomas Edison's Necrophone, bugs in technology, and demons in AI/code  1:18:50 – Closing thoughts + where to find Paranoid American  1:22:30 – Final “Christ is King” moment & outroBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nephilim-death-squad--6389018/support.☠️ Nephilim Death Squad — New episodes 5x/week.Join our Patreon for early access, bonus shows & the private Telegram hive.Subscribe on YouTube & Rumble, follow @NephilimDSquad on X/Instagram, grab merch at toplobsta.com. Questions/bookings: chroniclesnds@gmail.com — Stay dangerous.

Hello Witches In this episode we look at Witch's Salt, one of the most ancient, powerful and accessible tools in magickal practice. We explore the many forms salt can take, from sea salt and Himalayan pink salt to black salt, kosher salt and beyond. Looking at how each can be worked with in spellcraft, ritual and everyday magick including how to create your own black salt, a potent protective blend rooted in folk tradition. We journey through the sacred history of salt across different religions and cultures, uncovering its role in ritual, purification and protection. Along the way we touch on old superstitions of witches, the devil, spilled salt and various different folklore. We also dive into mythology exploring deities connected to salt including those from Aztec and Mesopotamian traditions and the powerful stories woven around them. Finally we look at creative ways to work with salt in your own practice, blending your own magical salts for different intentions from protection to glamour. Our book review is Scratch Moss by David Barnett My new zine Beneath the Hawthorn Tree is out now, in this zine my zine covers an in-depth look at  Beltane and how you can celebrate it, all of its magickal associations, related deities, herbs, flowers, foods, crystals, trees, animals and journal and tarot prompts for Beltane, we look at the element of fire and how to honour it within your practice and then we go full fae with sections the faery realm, how to journey or astral travel to the faery realm, faery witchcraft, pixies, brownies, the bantee or woman of the house (a female Irish counterpart of the brownie), then we look at deities such as Morgan Le Fay and Cliodhna, their lore and how to work with them. We finish up with a very in depth section on faery flora and fauna with foxglove and hawthorn. There will also be a witch box alongside this zine with 'Night of the Fae' candles, herb blend, vanilla incense and a fae altar print of trooping faeries. My Etsy store can be found here with a ton of witchy zines, witch boxes, altar prints and candles - https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWhiteWitchCompany?ref=dashboard-header Join me in The Hedge & Hollow for The Crooked Path Academy with a witch's initiation, podcast episodes on each day of the week and its magical associations, Hedge Witch Studies on Cornflower and Hollyhock with grimoire pages, Grimoire week with a week devoted to your book of magic, Spellcraft foundations looking at simple forms of spell and ritual and we finish up with a week of integration including a guided visualisation to meet the witch you are stepping into and anchor that identity moving forward. You can access all of the outlined content via The Sorceress tier in The Hedge & Hollow. Should you wish to join the higher Tier The Witches who run with the Wolves you will be able to join us for a live workshop held on Thursday 30th April from 7pm UK time via Zoom. A replay will be available the following day should you be unable to make it in person. You do not need to keep up with everything or do it perfectly! This is something to move through slowly, intuitively and in your own time. Find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewhitewitchpodcast/ Email me carly@thewhitewitchcompany.co.uk   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Long before modern economics, rulers such as Hammurabi in ancient Mesopotamia grappled with a political problem that still haunts our economies today: when people's debts grow faster than their ability to repay them, the entire economic system can start to crack. Hammurabi adopted a radical solution: cancel debts entirely. Amanda H Podany, professor emeritus of history at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a research affiliate at New York University, tells The Story of Money hosts, FT columnist Gillian Tett and FT Alphaville editor Robin Wigglesworth, what these debt jubilees say about how the ancient Mesopotamian economy worked and what it might teach us about debt today. To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, also on the show's dedicated YouTube channel here.Learn more at ft.com/tsomWant more?Check out Dr Podany's book, Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin WigglesworthProducer: Lulu SmythSenior Producers: Michela Tindera and Laurence KnightExecutive Producers: Flo Phillips and Manuela SaragosaOriginal music and sound engineering: Breen TurnerBroadcast engineers: Bianca Wakeman and Petros GioumpasisPodcast Development: Laura ClarkeFT Global Head of Audio: Cheryl BrumleyVideo editor: Kristen Kenton at Podcast DiscoveryRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Babylon had survived five destructions before Sennacherib tried to erase it for good. Why did Assyria's most bookish king — a man who loved Babylonian scholarship — finally flood the city and smash its temples in 689 BCE?This is Oldest Stories, a biweekly deep dive into ancient Mesopotamia. Online at oldeststories.netIn this episode we trace Babylon's strange immortality: a city founded around 1894 BCE that claimed six thousand years of history by borrowing it from Eridu, the first city of the gods. We walk through each of Babylon's "deaths":Death 1: the ritual transfer from dying Eridu to Babylon under Hammurabi's successors, making Babylon the heir to pre-Flood kingshipDeath 2: the Hittite sack of 1595 BCE and decades of abandonmentThe Kassite revival, when Babylon became the world's university town, exporting doctors and diviners instead of armiesThe humiliations under Tukulti-Ninurta I, the Elamite sack that stole Marduk, and Nebuchadnezzar I's brief martial comebackThe long grind with Assyria: Merodach-Baladan's revolts, Sennacherib's first campaign at Cutha and Kish in 703 BCE, the puppet kings Bel-ibni and Assur-nadin-shumi, the 694 BCE boat raid on Elam, the Elamite counterstroke in 693, and the bloodbath at Halule in 691We end with the two-year siege of Babylon, Sennacherib's decision to dig a canal through the city, and what the destruction meant for cuneiform civilization. If Babylon had stayed dead, would Mesopotamian culture have lasted longer?This episode continues our Sennacherib series. For the rise of Sargon II, Tiglath-Pileser III, and the earlier Assyrian-Babylonian wars, see the playlist.Music from the show: oldeststories.net/music (or search "Oldest Stories Music")Support the show:Books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate: oldeststories.netPatreon / YouTube members get bonus episodes: patreon.com/JamesBleckleyNo-AI readings of ancient texts: youtube.com/@osnightreading

What happens when a movie podcast reviews a horror film about a podcaster? Welcome to the meta nightmare. This week on The Commentary Booth, Jamie Apps and Corrina Mabey dive into Undertone, the Canadian supernatural horror film written and directed by Ian Tuason in his feature directorial debut. What they find is far more disturbing than your average haunting movie. On paper, it's about a paranormal podcaster receiving a series of disturbing audio recordings. But the deeper they go, the less it feels like a mystery, and more like a slow, suffocating descent into grief, guilt, and something… not entirely explainable.Jamie and Corrina examine why this film lives and dies by its sound design, and why you absolutely need headphones or a cinema-grade surround system to experience it the way Toussaint intended. For the review, Jamie watched Undertone with high-end audio, Corrina didn't, and that contrast shapes a surprisingly different viewing experience.During the episode, we break down the film's masterful use of negative space and camera work that subverts every horror trope you think you know, the career-defining performance from Nina Kiri reacting to nothing but recorded voices and whispers, and the genuinely haunting concept of a Mesopotamian fertility and miscarriage entity that makes the film infinitely more sinister.Then there's the emotional core. Beneath the supernatural elements, Undertone is dealing with caregiving, terminal illness, and the kind of prolonged grief that doesn't really have a clean ending. It's messy. Complicated. And, confronting.Highlights Breakdown: - The sound-first experience - Budget vs Box Office Result: $500K to $20M - Nina Kiri's one-woman show - The Abyzou mythology - Grief is the real horrorBy the time the credits roll, the conversation shifts to interpretation. What actually happened? Was it possession, psychological breakdown, or something in between? The film doesn't hand you answers, which might be why it sticks.If you're into psychological horror that trades jump scares for atmosphere and leaves you thinking long after it ends, this one's worth the listen.This week's episode is brought to you byAustralian Wrestling CardsCheck out more great content from Pario Magazine on our website.-------------------------------------------------------------SUPPORT PARIO MAGAZINE & THE COMMENTARY BOOTH- PATREON- BUY MERCH- AMAZON PRIME VIDEO- TUBEBUDDY- Subscribe to AEW Plus using my code (q0yydoz) to earn $10 in FITE credit- Shop Online With Honey- Shop Online With SatechiMY EQUIPMENT- Elgato Facecam- Rode PodMic- Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP- Streamlabs Talk StudioFOLLOW JAMIE ON SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram- TikTokFOLLOW PARIO MAGAZINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter- Facebook- Instagram

In this episode, we dive deep into the creative practices and philosophies of the brilliant gamer, poet, professor, scholar, and the most charismatic introvert we know, dezireé a. brown!  Dez's debut poetry collection, they/she/he: ritual to forget your (un)becoming, won the 2025 Joe W. Bratcher Prize, for its immense tenderness, singular experimentation, and refusal to conform to what we think we know about poetry. Influenced by video game worlds, choose-your-own adventures, and a multifaceted collective of Mesopotamian goddesses, speaking with Dez about this collection led to the most engaging conversation about gender, transformation, and healing, as well as video games and the space they can create for us to imagine ourselves into a better future.  We know you'll love this conversation with this inimitable poet. As always, thanks for listening!   

On the Saturday Show, Mike brings us an excerpt from his recent appearance on the Uncertain Things podcast with hosts Adaam and Vanessa. They kick things off by exploring Mesopotamian ghost-busting and ancient demons before they discuss how Hollywood actors unwittingly romanticize radical revolutions, why the Starbucks union prioritized sending militant tweets over negotiating higher wages, and Mikes views Greta Thunberg. Listen to the full Show - Uncertain Things | Substack Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠sales@amplitudemediaparters.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1. Ancient Interpretations and the Birth of Scientific ObservationMatthew Shindell explores how the Mayans, Chinese, and Mesopotamians projected human meaning onto Mars. These early civilizations used celestial movements to predict earthly events, ultimately laying the groundwork for mathematical science and astronomy. (1)1913

For tonight's bedtime story, let's explore the stories of various gods from Antiquity that once were very relevant to the societies that worshipped them, before mostly disappearing from memories: • Sol Invictus, the sun god of the Romans that was propelled from obscure cult to imperial religion in the Third Century AD, and whose festival on December 25th became Christmas. • Mithra, an Iranian deity borrowed from Zoroastrianism by several foreign peoples, especially the Romans, who reinvented this cult completely into a mystery religion for initiates. • Inanna/Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, procreation, political power and war who was worshipped for thousands of years by various Mesopotamian civilizations (Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians) and whose influence reached the Mediterranean. • Pazuzu, the demon god of southwestern winds of the Babylonians, and a popular domestic spirit whose ferocity protected homes, pregnant women, and young mothers from even worse evils. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can relax without interruption.   #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn something new while you enjoy a restful night of sleep. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy my audiobook on Ancient Egyptian History, Myths & Mysteries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6mCqX5FoO6uCilrWCS8mB9?si=e1ecb983d2534d69⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vistazo a La Biblioteca de los Sueños! En Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1t522alsv5RxFsAf9AmYfg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ En Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-biblioteca-de-los-sue%C3%B1os-documentarios-para-dormir/id1715193755⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ En Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LaBibliotecadelosSuenosov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dedicated by Irina KomissarenkoIn honor ofmy dearest Mama, G-D Bless her until 120!Sponsor a global webcast in honor or memory of a loved oneIt is difficult to overstate the historic—even cosmic—significance of the current war.This is not just another conflict. It is unfolding in the very cradle of civilization, the Mesopotamian region, where human history and the earliest biblical narratives began. The Garden of Eden, our first moral drama, is rooted in this very soil, between the Euphrates and Tigris, spanning ancient Persia and its neighbors.This land has always been more than geography; it is the stage upon which the human story—birth, struggle, faith, and conflict—has continuously played out.Consider the story of Esther. The Purim narrative unfolds in Persia, then the world's superpower, spanning 127 provinces. And now, once again, the echoes return.As we move from Purim toward Passover, from Persia to Egypt, we are drawn back to the same region—centered around the Land of Israel, with Jerusalem at its heart. Empires have risen and fallen here, yet the tension never disappears.It is easy to reduce this moment to politics, economics, or personalities. But something far deeper is at work.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we take a closer look—beyond headlines and into the soul of the moment: where prophecy meets policy, and ancient echoes resound in today's crisis.

History's earliest civilizations didn't just invent writing, cities, and law, they also gave us one of the most unpredictable, volatile, and straight-up terrifying deities ever worshipped. Meet Ishtar: the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, sex, power, and absolutely zero chill. Hosted by Ben Thompson with guest Dr. Patricia Larash, this episode dives into the legend of a goddess who could seduce kings, destroy armies, and then descend into the underworld on what might be the most ill-advised power move in mythological history. She's been worshipped, feared, blamed for plagues, and credited with victory in battle -- all depending on what kind of mood she woke up in. From divine romances that ended in disaster to her infamous showdown with the Queen of the Dead, Ishtar's story is a wild ride through ancient Mesopotamia's greatest myths and a reminder that when you're the most powerful being in the universe, consequences are more of a suggestion than a rule.

We have all heard the story of Adam and Eve. But what was the Garden of Eden which they inhabited? In this week's episode, Helen and Lloyd travel back to the dawn of time with Dr Dylan Johnson as their guide to this mythical landscape. Together, they get to the bottom of questions like:Was the Garden of Eden meant to be a real place, or a symbolic vision of paradise?Is Genesis borrowing from older Mesopotamian stories about divine gardens? Was Adam imagined as a king placed in God's garden to rule on his behalf?Is Eve really to blame for “the fall,” or is that a misreading?And who exactly is the serpent, before later tradition identified him with Satan?SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travellers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.In this week's bonus episode, Dylan Johnson unpacks whether Eden is a Temple. Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 produced by John Nelson.

Greg Jenner is joined in the ancient world by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Marjolein Robertson to learn all about the famous Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian poems about a legendary king called Gilgamesh began to be composed sometime in the third millennium, and were told and retold throughout Mesopotamia until a Babylonian scholar named Sîn-leqi-unninni wrote down what has become the standard version. The tale he recorded tells of a tyrannical king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and the transformative journey he takes with his enemy-turned-friend (and possibly more), Enkidu. In the 3100 lines of the poem, they fight forest guardians and celestial bulls, anger the gods, and even challenge death itself. In this episode, we retell the story of Gilgamesh, exploring the history of the epic's composition, what it tells us about ancient Mesopotamian storytelling and beliefs, and how it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century, written in cuneiform on clay tablets housed in the Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. We also look at the themes of companionship, community and environmental protection that are still relevant today, and ask the question: is Gilgamesh just a legend, or was he based on a real king?If you're a fan of captivating myths and legends from the ancient world, heroic kings and impossible quests, and historians decoding ancient texts, you'll love our episode on the Epic of Gilgamesh.If you want more ancient history with Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid, listen to our episodes on the Babylonians and Cuneiform. And for more from Marjolein Robertson, check out our episode on Robert Bruce.You're Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Katharine Russell Written by: Katharine Russell, Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

Enid Baxter Ryce has built a fascinating career as an artist and university professor, but her unique living situation presents a very different challenge: navigating life on a massive, decommissioned, and potentially haunted military base. She knows how to uncover the historical art left behind in the empty barracks, but the leap to understanding and confronting the supernatural entities that might linger there feels intimidating and out of reach. On this episode: How To!'s Mike Pesca brings on Dr. Irving Finkel, a renowned British Museum curator, Assyriologist, and author of The First Ghosts. Irving offers Enid guidance on bypassing modern skepticism to view hauntings through an ancient Mesopotamian lens, the power of using precise incantations to address spirits—and why dealing with a ghost should be treated as practically as catching a mouse in the kitchen. Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Lya Yanne Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@pescagist⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/howto

Enid Baxter Ryce has built a fascinating career as an artist and university professor, but her unique living situation presents a very different challenge: navigating life on a massive, decommissioned, and potentially haunted military base. She knows how to uncover the historical art left behind in the empty barracks, but the leap to understanding and confronting the supernatural entities that might linger there feels intimidating and out of reach. On this episode: How To!'s Mike Pesca brings on Dr. Irving Finkel, a renowned British Museum curator, Assyriologist, and author of The First Ghosts. Irving offers Enid guidance on bypassing modern skepticism to view hauntings through an ancient Mesopotamian lens, the power of using precise incantations to address spirits—and why dealing with a ghost should be treated as practically as catching a mouse in the kitchen. Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Lya Yanne Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@pescagist⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/howto Marketing and promotional assistance by The Podglomerate

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In this syndicated episode, The Biblical Mind features the inaugural release of The Bible Bar, a new podcast from Bar-Ilan University hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman. The first episode dives into one of the most debated chapters in Scripture: Genesis 1. Dr. Berman welcomes eminent Assyriologist and Old Testament scholar Lawson Younger to explore how the biblical creation account relates to ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies and theogonies. What makes Genesis similar to Egyptian and Mesopotamian creation stories—and what makes it radically different? Younger explains how ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed creation and divinity as intertwined, where sun, moon, rivers, and mountains were themselves gods. In contrast, Genesis 1 insists on a Creator wholly distinct from creation. The world is not divine—it is spoken into being. The conversation explores Tiamat and tehom, the image of God, the Memphite Theology, and the striking emphasis on divine speech. Rather than offering a scientific account, Genesis answers a different question altogether: Who is the Creator, and what does that mean for humanity? Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to The Bible Bar as it works chapter-by-chapter through the Torah. You can find the podcast on their webpage or Spotify channel here: https://sites.biu.ac.il/en/bible-bar/page/10098 https://open.spotify.com/show/3kHJ6MrxrEDobNRDsOPKn4 We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapter: 00:00 Introduction to the Bible Bar 03:17 What Do We Have In Genesis 1? 06:52 Who, Or What, Is God? 13:30 What Does Genesis 1 Have to Say About Humanity? 17:43 Does the Bible Borrow from Other Cosmogenies? 21:26 What Does the "Image of God" Really Mean? 25:03 What Is Memphite Theology? 30:46 The Shared World of the Author and Audience

This episode explores how the Neo-Assyrian Empire actually functioned at the administrative level under Sargon II, focusing on imperial bureaucracy, logistics, and governance. Using surviving Assyrian letters and court records, we examine the real machinery of empire: provincial governors, royal magnates, intelligence networks, military command structure, taxation, construction logistics, and the role of officials like the Rab Shaqe, Turtan, Sukkallu, Sartinnu, Ummanu, and Masennu.Rather than focusing on warfare alone, this episode shows how Assyria maintained control through record-keeping, resource management, legal authority, and centralized oversight. Topics include Dur-Sharrukin's construction, Assyrian spy networks, provincial administration, legal appeals, slavery and fines, river ordeals, divination in government, and the logistics behind canal building, armies, and royal projects.Primary sources from Neo-Assyrian archives reveal how officials negotiated with the king, managed shortages, tracked materials, and enforced justice across a multi-ethnic empire. This is a deep dive into Assyrian imperial administration, ancient Near Eastern bureaucracy, and the practical realities of ruling one of history's first true empires.Keywords: Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sargon II, Assyrian administration, ancient bureaucracy, Mesopotamian government, Assyrian letters, Dur-Sharrukin, Assyrian logistics, ancient empires, Near East history, Assyrian law, provincial governors, ancient military organization, Assyrian records, Mesopotamian history.I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate here: https://oldeststories.net/or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckleyor on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/joinYoutube and Patreon members get access to bonus content produced when and as I have time.

Welcome to Day 2801 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Ancient Kings and Giants: Were the Sumerian Rulers the Nephilim? Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2801 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2801 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled  Ancient Kings and Giants: Were the Sumerian Rulers the Nephilim? In the earliest layers of Mesopotamian literature, the Sumerian King List stands as a remarkable record of legendary rulers. These kings, beginning with Alulim of Eridu, are said to have reigned for tens of thousands of years. Alulim ruled for Twenty-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred years, while others, such as En-men-lu-ana of Bad-tibira, are credited with reigns of Forty-Three Thousand Two Hundred years. The list presents eight antediluvian kings in total, whose rule was said to have lasted for Two Hundred Forty-One Thousand, Two-Hundred years before the heavens brought a great flood. These numbers are not historical in the modern sense. They are symbolic and rooted in the Sumerian sacred use of numbers, especially the sexagesimal base-sixty system. Lifespans were often structured as multiples of Three Thousand, Six Hundred, a unit known as a sar. The theological point is clear. Kingship was believed to have descended from heaven, and these early rulers were seen not merely as political figures but as mediators between gods and mortals. Their reigns reflect divine favor, cosmic order, and a time when humans stood closer to the divine realm. The flood marks a dividing line in the narrative. After it, reigns become shorter and more grounded. The mythic age gives way to something closer to recognizable history. Cities shift, dynasties rise and fall, and the divine distance from humanity becomes more evident. What survives is a memory of a time when the lines between human and divine were blurred, when kings were more than men, and when the age before the flood carried an aura of sacred timelessness. The First Segment is: Echoes from Akkadian and Babylonian Tradition. The Akkadian-speaking cultures of Babylon and Assyria preserved an expanded version of the Sumerian memory in two major works, the Atrahasis Epic and the Epic of Gilgamesh. These texts also recall a time before the flood, inhabited by extraordinary beings, divine-human figures, and a collapse of order that led to judgment. In the Atrahasis Epic, the gods create humans to relieve themselves of labor, but humanity quickly multiplies and becomes noisy and disruptive. Enlil, the chief god, decides to destroy them. A series of plagues and famines fails to work, so a flood is sent to wipe out the human race. The god Ea (or Enki) warns Atrahasis, a righteous man, who builds a boat to survive. After the flood, humanity is restructured and reduced, and a new social and spiritual order is established. The Epic of...

In a theological landscape that often softens sin into "brokenness," Episode 480 re-establishes the biblical category of sin as debt. Jesse Schwamb takes us into the house of Simon the Pharisee to analyze the Parable of the Two Debtors. The central argument is forensic: sin creates an objective liability against God's justice that no amount of human currency—tears, works, or religious heritage—can satisfy. We explore the critical distinction between the cause of justification (God's free grace) and the evidence of justification (love and repentance). This episode dismantles the self-righteous math of the Pharisee and points us to the only currency God accepts: the finished work of Christ. Key Takeaways Sin is Objective Debt: Sin is not merely a relational slight; it is a quantifiable liability on God's ledger that demands clearing. Universal Insolvency: Whether you owe 50 denarii (the moralist) or 500 denarii (the open sinner), the result is the same: total inability to pay. God Names the Claim: The debtor does not get to negotiate the terms of repayment; only the Creditor determines the acceptable currency. Love is Fruit, Not Root: The sinful woman's love was the evidence that she had been forgiven, not the payment to purchase forgiveness. The Danger of Horizontal Math: Simon's error was comparing his debt to the woman's, rather than comparing his assets to God's standard. Justification by Grace: Forgiveness is a free cancellation of the debt, based entirely on the benevolence of the Moneylender (God). Key Concepts The Definition of Money and Grace To understand Luke 7, we must understand money. Money is a system of credit accounts and their clearing. When we apply this to theology, we realize that "religious effort" is a currency that God does not accept. We are like travelers trying to pay a US debt with Zimbabwean dollars. The Gospel is the news that Christ has entered the market with the only currency that satisfies the Father—His own righteousness—and has cleared the accounts of those who are spiritually bankrupt. The Pharisee's Calculation Error Simon the Pharisee wasn't condemned because he wasn't a sinner; he was condemned because he thought his debt was manageable. He believed he had "surplus righteousness." This is the deadly error of legalism. By assuming he owed little, he loved little. He treated Jesus as a guest to be evaluated rather than a Savior to be worshipped. A low view of our own sin inevitably leads to a low view of Christ's glory. Evangelical Obedience The woman in the passage demonstrates what Reformed theologians call "evangelical obedience"—obedience that flows from faith and gratitude, not from a desire to earn merit. Her tears did not wash away her sins; the blood of Christ did that. Her tears were the overflow of a heart that realized the mortgage had been burned. We must never confuse the fruit of salvation with the root of salvation. Quotes Tears don't cancel the ledger. Christ does that. Tears are what debtors do when Mercy lands. Grace received produces love expressed. A creditor doesn't need to be convinced you did harm. The ledger already stands. Transcript [00:01:10] Welcome to The Reformed Brotherhood + Teasing the Parable [00:01:10] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 480 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast for those with ears to hear. Hey, brothers and sisters, how great is it that we have these incredible teachings of Jesus? Can we talk about that for a second? Tony and I have loved hanging out in these parables with you all, and Tony will be back next week. Don't you worry. But in the meantime, I've got another parable for us to consider, and I figured we would just get. Straight to the points, but I have to let you in in a little secret first, and that is not even Tony knows until he hears this, which parable I've selected for us to chat about. And I knew that there might come a time where I would be able to sneak in with this parable because I love. This parable, and I love it because it's so beautiful in communicating the full breadth and scope of the gospel of God's grace and his mercy for all of his children. And it just makes sense to me, and part of the reason why it makes so much sense to me is. The topic which is embedded in this is something that more or less I've kind of built my career around, and so it just resonates with me. It makes complete sense. I understand it inside and out. I feel a connection to what Jesus is saying here very predominantly because the topic at hand means so much to me, and I've seen it play out in the world over and over and over again. So if that wasn't enough buildup and you're not ready, I have no idea what will get you prepared, but we're going to go hang out in Luke chapter seven, and before I even give you a hint as to what this amazing, the really brief parable is, it does take a little bit of setup, but rather than me doing the setup. What do you say if we just go to the scriptures? Let's just let God's word set up the environment in which this parable is gonna unfold. And like a good movie or a good narrative, even as you hear this, you might be pulled in the direction of the topic that you know is coming. And so I say to you, wait for it. Wait for it is coming.  [00:03:20] Luke 7 Setup: Simon's Dinner & the "Sinful Woman" Arrives [00:03:20] Jesse Schwamb: So this is Luke's book, his gospel chapter seven, beginning in verse 36. Now one of the Pharisees was asking Jesus to eat with him, and Jesus entered the Pharisees house and reclined at the table. And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner, and when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisees house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. And standing behind him at his feet crying. She began to wet his feet with her tears, and she kept wiping them with her hair over her head and kissing his feet and anointing them with perfume. Now, in the Pharisee, who had invited him, saw this, he said to himself saying, if this man were, he would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him, that she is a sinner. Let's stop there for a second. So this incredible dinner party that Jesus attends and here is this woman. Well, all we're told is that she's a woman who's identified as a sinner. Clearly moved by the presence of Jesus clearly wanting to worship him in a very particular way. By the way, loved ones. Can we address the fact that this goes back to something Tony and I have been talking about, I dunno, for like seven episodes now, which is coming outta Luke chapter 15. This idea that sinners, the marginalized, the outcasts, the down and out, they were drawn to Jesus. Something about him, his presence, the power of his teaching drew them in, but in a way that invited vulnerability, this kind of overwhelming response to who he was. And what his mission was. And so here maybe is like any other occurrence that happened in Jesus' day, maybe like a million other accounts that are not recorded in the scriptures. But here's one for us to appreciate that. Here's this woman coming, and her response is to weep before him, and then with these tears, to use them to wash his feet and to anoint him with this precious perfume. Now, there's a lot of people at this dinner party. At least we're led to believe. There's many, and there's one Pharisee in particular whose home this was. It was Simon. And so out of this particular little vignette, there's so much we could probably talk about. But of course what we see here is that the Pharisee who invited him, Simon, he sees this going on. He does not address it verbally, but he has his own opinions, he's got thoughts and he's thinking them. And so out of all of that, then there's a pause. And I, I would imagine that if we were to find ourselves in that situation, maybe we'd be feeling the tension of this. It would be awkward, I think. And so here we have Jesus coming in and giving them this account, this parable, and I wanna read the parable in its entirety. It's very, very short, but it gives us a full sense of both. Like what's happening here? It's both what's happening, what's not happening, what's being. Presented plain for us to see what's below the surface that Jesus is going to reveal, which is both a reflection on Simon and a reflection on us as well. [00:06:18] The Two Debtors Parable (Read in Full) [00:06:18] Jesse Schwamb: So picking up in, in verse 40, and Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I owe something to say to you. And he replied, say it, teacher a money lender had two debtors, one owned 500 in RI and the other 50. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more? Simon answered and said, I suppose the one who he graciously forgave more, and he said to him, you have judged correctly and turning toward the woman. He said to Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house? You gave me no water from my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume. For this reason, I say to you her sins, which are many have been forgiven for. She loved much, but he who is forgiven, little loves little. Then he said to her, your sins have been forgiven, and those were reclining at the table. With him began to say to themselves, who is this man who even forgives sins? And he said to the woman, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.  [00:07:42] What This Scene Teaches: Sin, Forgiveness, Love as Fruit [00:07:42] Jesse Schwamb: What a beautiful, tiny, deep, amazing instruction from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So in this just short 10 verses here, it's we're sitting inside. This dinner at Simon, the Pharisees house, and a woman known publicly only as a sinner, has shown some striking love toward Jesus, and Jesus explains her actions. Then through this mini parable of debt, two debtors, one creditor, neither can pay. Both are freely forgiven. Love flows. Then from that forgiveness. And so there's a lot within the reform theological spectrum here that helps us to really understand. I think the essential principles of what's going on here, and I just wanna hit on some of those and chat with you about those and hopefully encourage you in those as I'm trying to encourage myself. First, we get some sense about what sin really is like. We get a sense of the inability to cope with sin. We get the free forgiveness that's grounded in Christ, in Christ alone, and we get this idea of love and repentance as the fruit or the evidence, not the cause of justification. Now to set this whole thing up. [00:08:50] Why Talk About Money? Defining Money as Credit & Clearing [00:08:50] Jesse Schwamb: I do think it's so important for us to talk about money for a second, not money, like we're gonna have a budget talk, not what you spend on groceries or your vacation, not even what you do in terms of planning for your retirement or what you give to the church in way of tithe than offering none of that. I'm actually more interested to talk to you about money itself. One of the things I love to ask people. Especially when I was teaching students in money and finance is the question, what is money? And I bet you if you and I were hanging out across the kitchen table and I asked you, what is money? I'm guessing you would go in one or two directions. Either you would gimme examples of money, types of money. You might talk about the US dollar or the Zimbabwean dollar, or the Euro or the Yuan. That would be correct in a way, but really that's just symptomatic of money because that's just an example or a type of some money that you might use. And of course those definitions are not ubiquitous because if I take my US dollars and I go travel to see our Scott brothers and sisters, more than likely that money. That currency, those dollars will not be accepted in kind. There'd have to be some kind of translation because they're not acceptable in that parts of the world. That's true of most types of money. Or you might go to talking about precious metals and the price of gold or silver and how somehow these seem to be above and beyond the different types of currency or paper, currency in our communities and around our world. And of course, you'd be right as an example of a type of money, but. Gold itself, if you press on it, is not just money, it's describing as some kind of definition of what money is. The second direction you might take is you might describe for me all the things that money is like its attributes. Well, it must be accepted generally as a form of currency. It might must be used to discharge debt or to pay taxes, or it must have a store of value and be able to be used as a medium of exchange. And you would be correct about all of those things as well because. Probably, whether you know it or not, you're an expert in money because you have to use it in some way to transact in this lifetime. But even those are again, just attributes. It's not what money is in its essential first principle. So this is not like an economics lecture, I promise, but I think it is something that Jesus is actually truly drawing us to, and that is the best definition of money I can give, is money is a system of credit accounts and their clearing. It's a whole system of credit accounts and their clearing. So think of it like this, every time you need something from somebody else. Anytime you wanna buy something or you wanna sell something, what's happening there is somebody is creating a claim. So let's say that I go to the grocery store and I fill up the cart with all kinds of fruits and vegetables and meats, and I'm at the counter to check out. What I've just done is said that I have all of these things I would like to take from the grocery store, and now the grocery store has some kind of claim because they're handing them over to me and I need a way to settle that claim. And the way that I settle that claim is using money. It is the method that allows us to settle those transactions. And in my particular instance, it's going to be the US dollar, or maybe it's just ones and zeros electronically, of course representing US dollars. But in this case, the way I settle it is with money and a particular type of money. But, and I want you to keep this in mind 'cause we're gonna come back to it. This is my whole setup for this whole thing. The reason why this is important is because you have to have the type of money. That will settle the debt or settle the creditor. You have to have the thing itself that the creditor demands so that you can be a hundred percent released from the claim that they have on you. If you do not have exactly a. The type of money that they desire, then the debt will not be released. The creditor will not be satisfied. You will not go free, and that it's so critically important.  [00:12:52] Sin as Objective Debt: God Names the Claim [00:12:52] Jesse Schwamb: I think it's just like this really plain backdrop to what's happening here When Jesus addresses Simon with this whole parable. So he starts this whole idea by saying to Simon that he is something to say to him, which I think in a way is profound anyway, because Simon invites him to speak. But Jesus here is taking the initiative. Simon is the host. He socially, as it were, above this sinful woman. But Jesus becomes the true examiner of the heart in this parable. What we have is. Christ's word interrupts self-justifying narratives, and clearly there was a self-justifying narrative going on in Simon's head. We know this because we're privy to his thoughts in the text here. The gospel does not wait here for the Pharisee to figure it out, the gospel lovingly correct. Always goes in, always initiates, always intervenes as Christ intercedes. And here, before any accounting happens, Jesus sets the terms. God is the one who names the debt, not the debtor. And this really is probably the beating hearts, the center of gravity of this whole exchange. I love that Jesus goes to this parable. Of a money lender, a money lender who had two debtors, one owned, 500, one owned 50. Now of course, I would argue that really, you can put this in any currency, you can translate into modern terms, you can adjust it for inflation. It doesn't really matter. What we have here is one relatively small debt, another debt 10 times the size. So one small, one large, and that's the juxtaposition. That's the whole setup here. And I would submit to you something super important that Jesus does here, which flies in the face of a lot of kind of just general wishy-washy evangelicalism that teaches us somehow that sin is just not doing it quite right, or is just a little brokenness, or is just in some way just slightly suboptimal or missing the mark. It is those things, but it is not the entirety of those things because what's clear here is that Jesus frames sin as debt. In other words, it's an objective liability. A liability is just simply something of value that you owe to somebody else. And I am going to presume that almost everybody within an earshot of my voice here all over the world has at some point incurred debt. And I think there's, there's lots of great and productive reasons to incur debt. Debt itself is not pejorative. That would be a whole nother podcast. We could talk about. Maybe Tony and I sometime, but. What is true is that debt is an objective liability. The amounts differ, but both are genuinely in the red here. And what's critical about this is that because debt is this objective reality, whenever you enter into an arrangement of debt, let's say that you borrow some money to purchase a car or home or simply to make some kind of purchase in your life, that's unsecured debt. In all of those cases, the. The one lending you the money, the creditor now has a claim on you. What's important to understand here is that this kind of thing changes it. It provides way more color and contrast to really the effects of what sin is and what sin does in its natural accountability. And so in this way we have this nuance that there are differences in outward sin and its social consequences. That is for sure that's how life works, but all sin is ultimately against God and makes us debtors to divine justice. That is now God has a claim against us. And this shouldn't make sense because unless we are able to satisfy that claim, all have that claim against them all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And as a result of this, it's not just that we somehow have lived a way that is just slightly off the mark and suboptimal, but instead that we've heaped up or accumulated for ourselves an objective liability, which is truly. Owed to God and because it is truly owed him, he's the one who can only truly satisfy it. This is why the scripture speak of God as being both just and justifier. That is a just creditor ensures that the debt is paid before it is released, and the one who is justifier is the one who pays that debt to ensure it will be released. God does both of these things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Praise be to his name. So here we have a really true understanding. Of what sin is. There's no mincing of words here. There's a ubiquity in all of our worlds about money lending and borrowing, and Christ leans into that heavily. We know for a fact that the ancient Mesopotamians learned how to calculate interests before they figured out to put wheels on car. And so this idea of lending and borrowing and indebtedness, this whole concept has an ancient pedigree, and Jesus leans into this. And so we have this really lovely and timeless example of drawing in the spiritual state into the very physical or financial state to help us understand truly what it means when we incur sin. Sin is not easily discharged, and just like debt, it stands over us, has a claim on us, and we need somebody to satisfy that claim on our behalf. By the way, this gets me back to this reoccurring theme of we need the right currency, we need the right money, as it were to satisfy this debt only that which is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Our Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit is what will be acceptable in payment in full for this kind of debt. And so that's again, this whole setup, it's the spiritual realm being immediately kind of dragged into this corporal reality of the balance sheet, assets and liabilities, things of value that we owe to someone else. [00:18:50] Unable to Repay: Free Cancellation, Justification by Grace [00:18:50] Jesse Schwamb: Notice in Luke verse 42, that the reason why it's important to understand the full ferocity, the ferocious of sin and the weight of the debt that it incurs upon us, is that it cannot be repaid no matter what. So look at both of these borrowers. Neither could repay. Neither could repay. So think about that for a second. It doesn't even matter how much they owed. Both were way beyond their ability. It's not merely they didn't want to, but they didn't have the resources in the spiritual state. In other words, there was no surplus righteousness to pay God back and the creditor's action here is free cancellation grace, not a negotiated settlement, but free cancellation. So whether it was 50 or 500, it was irrelevant to the fact that these borrowers just like you and I, have nothing within our means, our wherewithal to actually satisfy the this cosmic debt that we have rightfully incurred against God. And so you should be hearing this align so closely with justification By Grace, God doesn't forgive because we eventually scraped together payment. He forgives because he's gracious and in the full biblical picture because Christ pays and bears that penalty. So this isn't, we have somehow, as you've heard, sometimes in kinda very again, wishy-washy, evangelical ways that we've somehow come forward at the right time. To receive from God some kind of gift or that we've somehow elevated ourself to the place of the deserving poor, or that we come with our own extended arms, empty, but outstretched so that we might receive something from God, in part because we make ourselves present before him, not loved ones. It's far better than that. It's not being able to pay and Christ saying, come and buy. Not being able to put food on the table and him saying, come and eat. It's him saying, you who are thirsty, come and drink from the fountain of life freely and unreservedly. Not because you have some way deserved it, because in fact you desperately do not. And because God has made a way in Christ a way that we could not make for ourselves, he's paid a debt that we just could not repay. It doesn't matter what it is that you think is outstanding against you. The fact of the matter is you cannot repay it. And so of course, that's why Paul writes in Ephesians, it's by grace through faith and not by works that you've been set free in the love of the Kingdom of Christ, that all of these things have been given to you by God because he loves you and because he's made a way for you. You may remember that when Tony and I spent some time in the Lord's Prayer. That we really settled, we sunk down into what we thought was the best translation of that portion where we come to forgiving debts and forgiving debtors, and we settled on that one because we feel it's the most accurate representation of the actual language there in the text. But two, because that language also comports with all this other teaching of Jesus, this teaching that. Emphasizes the debt nature of sin, and that when we think about the fact that we in fact have a giant loan or a lease or an outstanding obligation, something that has been that our souls ourselves in a way have been mortgaged. And we need a freedom that breaks that mortgage, that wants to take that paper and to satisfy the payment and then to throw it into the fire so that it's gone and no more upon us. That because of all of that, it's appropriate for us to pray that we be forgiven our debts, and that, that we, when we understand that there's been a great debt upon us, that we are willing to look at others and forgive our debtors as well. And so you'll see that in, I'd say it looks like verse 43 here, Simon answers. Jesus question appropriately. Jesus basically pegs him with this very simple, straightforward, and probably really only one answer question, which is, which one do you think loved the creditor more? Which of these borrowers was more ecstatic, which appreciated what had been done more? And of course he says, well, the one with the larger debt, that that seems absolutely obvious. And Jesus essentially here gets Simon to pronounce judgment and then turns that judgment into a mirror. This is brilliantly what Jesus often does with these parables, and to be honest, loved ones. I think he still is doing that today with us. Even those of us who are familiar with these parables, they're always being turned into a mirror so that when we look into the, the text we see ourselves, but like maybe whatever the opposite of like the picture of the Dorian Gray is like, well, maybe it's the same as the picture. You know, this idea that we're seeing the ugliness of ourselves in the beauty of Christ as he's presenting the gospel in this passage. And the issue of course here is not whether you and I or Simon can do math. It's whether Simon will accept the implication and you and I as well, that we are a debtor who cannot repay. That. That's just the reality of the situation.  [00:23:44] The Mirror Turns: Simon's Little Love vs Her Overflowing Gratitude [00:23:44] Jesse Schwamb: And so Jesus turns then, and this is remarkable, he turns toward the woman and he compares her actions with Simon's lack of hospitality, speaking to Simon while he stares intently at the woman. I mean, the drama unfolding in this quick small little passage is exceptional. It's extraordinary. And unlike some of the. Other teachings that we've already looked at here, there is something where Jesus is teaching and acting at the same time. That is the scripture is giving us some direct indication of his movements, of his direction, of his attentional focus. And here there's an attentional focus on the woman while he speaks to Simon the Pharisee. And first what we find is Jesus dignifies the woman by addressing Simon about her while looking at her. He makes the sinner central and the respectable man answerable. That's wild. And there's an angle here that still leads us back to debt, which is Simon behaves like someone who thinks that he is little debt. So he offers little love and the woman behaves like someone who knows she's been rescued from insolvency, and so she pours out gratitude. And then there's a whole host, a little list here, a litany of things that Jesus essentially accuses Simon of directly and pulls them back into this proper understanding of the outpouring of affection. That is a fruit of justification exemplified in the woman's behavior. For instance, Simon gave no kiss, and yet here's this woman. She has not stopped kissing Jesus' feet and then wiping her feet, washing his feet with her tears.  [00:25:19] Grace Received, Love Expressed (Not Earned) [00:25:19] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, in that culture, Simon withheld this ordinary honor and the woman lavish is extraordinary affection. You know, we would often call this an reformed theology, evangelical obedience. It's the kind that flows from faith and gratitude, not a plan to earn acceptance. And this is tough for us, loved ones because we want to conflate these two. It's easy to conflate these two, and we're well-meaning sometimes when we do that. But we have to be careful in understanding that there is an appropriate response of loving worship to one who has set you free. While at the same time understanding that that loving worship never should spill over and, and into any kind of self-proclaimed pride or meritorious earning. And this woman apparently does this so exceptionally well that Jesus calls it out, that all of this is flowing from her faith and her gratitude. Jesus says, Simon didn't anoint his head with oil and she anoints his feet with perfume again. Notice some really interesting juxtaposition in terms of the top and the bottom of the body here. Here's this woman's costly act, underscoring a pattern, grace received, produces love expressed. I love thinking of it that way. Grace, perceived, excuse me, grace received produces love expressed.  [00:26:39] Sin as Crushing Debt: Why It Must Be Paid [00:26:39] Jesse Schwamb: That is the point that Jesus is driving to here, that if we understand the gospel and the gospel tells us that there is a law. That we have transgressed and that this law has accumulated in all of this debt that we cannot pay. And so the weight of this means not just that, oh, it's, it's so hard to have debt in our lives. Oh, it's so annoying and inconvenient. No, instead it's oppressive. This debt itself, this grand burden is over our heads, pushing down on our necks, weighting us down in every way, and especially in the spiritual realm. And because of this, we would be without hope, unless there was one who could come and release us from this debt. And the releasing of this debt has to be, again, an A currency acceptable to the debtor, and it has to actually be paid. There's no wiping away. There's no just amnesty for the sake of absolve. Instead, it must be satisfied. And the woman here has received this kind of extraordinary grace has acknowledged, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, through opened eyes and unstopped ears and a clean heart, has been able to understand the severity of the situation. And then this produces in her love expressed, which again is not the means of her justification, but certainly is one of the fruit of it. And Jesus explains then the reason for her response.  [00:27:58] Forgiveness First: Clearing Up Luke 7's Logic [00:27:58] Jesse Schwamb: The reason why Grace received produces love expressed is because she and her many sins have been forgiven. Hence, her love is great, love the one forgiven, little forgives little. I think sometimes that verse is often misunderstood as if. Her love caused her forgiveness. But again, we want to hear clearly from Jesus on this. The logic he gives is forgiveness, leading to love. Love is evidence or fruits. And so her love is the sign that forgiveness has already been granted and is truly possessed, not the purchase price. And Simon's Lovelessness exposes a heart still clinging to self-righteousness, acting like a small debtor who doesn't even need mercy, like one who doesn't understand that they will never, ever be able to repay the thing that is over them. You know, I love that John Val is often quoted along the lines of something like this. Those forgiven much will love much. And in his writing to me, he captures so much of this moral psychology of grace and I think there is a psychology of grace here. There is a reasonable response. That moves us by the power of the Holy Spirit, from deep within this renewal of the man, such that we express our love to God in all kinds of ways. I think especially in our age, on the Lord's day, in acts of singing through worship and meditation, through worship, and listening through worship and application, through worship, all of these means in particular as our expression of what it means to have been received, having received grace, producing a loving response. [00:29:36] "Your Sins Are Forgiven": Jesus' Divine Authority [00:29:36] Jesse Schwamb: I love that all of this ends as it draws to a close. Jesus speaks these incredible words. He tells her that her sins are forgiven. You know, notice here that Christ speaks an authoritative verdict. This is justifying speech. It's God's court declaration. It's not some like mere the therapeutic. Like reassurance here. It's not like whistling in the dark. It's Jesus himself saying This woman has been forgiven. Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven. And of course, like so many other times in Jesus' ministry, and I have to imagine by the way, loved ones that this question got asked all the time, and not just on the occasion in which it was a court of us in scripture, but the other guests ask the right question and that question is. Who is this? Who even forgives sins, and that is the right question. Only God can forgive sins against God. Jesus is implicitly claiming divine authority. Now, we finally arrived. This is God's currency. This is the currency or the money, so to speak, that is desperately needed, the only one acceptable to discharge the debt, the cosmic treason that has been done against God himself. So because of that, here's Jesus making the claim that the way that you are led out, the way that you are set free is through me. So even here in the course of just this confronting Simon speaking about sin, he's also providing the way he's saying, I am this way, I am this truth. I am this life. Come through me. [00:31:14] Jesus the Greater Moses: The Gospel as Exodus [00:31:14] Jesse Schwamb: What I find amazing about this is in the beginning. With Adam and Eve, they transgress God's law. And from that day in all days forth, we have been building this massive sin, debt that we cannot repay. And part of the, the repercussions of that debt were for Adam and Eve to be driven to be Exodus as it were, out of the garden. And ever since then, the grand narrative of the redemptive history of God's people has been an exodus instead. Not out of what is idyllic, not out of perfection, but instead. Out of sin, out of bondage, out of sin and death and the devil and the deaths that we have incurred. And so here we have Jesus representing. He is the, the new and better Moses, he is the exodus, so to speak, who comes and grabs us by the hand almost as in the same way that the angelic representations in the story of la. And Sonor grabbed his hand to pull him, maybe even kicking him, screaming. Out of that sinful place, into the glorious light, into safety and security out from underneath this grand debt that we cannot repay. I think of Jesus's acal meeting with Moses and Elijah on the mounts of transfiguration. That's also in Luke, right? And Luke tells us that they spoke of his deceased, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. And the word deceased there literally means Exodus. In Jesus, God would affect an infinitely greater deliverance than he had under Moses. And then interestingly, we see that even in all the way back in Psalm 23, you know David, he's writing as a rescue sinner who has been brought out. Brought to the Heavenly Shepherd, into the security and freedom of a sheep hold in love ones I submit to you. That is what Jesus is after here. He's after it in your life and he's after in mind that there is death, and he wants to take us out from underneath that debt by paying it off that he is the rescuer, the one who is just and justifier that he's the greater Moses, and that he leads us into Exodus. So we are transferred into the kingdom of a light. And that kingdom of light is also a kingdom of lightness in the sense that what was once a burden on our back, like it was for Pilgrim, has now been taken off. And so we are free. In that freedom, in that financial freedom, in that spiritual freedom as it were, to use both of the sides of this metaphor. What we find is our response is appropriately one of worship, that we weep and we cry for who we were, that we rejoice for who God is, and that we come proudly into His kingdom because of what he has done. And this changes us. It messes us up. You know, I think we've said before that. The joy of the Christian life of Christian lives is that the transformation process that God undertakes in each of us is very different, and some honestly are more dramatic than others. But what I think is always dramatic is one, the scripture tells us that it is a miracle. That even one would be saved. So hardhearted are we, and again, so great this debt against us that when God intervenes all get what they deserve. But some get mercy. And if we have been the ones who have received mercy, how joyful ought we to be toward the one who has granted it to us? And so here we have Christ, the the one who delivers, the one who leads out, the one who pays off, the one who pays it all.  [00:34:45] Behold the Cross: What Sin Costs, What Love Pays [00:34:45] Jesse Schwamb: I think what's clear is that the cross gives us this sense when we look upon it of just how deep and dark and heavy sin is, and that there is no easy way out of it. That what we find is that sin constantly wants to drag us down. It constantly wants to take us farther than we wanted to go, and it certainly costs us way more than we were willing to pay. So I think if we come and we behold the wood, if we behold the nails, if we look on this crown pressed into the brow that knew no guilt or disobedience, if we, not in our mind's eye, but by faith, behold, the hands that open, the blind eyes now being opened by iron. If we see the feet. Walked toward the hurting, now fixed in place for the healing of the world. If we look at the thirst of the one who is living water and the hunger of the one who is the bread of life, we ought to see the one who here, even in this passage, is just and justifier, and he invites us to say with him, come witness the death of death in the death of Jesus Christ. That is the glorious mission, right? As as, um, Horatio Spafford said, my sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh my soul of ones. This is the beauty of, I think of what Jesus is, is teaching here. It's the lamb. It's the one promise on the mountain provided in place of Isaac. It's the Passover marked with Crimson death passing over doors that were covered. Here's the suffering. Servant despised and rejected a man of sorrows. Who here is one who is truly well acquainted with grief? When we see Jesus lifted up, lifted up on the cross, lifted up between heaven and earth. Here the instrument of exalted torment but also unexpected triumph, the perfect God man, lifted up between earth and heaven, lifted up in shame so that we might be lifted up in grace, lifted up in cursing. We might be lifted up in blessing lifted up in Forsakenness so that we might be lifted up in divine communion with God the father lifted up to be stared at as he presents himself here, so that we could finally see what sin costs and what love pays. That is everything that he's teaching us in this passage, and I hope that you are as encouraged about this as I am because. When I think about the gospel framed in this way with the full severity of its repercussions, thinking about sin as debt objectively as a liability, that must be satisfied. My heart is instantly warmed, and I think the warming of that is not because this manufactured some kind of sentimentality around this, but there is something about this that's so resonant to me that in my professional career, in my business, I'm intimately familiar with, with debt and understanding how to manage it, but also the dangers of it. And what a liability it truly is. And so when I hear that sin not just is like this, but is this way, it makes complete sense to me and I see that this is really the, the true way that we ought to understand, I think the gospel message.  [00:38:18] Key Takeaways: Debt, Currency, and Canceling the Ledger [00:38:18] Jesse Schwamb: So here's what we should remember. Debt highlights objective guilt. I think I've said that a bunch of times and I just feel like it's, it bears repeating one last time. Sin is not only damage, it is consequences, but it's also a liability. A creditor doesn't need to be convinced you did harm. The ledger already stands and the ledger against us is not on our side. Loved ones. We are deeply in the red, and it really doesn't matter what the balance is because we just cannot repay. So it's really about our lack of ability, our inability, the no, we have no capability to pay this, and so it doesn't matter. We find ourselves in a place of hopelessness no matter what, and this debt highlights that inability none of these particular borrowers could repay. It's devastating to moral pride. We lean on this in our reform theological perspective. Even our best works can't erase guilt or generate merit sufficient to square the accounts. It's impossible. It's impossible with two ways, and this is some, I think really like the beautiful nuance of what Jesus after here in the one way that we are enabled to do this. Is because we just actually cannot earn enough. So in other words, the debt is too big. So think of the biggest number in your head that you could possibly think of, and that's at least minimally the outstanding debt. But then think about this. You don't even have the right currency. So you might find that you spend your entire lifetime working to the bone. It's like finding out that you have a million dollar loan or lien against you, and you work hard all your life, 50, 60, 70 years. And finally, on your deathbed, you've assembled enough cash with all of your savings to put toward and finally satisfy. So you might die in peace with this $1 million free and clear from your account, and you turn over the money and the creditor says, what is this currency? I won't accept this. I can't accept this. How debilitating. So it's not even the size of the debt. It's also that we don't have, we cannot earn the right currency. Only. God. God. I think this debt also highlights grace as cancellation. Forgiveness is not God pretending the debt doesn't exist. It is God releasing the debtor. This is him in triumph, being the greater Moses who walks us out through the waters outside of the city into the glorious light and the broader New Testament explains how God can do that justly. The charge is dealt with through Christ. You can go check out Colossians two. Read the whole thing of Love it. It's fantastic. I think lastly, this debt explains love, as shall we say, like a downstream effect. People love a little when they imagine that they have little needs and people love much when they were spiritually bankrupt and then freely pardoned freely in that it didn't cost you and I anything, but of course it cost our Lord and Savior everything, and so. In this way, our hopes to frame the fact that our love should be an outpouring of gratitude, uh, for the grace that God has given us through Jesus Christ.  [00:41:28] Putting It Into Practice: Don't Compare Debts, Watch for "Simon Symptoms" [00:41:28] Jesse Schwamb: Here's some things I would say that we should all walk away with to help us then both process what we've talked about here, and also put some of this into action. First thing would be, don't measure your need by comparing debts horizontally. That's a fool's errand, whether 50 or 500. The point is we cannot pay. And this levels the Pharisee and the prostitute alike. That is like Tony talked about elsewhere in the previous Luke 15, where we're talking about the PR prodigal of the father, the prodigal of the two lost sons. How there's like a great insult against the Pharisee there. And here's the insult, it's also a little bit cutting to us, and again, that the Pharisee and the prostitute are alike. Can't repay. It Doesn't matter what debt you think you have in the corporal sense, or again in this horizontal means, but you cannot repay it. And so therefore, guess what? We're all like, we need to let forgiveness lead and we need to let love follow. If you reverse that order like I'll love so I can be forgiven. You crush assurance and you turn the gospel into wages and that's again exactly I think what Jesus is against in this. He's making that very clear. The, the beauty of the gospel is this receiving that Christ has done all these things that we, uh, find ourselves by his arresting, by again, his intervening by his coming forward. He does all this on our behalf. You've heard me say before, I always like take that old phrase, what would Jesus do? That question that was on everybody's bracelets and everybody's minds and what, two decades ago? And turn that answer into what would Jesus do? Everything And it's already done. We need to watch for Simon symptoms. That's my clever way of saying this, like low love, high judgment. A chilly heart toward Christ often signals a warm heart towards self justification. And so we wanna be about the kind of people that are closely king, clinging to Jesus Christ as all of our hope and stay that the strength for today and hope for tomorrow comes from what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf. And therefore, there is a dutiful and meaningful and appropriate response for us. But that response again, is not obedience for merit. It is obedience out of warm heartedness for our savior. And for a sincere repentance because a sincere repentance is not payment. It's agreement with God about the debt. Tears, don't cancel the ledger. Christ does that. Tears are what debtors do when Mercy lands, and I think in some way the challenge here is that have we really meditated on the life of this woman and then more personally on our own experiences on what it means to be saved? Well, I'm not asking you to get yourself worked up into an emotional state, but what I am asking all of us to do is. Have we spent enough time recently meditating on what it means that Christ has set us free, that we are incredible debtors, and that Christ in our own ledger in this way hasn't just wiped out the debt, but he's filled up the account with righteousness. And so we can exchange these horrible soiled garments for garments of praise. Now, have we thought about that recently? The call here is to be reminded. That sincere repentance is an agreement with God about the debt, and in that agreement we're sensing that weight. There should be a response.  [00:44:42] Final Charge + Community & Support (Telegram / Patreon) [00:44:42] Jesse Schwamb: So I leave it to you loved ones, you've heard it here, or at least you've heard me talk for a little while about this parable. And maybe one day, maybe there'll be an episode one day about Tony's perspective on this, which I can't imagine will be too much different. But again, I saw my opportunity, loved ones. I said, oh, I'm gonna sneak in hard on this one because this one is particularly meaningful and special to me, and I hope that even though it involved a little bit of economics and maybe a lot of finance, that it didn't lose its resonance with you. I think this is the great weight of the way in which Jesus teaches that he's not just using practical means. But he's using these things to give greater weight and flesh, as it were, to these concepts of a spiritual nature that sometimes feel ephemeral. Instead, he wants them to sink in heaviness upon us. And I wanna be clear that. This whole parable is both law and gospel. It is the weightiness and the sharp edge knife of the law which cuts against us. And Jesus throwing his weight around literally at this dinner party and in this parable, and you and I should feel that weight. It should knock us around a little bit. And then. And then comes the reminder that there is good news and that good news, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that he has made a way that the debt that was incurred against us, that we ourselves added to, that we continue to want to try to borrow against, that Jesus has, in fact paid that debt in full and that he's done so in the currency of his own flesh and blood and his own passive and active obedience so that it may be paid in full. It's true what the hymn says. Jesus paid it all, all to him. I owe. So I hope loved ones that you'll be encouraged with that message that it is both law and gospel, but it ends in this high and elevated state, which is we have been made together alive with Christ for his own sake, for his glory, and for our good. So now that you know that go out into the world and live that way, meditate on that, enjoy that. Talk about it with a family member or a brother and sister, or you can talk about it with us. You didn't think that we'd get this far without me even a plug for telegram, did you? So if you. Haven't listened to us before, or if this is your 480th time, I say welcome and also come hang, hang out with us online. You can do that by going to your browser and putting in there. T me slash reformed brotherhood. T. Dummy slash reformed brotherhood, and that will take you to a little app called Telegram, which is just a messaging app. And we have a closed community in there, which you can preview and then become a part of. And there's lots of lovely brothers, sisters from all over the world interacting, talking about the conversations we're having here, sharing prayer requests, sharing memes, talking about life tasting foods on video. It's really. Absolutely delightful, and I know you want to be a part of it, so come hang out. It's one other thing you can do. If at any point you felt like this podcast, the conversations have been a blessing to you, may I ask a favor, something at least for you to consider, and that is there are all kinds of expenses to make sure that this thing keeps going on. Keeps going strong. And there are brothers and sisters who after they've satisfied their financial obligations, have said, I want to give a little bit to that. So if you've been blessed, I'm what I can I boldly ask that you might consider that it's so many people giving so many tiny little gifts because all of these things compound for God's glory in the kingdom. And if you're interested in giving to us one time or reoccurring, here's a website for you to check out. It's patreon.com. Reform Brotherhood, P-A-T-R-E-O n.com, reform slash reform brotherhood. Go check that out. Alright, that's it. Loved ones, you know what to do. Until next time, honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. 

Matthew Shindell explores how ancient Mayan, Chinese, and Mesopotamian civilizations interpreted Mars through mythology, omens, and early scientific observation to understand their relationship with the cosmos.

Imagine that you’re so angry about a business deal gone wrong that you grab a chisel, find a slab of stone, and spend hours carving your complaint. That’s exactly what a Mesopotamian merchant did in 1750 and made sales history.  The merchant was furious because he’d been promised high-grade copper, but the final product was subpar. That angry customer complaint is now sitting in the British Museum, 4,000 years later. The tablet reads: “What do you take me for? That you treat someone like me with such contempt?” If you think dealing with issues in the sales process is a modern problem, you’re off by about four millennia. Sales Hustle Is Ancient We talk about sales like it’s a modern corporate invention. CRMs and automated sequences are new, but the art of the deal and dealing with angry customers? That's been around since humans started trading. The copper merchant in 1750 BCE wasn’t just selling copper. He was managing client expectations, handling logistics, and clearly failing at quality control. The core practices of B2B sales—promise, delivery, and relationship management—haven’t changed. 1600s: Sales Becomes a Profession Fast forward to 1600, and you see the founding of the East India Trading Companies. They were some of the first corporations that allowed people to buy shares in a business. One of the East India Trading Companies was owned by “the 17 gentlemen”—a group of wealthy investors who funded global trade expeditions. They kept spices like nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon flowing across continents. The spices were so valuable that they were practically currency. This was B2B sales at scale. Shareholders’ expected returns. Merchants negotiated deals across continents. The stakes were massive, and so were the profits. This era established something critical to modern sellers: the separation between ownership and operation. The 17 gentlemen didn’t sail the ships or negotiate every spice deal. They hired people to do it. Sales stopped being a personal trade and became a repeatable profession with accountability structures built in. 1851: Visibility and Competition Arrive The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 was the world’s first massive B2B trade show in sales history. Thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of attendees. A giant glass building called the Crystal Palace. Nearly 200 years later, sales pros still pack convention centers, set up booths, and fight to stand out in a sea of competitors. This is where B2B sales became visible. You weren’t just competing against one or two local merchants anymore. You were standing next to dozens of alternatives, all promising similar value. Differentiation became mandatory. Following up meant writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response. Today, if you’re not following up within 24 hours, you’re losing to competitors who are. 1957: Reach and Leverage Scale Up The first inside sales team was formed at a company called Dial America in 1957. Before that, if you wanted to sell, you hit the road. Door-to-door, city-to-city, face-to-face. Every single deal required physical presence. The telephone changed everything. Suddenly, salespeople could work virtually, reach more prospects, and close deals without leaving the office. One seller could now have 20 conversations in a day instead of three. The math of sales productivity fundamentally shifted. Fast forward to today, and inside sales is the dominant model. The tools have evolved—Zoom calls, screen shares, digital demos—but the core principle remains: you don’t need to be in the same room to build trust and close deals. From Stone Tablets to Instant Messages: Why Speed Matters Now Think about the effort that the merchant put into carving his complaint into stone. He didn’t fire off a quick email. He didn’t leave a one-star Google review. He created a permanent record that would outlive both him and the seller by thousands of years. Today, complaints are easy. Maybe too easy. A customer can blast you on LinkedIn, tank your review scores, or CC your entire executive team on an email thread—all before lunch.  Every major shift in B2B sales increased speed. Trade shows multiplied visibility. Telephones let sellers reach 20 prospects a day instead of three. Email collapsed follow-up from weeks to hours. Social media made reputation instant and permanent. In 1750 BCE, you had time to respond. Now, you have hours—maybe minutes. Each acceleration rewarded the sellers who could execute fast without sacrificing quality. The ones who couldn’t keep up disappeared. Why This Timeline Matters More Than You Think We're in another massive shift in sales history. AI, automation, predictive analytics—the pace is relentless. It's easy to think everything has changed. Zoom out 4,000 years, and the pattern emerges: speed accelerates, but the core practices stay the same. So the next time you get a harsh email from a customer, remember that stone tablet. You don't have to worry about your failure being displayed in a museum 4,000 years from now. But you do have to worry about your reputation spreading across the internet in hours. The tools change, the pace accelerates, but the rule is simple: earn trust, deliver value, and handle problems before they handle you. You just saw how history teaches that speed and execution have always mattered — and now AI is the biggest shift we've seen yet. If you want to turn the disruption into an advantage, download The FREE AI Edge Book Club Guide. 

Imagine that you're so angry about a business deal gone wrong that you grab a chisel, find a slab of stone, and spend hours carving your complaint. That's exactly what a Mesopotamian merchant did in 1750 and made sales history.  The merchant was furious because he'd been promised high-grade copper, but the final product was subpar. That angry customer complaint is now sitting in the British Museum, 4,000 years later. The tablet reads: "What do you take me for? That you treat someone like me with such contempt?" If you think dealing with issues in the sales process is a modern problem, you're off by about four millennia. Sales Hustle Is Ancient We talk about sales like it's a modern corporate invention. CRMs and automated sequences are new, but the art of the deal and dealing with angry customers? That's been around since humans started trading. The copper merchant in 1750 BCE wasn't just selling copper. He was managing client expectations, handling logistics, and clearly failing at quality control. The core practices of B2B sales—promise, delivery, and relationship management—haven't changed. 1600s: Sales Becomes a Profession Fast forward to 1600, and you see the founding of the East India Trading Companies. They were some of the first corporations that allowed people to buy shares in a business. One of the East India Trading Companies was owned by "the 17 gentlemen"—a group of wealthy investors who funded global trade expeditions. They kept spices like nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon flowing across continents. The spices were so valuable that they were practically currency. This was B2B sales at scale. Shareholders' expected returns. Merchants negotiated deals across continents. The stakes were massive, and so were the profits. This era established something critical to modern sellers: the separation between ownership and operation. The 17 gentlemen didn't sail the ships or negotiate every spice deal. They hired people to do it. Sales stopped being a personal trade and became a repeatable profession with accountability structures built in. 1851: Visibility and Competition Arrive The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 was the world's first massive B2B trade show in sales history. Thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of attendees. A giant glass building called the Crystal Palace. Nearly 200 years later, sales pros still pack convention centers, set up booths, and fight to stand out in a sea of competitors. This is where B2B sales became visible. You weren't just competing against one or two local merchants anymore. You were standing next to dozens of alternatives, all promising similar value. Differentiation became mandatory. Following up meant writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response. Today, if you're not following up within 24 hours, you're losing to competitors who are. 1957: Reach and Leverage Scale Up The first inside sales team was formed at a company called Dial America in 1957. Before that, if you wanted to sell, you hit the road. Door-to-door, city-to-city, face-to-face. Every single deal required physical presence. The telephone changed everything. Suddenly, salespeople could work virtually, reach more prospects, and close deals without leaving the office. One seller could now have 20 conversations in a day instead of three. The math of sales productivity fundamentally shifted. Fast forward to today, and inside sales is the dominant model. The tools have evolved—Zoom calls, screen shares, digital demos—but the core principle remains: you don't need to be in the same room to build trust and close deals. From Stone Tablets to Instant Messages: Why Speed Matters Now Think about the effort that the merchant put into carving his complaint into stone. He didn't fire off a quick email. He didn't leave a one-star Google review. He created a permanent record that would outlive both him and the seller by thousands of years. Today, complaints are easy. Maybe too easy. A customer can blast you on LinkedIn, tank your review scores, or CC your entire executive team on an email thread—all before lunch.  Every major shift in B2B sales increased speed. Trade shows multiplied visibility. Telephones let sellers reach 20 prospects a day instead of three. Email collapsed follow-up from weeks to hours. Social media made reputation instant and permanent. In 1750 BCE, you had time to respond. Now, you have hours—maybe minutes. Each acceleration rewarded the sellers who could execute fast without sacrificing quality. The ones who couldn't keep up disappeared. Why This Timeline Matters More Than You Think We're in another massive shift in sales history. AI, automation, predictive analytics—the pace is relentless. It's easy to think everything has changed. Zoom out 4,000 years, and the pattern emerges: speed accelerates, but the core practices stay the same. So the next time you get a harsh email from a customer, remember that stone tablet. You don't have to worry about your failure being displayed in a museum 4,000 years from now. But you do have to worry about your reputation spreading across the internet in hours. The tools change, the pace accelerates, but the rule is simple: earn trust, deliver value, and handle problems before they handle you. You just saw how history teaches that speed and execution have always mattered — and now AI is the biggest shift we've seen yet. If you want to turn the disruption into an advantage, download The FREE AI Edge Book Club Guide.

Irving Finkel is a scholar of ancient languages and a longtime curator at the British Museum, renowned for his expertise in Mesopotamian history and cuneiform writing. He specializes in reading and interpreting cuneiform inscriptions, including tablets from Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian contexts. He became widely known for studying a tablet with a Mesopotamian flood story that predates the biblical Noah narrative, which he presented in his book “The Ark Before Noah” and in a documentary that involved building a circular ark based on the tablet’s technical instructions. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep487-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/irving-finkel-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Irving’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drirvingfinkel/ The Ark Before Noah (book): https://amzn.to/4j2U0DW Irving Lectures Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXwZvOwHjVcFUi9iEqirkXRaCUJdXGha British Museum Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx603A6p5EJ9DVcESqQReT7QyK British Museum Website: https://www.britishmuseum.org/ The Great Diary Project: https://thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform. Go to https://miro.com/ Chevron: Reliable energy for data centers. Go to https://chevron.com/power LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drink. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (00:43) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections (09:53) – Origins of human language (15:59) – Cuneiform (23:12) – Controversial theory about Göbekli Tepe (34:23) – How to write and speak Cuneiform (39:42) – Primitive human language (41:26) – Development of writing systems (42:20) – Decipherment of Cuneiform (54:51) – Limits of language (59:51) – Art of translation (1:05:01) – Gods (1:10:25) – Ghosts (1:20:13) – Ancient flood stories (1:30:21) – Noah’s Ark (1:41:44) – The Royal Game of Ur (1:54:43) – British Museum (2:02:08) – Evolution of human civilization