The Historical Mary: Setting the Scene (ep 5.1)

Whether you are religious or not, Mary's story is an important part of world heritage. She is obviously the great female figure throughout Christianity, but she is also highly honored in the Koran. There have been over 2000 sightings of her claimed since the year 40 BCE. Millions of people pray to her daily. Millions more read her story regularly. The modern world was shaped in part by people who believed in her whole heartedly. So many legends have grown up around her, and those legends have also shaped the world and are worth studying, but in this series I will focus on what history can tell us about her. Today I will set the scene, talking about the situation for the Jews in the early 1st century. And I'll discuss to what extent the Bible can or cannot be treated as a historical source. Visit the ⁠website⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my ⁠Patreon page⁠ for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on ⁠Buy⁠ ⁠Me a Coffee⁠. Join ⁠Into History⁠ for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit ⁠Evergreen Podcasts⁠ to listen to more great shows. Follow me on ⁠Threads⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠ as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices