Investigators Guide to the Bible Podcast

Hey there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible for the final episode on the case of Joseph’s Ordeal. Take a deep breath, grab a cookie to go with your coffee, and settle in for the Summation to the Jury. If you have not figured it out yet, I’m Tony. I did the writing and the reading. If something is wrong, I’m the guy who gets the blame. Share, stack, restack and all that stuff. Let’s get started.Investigative Summary: Ladies and Gentlemen of the JuryEXSUM: Nazareth was a culturally conservative town that was neither tiny, nor insignificant. The people of Nazareth were either Essene laity or very closely related to the Essene sect. Inhabitants of the town followed stringent rules for purity, piety, poverty, and abstinence. The people of the town were very pious Jews who shared what they earned or made with the rest of the clan, which made up the town’s roughly fifteen hundred citizens. With their own lesser Sanhedrin council, Nazareth could enforce a stricter moral code than was accepted throughout the rest of ancient Israel. Divorce was almost completely unheard of, except in cases of criminal acts, like adultery. Mary of Nazareth was suspected of adultery and her betrothed husband, Joseph, planned to divorce her. At least, this has been the narrative for many centuries. Today, we put the rumors, innuendo, allegations, and accusations to rest.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Though I frequently mention other Bible translations, this is my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.* Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025)If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.A small mea culpa is in order. There are references but I ran into a production deadline before taking a short vacation. As soon as we get back, I’ll edit the refs in. Thanks for understanding. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. It is just about put up or shut up time. We’ve talked about sources and analysis. We’ve talked about evidence and how to view it. It is time to start putting all the facts together. Believe it or not, though, there are still a couple topics we have to round out, first. I have not talked about analytic integrity, yet, or the analytic standards I use. Again, believe it or not, this is very relevant. If I am asking you to trust me, you should know why this work should be trustworthy. I’m Tony. All the stuff I said last time is still true so let’s get started!Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Though I frequently mention other Bible translations, this is my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.* Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025)If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Intelligence Community Directive 203, Technical Directive, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 12 Jun 2023 (https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICD/ICD-203.pdf, accessed 30 Sep 2025)2. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.3. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 19934. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Investigative Timeline: Getting My Clocks in a RowHey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This is it! Get your pens and notepads ready because this is where you get to check my notes to see if I got the timeline right. We know timelines are important, so it’s put up or shut up time. As always, no question or comment is off limits. Tell me where I’m wrong. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, restack it, and send it to your friends. Feel free to ask some questions at the end, if you want.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 Though I frequently mention other Bible translations, this is my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.* Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025)If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Eddings, David. The Belgariad: Castle of Wizardry. New York: Del Ray/Ballentine Books. 19842. Nunnaly, Dr. Wave. “Modern Midrash: The Myth of Migdal Eder.” The Bible Unplugged website, 2025. (https://wavenunnally.com/modern-midrash-the-myth-of-migdal-eder/, accessed 12 Sep 2025)3. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ’s Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)4. Finegan, Jack. Handbook of Biblical Chronology, Revised Edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, 19985. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus in Jerusalem: His First and Last Days in Judea. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 19966. Jensen, Morten Horning. “Climate, Droughts, Wars, and Famines in Galilee as a Background for Understanding the Historical Jesus.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 131, no. 2, 2012, pp. 307–24. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/23488227. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. When we left our intrepid couple, Mary and Joseph, they were deciding if they should move to Bethlehem. Let’s look at some more concrete reasons why a move to Bethlehem, rather than just a trip, makes more sense. One more time, let’s see if I can turn what you know about the Infancy Narrative on its head. Let’s talk about the logistics of the Nativity; what makes sense and what does not. As always, no question is off limits. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, restack it, and send it to your friends. Feel free to ask some questions at the end, if you want.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.* Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025)If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus in Jerusalem: His First and Last Days in Judea. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 19962. Schauss, Hayyim. “Ancient Jewish Marriage.” Ancient/Medieval Jewish History. My Jewish Learning website, myjewishlearning.com, Copyright 2002-2022. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ancient-jewish-marriage/, accessed 27 Jan 2022)3. Gaechter, Paul S.J. “The Chronology from Mary’s Betrothal to the Birth of Christ.” Theological Studies, 2(3), 347–368, 19414. Gaechter, Paul S.J. “The Chronology From Mary’s Betrothal to the Birth of Christ.” Theological Studies, 2(2), 145-170, 19415. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.6. Bailey, Dr. Kenneth. “The Manger and the Inn,” Associates for Biblical Research, 8 Nov 2008. (https://biblearchaeology.org/research/chronological-categories/new-testament-era/2803-the-manger-and-the-inn, accessed 16 Sep 2025)7. Pitre, Brant. The Hidden King: The Jewish Roots of St. Joseph. New York: Image, 20168. Philo, translated by F.H. Colson and G.H. Whitaker. Loeb Classical Library: Philo Volume I. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.9. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 201010. Filz, Gretchen. “The Story of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Nativity Scene, as told by St. Bonaventure,” The Catholic Company Magazine, 20 Dec 2016 (https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/story-francis-assisi-first-navity-scene-5955?rsltid=AfmBOopxP7r3qMIHzJk8QuBHsr8fdkPZUYZA61FtiWqe6EIjaVLrQ0q0, accessed 15 Dec 2021)11. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)12. Ratzinger, Joseph, Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. New York: Crown Publishing, 201213. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 199614. Crawford, Sidnie White, "Not According to Rule: Women, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran" (2003). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. Paper 65. (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/65, accessed 28 Sep 2022)15. Safrai, Schmuel. “No Room in the Inn?” Jerusalem Perspective, Volume 4, Number 6. Jerusalem: Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, 199116. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ's Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)17. Bergsma, John. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Image Penguin Random House, 201918. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.) This episode references Mishnah Keritot and Shekalim.19. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. Jesus and Moses – Mary Magdalene. April 26, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/Jesus_and_Moses.pdf, accessed 10 Apr 2023)20. Nunnaly, Dr. Wave. “Modern Midrash: The Myth of Migdal Eder.” The Bible Unplugged website, 2025. (https://wavenunnally.com/modern-midrash-the-myth-of-migdal-eder/, accessed 12 Sep 2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. It’s hard to believe we are getting to the end, but we’re not done yet! Today, we are going to talk about all of the things Luke left out of his Gospel. I know he had to jam everything into a small space but, my goodness, months passed between two verses in his testimony! Let’s fill in some of the details, shall we? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, restack it, and send it to your friends. Feel free to ask some questions at the end, if you want.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Finegan, Jack. Handbook of Biblical Chronology, Revised Edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, 19982. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)3. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ's Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)4. Pope St. John Paul II. Apostolic Exhortation: Guardian of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Custos). Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 19895. Grull, Tibor. “Considerations on Oaths of Loyalty under Augustus in Josephus.” Peace and War in Josephus, Edited by Viktor Kókai-Nagy and Ádám Vér (Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies, 52.) Berlin-Boston: De Gruyter, 2023, 41-52.6. Bernardine of Siena, Saint. Sermon on St. Joseph, translated by Eric May. Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild, 19477. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. With Child of the Holy Spirit – Joseph willing to give her in marriage to his heir. March 23, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/With%20Child%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%2023-03-2009%204.pdf, accessed 8 Nov 2022)8. Gaechter, Paul S.J. “The Chronology From Mary’s Betrothal to the Birth of Christ.” Theological Studies, 2(2), 145-170, 19419. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 199310. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.) For this reference, look for Mishna Ketubot.11. McHugh, John. The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 197512. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.13. Jensen, Morten Horning. “Climate, Droughts, Wars, and Famines in Galilee as a Background for Understanding the Historical Jesus.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 131, no. 2, 2012, pp. 307–24. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/23488227. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.14. Ratzinger, Joseph, Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. New York: Crown Publishing, 201215. Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today, we’ll talk about two events that set the stage for everything else that happens in the New Testament. It kind of feels like we should understand what really happened, right? Let’s do that. I'm Tony. I'm the author and I promise not to sing while I narrate the episode for you. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, restack it, and send it to your friends. If you charge them to listen, though, I get a cut, okay? Shazam, It’s Go Time!Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Kohn, Rabbi Daniel. “What Are Pilgrimage Festivals?” My Jewish Learning. myjewishlearning.com, Copyright 2002-2022. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/pilgrimage-festivals/, accessed 25 Aug 2025)2. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)3. Bulbeck, Robert, S.J. “The Doubt of St. Joseph.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, 1948, pp. 296–309. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43720043. Accessed 13 Sep. 2022.4. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. With Child of the Holy Spirit – Joseph willing to give her in marriage to his heir. March 23, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/With%20Child%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%2023-03-2009%204.pdf, accessed 8 Nov 2022)5. Berger, Rabbi Shalom, Editor. “Yevamot 41a-b: The Waiting Period.” Essay, based on the Koren Talmud Bavli, Noé Edition, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. The Aleph Society, 14 Nov 2014. (https://steinsaltz.org/daf/yevamot41/, accessed 17 Mar 2025)6. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)7. Greenberg, Sara. “Seven-Day Spa.” Lilith Magazine, Spring 2008. Lilith Publications, Inc, NY. (https://lilith.org/articles/seven-day-spa/, accessed 25 Aug 2025)8. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 19969. Crawford, Sidnie White, "Not According to Rule: Women, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran" (2003). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. Paper 65. (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/65, accessed 28 Sep 2022)10. Almost every discussion on the translation of a particular word means a trip to BibleHub.com for their amazing Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub, Glassport, PA. Just assume I’m using their site and check it out for yourself. (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/, accessed more times than I can count, 2021-2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. The prosecution is about to rest and the defense is starting to take the stage! It really is time we get to know Joseph of Nazareth. This guy has been getting a bad rap for two thousand years. If you are one of the ones who thought Joseph was going to divorce Mary, you owe the guy an apology! Not even I’m that heartless and I’m an intelligence agent! A lot of this will sound familiar as we pull together the threads we’ve discussed and add more to the story. So, let’s do this! Introducing Joseph of NazarethWhen someone mentions Joseph of Nazareth, does a picture form in your mind? Take a second and look at the man in that picture. Is he young or old? Is he frail or healthy? Masculine or scrawny? Would it surprise you to learn that your image of Saint Joseph was deliberately curated? What makes me crazy is that the image of Joseph was curated to protect something that didn’t need protecting. Joseph was prematurely aged and given a first wife and family, almost entirely to protect the concept of Mary as a perpetual virgin. Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Meinardus, Otto F.A. The Holy Family in Egypt. Cairo, Egypt: The American University in Cairo Press, 19862. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church History, Book 3. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.3. Philo, translated by F.H. Colson and G.H. Whitaker. Loeb Classical Library: Philo Volume I. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.4. Pitre, Brant. The Hidden King: The Jewish Roots of St. Joseph. New York: Image, 20165. Rondet, Henri S.J. Saint Joseph, translated and edited by Donald Atwater. New York: P.J. Kennedy & Sons, 19566. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)7. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)8. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Marriage Laws.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10435-marriage-laws, accessed 6 Jun 2022)9. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.10. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 199611. Crawford, Sidnie White, "Not According to Rule: Women, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran" (2003). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. Paper 65. (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/65, accessed 28 Sep 2022)12. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Betrothal.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal, accessed 6 Jun and 6 Sep 2022)13. Bulbeck, Robert, S.J. “The Doubt of St. Joseph.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, 1948, pp. 296–309. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43720043. Accessed 13 Sep. 2022.14. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)15. Baij, Maria Cecilia, OSB. The Life of Saint Joseph. Asbury, NJ: The 101 Foundation, 199616. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 199217. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)18. Ngo, Robin. “Jewish Purification: Stone Vessel Workshop Discovered in Galilee.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 20 Aug 2024 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/jewish-purification-stone-vessel-workshop-galilee/#:~:text=A%20chalkstone%20fragment%20discovered%20at,Israel's%20Stone%20Age%E2%80%9D%20in%20BAR:, accessed 19 Aug 2025)19. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 199320. Quran Talk Blog (No Author Noted). “Which Messiah Was Jesus? Ben David, Ben Joseph, or Ben Aaron?” 5 Nov 2024. (https://qurantalkblog.com/2024/11/05/jesus-messiah-ben-david-or-ben-aaron/, accessed 28 Jul 2025)21. Pope Leo XIII. Papal Encyclical: Quamquam Pluries, On Devotion To St. Joseph, 15 August 1889 (https://osjusa.org/st-joseph/magisterium/quamquam-pluries/)22. Pope St. John Paul II. Apostolic Exhortation: Guardian of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Custos). Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1989 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I feel like I’ve been building up to these next three episodes forever! So, let’s stop wasting time. There is probably no more controversial subject in Christianity than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Orthodox and Catholics are crazy about her; most Protestants think she was not that special; and Muslims, oddly, have significant respect for Mary, dedicating two chapters of the Koran to her. Kind of feels like we should get to know her, doesn’t it? Since she is the victim or the culprit in this case, we need to start compiling a personality profile of her.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Chrysostom, St. John. “Homily 21 on the Gospel of John.” Translated by Charles Marriott. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. (http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/240121.htm, accessed 11 Aug 2025)2. Fiensy, David A. “Wedding Bells in Galilee?” Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 48, no. 4, pp 62-64. Washington: Biblical Archaeological Society, 20223. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.4. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)5. Tertullian. “On the Flesh of Christ,” Translated by Peter Holmes. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.6. Didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 20187. Horner, Timothy J. "Jewish Aspects of the Protoevangelium of James." Journal of Early Christian Studies, vol. 12 no. 3, 2004, p. 313-335. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/earl.2004.00418. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 19939. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)10. Gaechter, Paul S.J. “The Chronology From Mary’s Betrothal to the Birth of Christ.” Theological Studies, 2(2), 145-170, 194111. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Betrothal.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal, accessed 6 Jun and 6 Sep 2022)12. Calkins, Arthur B., Fr. “The Justice of Joseph Revisited.” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, June 198813. Laurentin, Rene, translated by Michael J. Wrenn & associates. The Truth of Christmas Beyond the Myths: The Gospels of the Infancy of Christ. Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 198614. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Kiddushin.1.1?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)15. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)16. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)17. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. With Child of the Holy Spirit – Joseph willing to give her in marriage to his heir. March 23, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/With%20Child%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%2023-03-2009%204.pdf, accessed 8 Nov 2022)18. Philo, translated by F.H. Colson and G.H. Whitaker. Loeb Classical Library: Philo Volume I. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.19. Reed, Jonathan L. “Instability in Jesus’ Galilee: A Demographic Perspective.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 129, no. 2, 2010, pp. 343–65. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/27821023. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.20. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 199621. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 201022. McHugh, John. The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 197523. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 199224. The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden, available at https://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Bridget%20(Birgitta)%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Prophecies%20and%20Revelations.html, accessed 28 Apr 202225. Bernardine of Siena, Saint. Sermon on St. Joseph, translated by Eric May. Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild, 1947 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We ended last time in the hills of Galilee so let’s move west of there to a little town called Nazareth! I have to be honest. When I started this investigation, I never realized how far I would stray from Nazareth, just to bring us right back there. I hope to shatter a few myths about the hometown of Jesus. We’ll talk about prophecy, history, and I’ll give you the inside poop on, well, poop. What more could you ask for? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. First one to bring in a hundred subscribers gets a cookie! Ready? “O Little Town of…Nazareth?”Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 19922. Jensen, Morten Horning. “The Political History in Galilee from the First Century BCE to the End of the Second Century CE,” Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1, Editors: David A. Fiensy, James Riley Strange. Montenegro: Fortress Press, 20143. Alexandre, Yardenna. “The Settlement History of Nazareth in the Iron Age and Early Roman Period.” ‘Atiquot, Volume 98, pages 25-92. Jerusalem: Ayalon Printing, 20204. Crossen, John Dominic and Reed, Jonathan L. Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 20015. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 20106. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church History, Book 1. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.7. Charlesworth, James H., and Mordekhai Aviʿam. "Reconstructing First-Century Galilee: Reflections on Ten Major Problems." Jesus Research: New Methodologies and Perceptions: 103-137. United Kingdom: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 20148. Africanus, Julius. “The Epistle to Aristides.” Translator unknown. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.9. Keys, David. “New archaeological evidence from Nazareth reveals religious and political environment in era of Jesus.” The Independent, 17 Apr 2020 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/jesus-home-town-nazareth-archaeological-discovery-research-a9470716.html, accessed 13 Oct 2022)10. Leibner, Uzi. Settlement and History in Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Galilee. Tubingen, GE: Mohr Siebeck, 201211. BiblePlaces.com (No author noted). “Sepphoris.” BiblePlaces website. BiblePlaces, undated. (https://www.bibleplaces.com/sepphoris/, accessed 7 Aug 2025)12. Jensen, Morten Horning. “The Galilean Cradle of Jesus and His Followers,” Chosen to Follow: Jewish Believers Through History and Today, edited by Jakob Wilms Nielsen and Knut Helge Hoyland, Caspari Center, 2012.13. Dark, Ken. “The Archaeology of Nazareth in the Early First Century.” The Bible and Interpretation, July 2020. (https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/archaeology-nazareth-early-first-century, accessed 13 Oct 2022)14. Philo, edited by Fred. C. Conybeare. About the Contemplative Life. New York: Oxford Clarendon Press, 189515. Schiffman, Lawrence H. “Philo, Every Good Man is Free XII, 75-87: Description of the Essenes,” Texts and Traditions, Ktav, Hoboken 1998, p.282-284 (The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated, http://cojs.org/philo-_every_good_man_is_free_xii-_75-87-_description_of_the_essenes/, accessed 9 Dec 2022)16. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.17b?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)17. Jensen, Morten Horning. “Herod Antipas in Galilee: Friend or Foe of the Historical Jesus?” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 5.1, p. 7-32, 2007.18. Aslan, Reza. Zealot: The Life and Times Of Jesus of Nazareth. NY: Random House, 201319. Safrai, Schmuel. “Jesus and the Hasidim.” Jerusalem Perspective, Numbers 42,43 and 44. Tel-Aviv: Sabinsky Press, 1994Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We will stay on the topic of the Essenes one more time to explain what was going on with these guys around the rest of first century Israel. It could get a little weird! We’ll challenge a long-held belief or two and I’ll do my level best to eviscerate a renowned source on the Essenes. Sounds like fun, right? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. Pass it around the campfire, if you want. Why keep all this fun to yourself? Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Quran Talk Blog (No Author Noted). “Which Messiah Was Jesus? Ben David, Ben Joseph, or Ben Aaron?” 5 Nov 2024. (https://qurantalkblog.com/2024/11/05/jesus-messiah-ben-david-or-ben-aaron/, accessed 28 Jul 2025)2. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 19963. Ben-Daniel, John. “The Cave-Dwellers of Mt. Arbel.” Cave-Dwellers of Mt. Arbel, 2021. (Available at https://www.newtorah.org/pdf/The%20Cave-dwellers%20of%20Mt%20Arbel.pdf, accessed most recently on 31 Jul 2025)4. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.1.6?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)5. Ben-Daniel, John and Gloria. Saint John and the Book of Revelation: From Essenes to End-Times. Jerusalem: Franciscan, 20196. Philo, edited by Fred. C. Conybeare. About the Contemplative Life. New York: Oxford Clarendon Press, 18957. The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls: The War Scroll, from The Israel Museum, copyright 1995-2025. http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/war, accessed 30 Jul 2025)8. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)9. Nati, James. “The Community Rule or Rules for the Communities? Contextualizing the Qumran Serakhim.” Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls: John Collins at Seventy, Volume 2. Edited by Joel Baden, Hindy Najman, and Eibert Tigchelaar. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 201710. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)11. Kohler, Kaufman. “Essenes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5867-essenes, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)12. Schiffman, Lawrence H. "Community Without Temple: The Qumran Community's Withdrawal from the Jerusalem Temple." Qumran and Jerusalem, 2010, pp. 81-9713. Map: “Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus.” Conforming To Jesus website (https://www.conformingtojesus.com/charts-maps/en/jerusalem_in_jesus_time_map.htm) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I thought we would get out of Jerusalem this episode, but we have to clean up a few of the controversies, first. So, we’ll stick around Jerusalem, wander over to Qumran, and hit the points in between for one more episode before we close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Sauter, Megan. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 14 Jun 2025 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/the-dead-sea-scrolls-and-the-new-testament/, accessed 16 Jun 2025)2. Edgar Cayce: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Cayce, accessed 17 Feb 20233. Taylor, Joan E. The Essenes, the Scrolls, and the Dead Sea. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 20124. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)5. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 19966. Nati, James. “The Community Rule or Rules for the Communities? Contextualizing the Qumran Serakhim.” Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls: John Collins at Seventy, Volume 2. Edited by Joel Baden, Hindy Najman, and Eibert Tigchelaar. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 20177. Bergsma, John. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Image Penguin Random House, 20198. Kohler, Kaufman. “Essenes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5867-essenes, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)9. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)10. Pike, Dana M. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament,” in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. by Lincoln H. Blumell (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, 2019), 109-121.11. Werman, Cana. “Epochs and End-Time: The 490-Year Scheme in Second Temple Literature.” Dead Sea Discoveries, vol. 13, no. 2, 2006, pp. 229–55. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4193399. Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.12. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 201013. Hempel, Charlotte. “The Place of the Book of Jubilees at Qumran and Beyond.” Lim, TH (Red.), The Dead Sea Scrolls in Their Historical Context. London: T&T Clark, 2000.14. Book of Jubilees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jubilees, accessed 20 Jun 202515. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ's Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)16. Pitre, Brant. Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper. New York: Image, 2011 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. In a wildly exciting episode, we’ll talk about dusty old scrolls, treasure hunts, and hidden secrets of ancient Israel. I’m already captivated, how about you? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 19962. Joseph, Simon J. “Jesus and the Essenes: An Esoteric History”, The Bible and Interpretation. Tucson: The University of Arizona 2018 (https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/jesus-and-essenes-esoteric-history#comment-form, accessed 7 Sep 2022)3. Safrai, Schmuel. “Jesus and the Hasidim.” Jerusalem Perspective, Numbers 42,43 and 44. Tel-Aviv: Sabinsky Press, 19944. Fraade, S. D. (2009). Qumran Yahad and Rabbinic Hăbûrâ: A Comparison Reconsidered. Dead Sea Discoveries 16, 3, 433-453, Available From: Brill (https://doi.org/10.1163/156851709X474012, Accessed 14 September 2023)5. Sauter, Megan. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 14 Jun 2025 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/the-dead-sea-scrolls-and-the-new-testament/, accessed 16 Jun 2025)6. Mason, Steve. “Essenes and Lurking Spartans in Josephus’ Judean War: From Story to History.” Making History: Josephus and Historical Method, edited by Zuleika Rodgers, p. 219-261. The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2007Magness, Jodi. Review of Qumran in Context: Reassessing the Archaeological Evidence by Yizhar Hirschfeld, Society of Biblical Literature, 20057. Sauter, Megan. "Introduction, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future." Biblical Archaeology Review, Special Supplement Ebook. Washington D.C., 2022, pp. 5-14. (Available at https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/the-dead-sea-scrolls-past-present-and-future/, accessed 6 Mar 2023.)8. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)9. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010If you want to get an early start on your homework:Josephus, Flavius. The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’ll stick around Jerusalem for one more episode and close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago. I'm Tony, I'm the author and there aren’t any super hard words to pronounce so I’ll be the narrator, too. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. Why keep all this fun to yourself?Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.1. Shaus A, Gerber Y, Faigenbaum-Golovin S, Sober B, Piasetzky E, Finkelstein I (2020) “Forensic document examination and algorithmic handwriting analysis of Judahite biblical period inscriptions reveal significant literacy level.” PLoS ONE 15(9): e0237962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237962 (Accessed 19 Jun 2023)2. Encyclopedia of the Bible (No author noted). “Scribes.” Bible Gateway website. Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, Nashville, TN, undated. (https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Scribe-Scribes, accessed most recently 11 Jun 2025)3. Price, Randall. “Unearthing Truth: Did Moses Write the Torah?” Israel My Glory Magazine, Jul/Aug 2019 Issue. (Available at https://israelmyglory.org/article/did-moses-write-the-torah/, accessed 9 Jun 2025.)4. Singer, Isidore; Seligsohn, M.; Bacher, Wilhelm; and Eisenstein, Judah David. “Scribes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13356-scribes, accessed 5 May 2025)5. Suntharanurak, Sutthi. “Auditing in Ancient Egypt and the Role of Scribes.” Post on Medium.com, 13 Feb 2024. (https://medium.com/@sutthisun/auditing-in-ancient-egypt-and-the-role-of-scribes-037620d2830a, accessed 10 Jun 2025.)6. Kohler, Kaufman. “Zealots.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15185-zealots, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)7. Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We are still hanging out in Bad Guy Central, this time, to learn about the Pharisees. Let’s see if I can dredge up a detail or two you didn’t know about them. I'm Tony, I'm the author, and the narrator. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Sharing the episode with a friend or twelve would be kind of cool, too. Let’s go: The Pharisees – The OG Deep State.Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.** You’ve heard this before. Most of the work in this piece relies heavily on the research of Allen Ross, Kaufman Kohler, and Gershom Bader, all of whom are referenced below. I edited their statements for narrative flow and added some of my own analysis but the real work here is theirs. I only take credit for anything you find that might be wrong. If a statement sounds like it could have been from one of them, you should assume it is from one of them and I just messed up the notation.*** Most Talmudic references came from or have been confirmed at Sefaria, a wonderful, free resource that I access constantly. Hit the link to check them out. (https://www.sefaria.org)1. GotQuestions.org website, no author noted. “What were the 400 years of silence?” Got Questions Ministries, 2002-2025. (https://www.gotquestions.org/400-years-of-silence.html, accessed 27 May 2025)2. JewishVirtualLibrary.org website, no author noted. “Ancient Jewish History: The Edomites.” American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 1998 - 2025 (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-edomites#:~:text=The%20Edomites%20were%20later%20forcibly,who%20built%20the%20Second%20Temple, accessed 28 May 2025)3. Kohler, Kaufman. “Pharisees.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12087-pharisees, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)4. Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024)5. Bader, Gershom. The Jewish Spiritual Heroes. New York, N.Y. 1940. Public Domain document, available at https://www.sefaria.org/The_Jewish_Spiritual_Heroes%2C_Volume_I%3B_The_Creators_of_the_Mishna%2C_Introduction?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en, accessed 28 May 2025 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we dive into Bad Guy Central and learn about the Sadducees. Boo! Hiss! Let’s see if all the bad stories about them are true. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, call mom and dad, and let’s get going: The Sadducees. Who’s Who In The Zoo, Too?Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:Today’s work, as I mentioned, is a kluge of the sources below. To learn more about the Sadducees, check out any of the sources below. If you want to learn a lot, check them all out. As always, they get the credit for what is right, and I get the credit for what is wrong.* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. Livius: Literature, History and Culture. “Sadducees.” Copyright 1995–2025 Livius.org. (https://www.livius.org/articles/people/sadducees/, accessed 13 May 2025)2. Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV), Public Domain.Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024)Kohler, Kaufmann. “Sadducees.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12989-sadducees, accessed 13 May 2025)Levine, Lee I. “Let’s Talk About Sects: The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes on law.” MyJewishLearning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lets-talk-about-sects/, accessed 13 May 2025)Abarim Publications. “Sadducees: Summary.” 06 Jan 2025. (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Sadducees.html, accessed 13 May 2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we cover the Sanhedrin, Snidely Whiplash and answer the age-old question, “Can we end world hunger with a Vatican yard sale?” We’ll probably throw a couple other stories in, too. I’m Tony. I’m the author, the narrator, chief researcher...I’m also the assistant researcher and I make the coffee. But enough about me. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode and nominate me for the Substack Stack of Fame! Okay, let’s get moving: Who’s Who In The Zoo?Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. Hecht, Mendy. “How far am I allowed to walk on Shabbat?” Chabad.org, Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center(https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484235/jewish/How-far-am-I-allowed-to-walk-on-Shabbat.htm#:~:text=However%2C%20even%20walking%20on%20Shabbat,a%20long%20trek%20on%20Shabbat.&text=The%20content%20on%20this%20page,to%20www.AskMoses.com, also at http://www.askmoses.com/, accessed 5 may 2025)2. Mishna Sanhedrin 1.6, Online Version from Sefaria. (https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Sanhedrin.1.6?lang=bi, accessed most recently 7 May 2025)Eisenberg, Ronald L. “Beit Dins and Sanhedrin.” My Jewish Learning. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/beit-din/, accessed 8 Dec 2022)3. Mishna Sanhedrin 17b, Online Version from Sefaria. (https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.17b.8?lang=bi, accessed most recently 7 May 2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’ll take one more pass at the Prophets and lay out why we should pay any attention to them, at all. If you like prophets, this should be a hoot! If you don’t like prophets, come on! It’ll still be a hoot!Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. Armstrong Institute Staff. “Can We Trust the Book Of Daniel?” Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, 30 Oct 2019. (https://armstronginstitute.org/955-can-we-trust-the-book-of-daniel, accessed 30 Apr 2025)That’s it! The rest of the references are just me and Jesus! Wow! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’re back in prophecy world where we’ll ask the age-old question, “Lord, why won’t you just tell us what You want us to know?” What’s the worst that could happen? We promise we won’t be sitting in Nazareth, waiting with our golden calves, for the Messiah to show up. You can trust us, Lord! Wow, we’re only on the intro and it’s already getting spicy in here! What happens next? Find out in “Jesus and OPSEC!”Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:* Yes, of course, I know the Churchill quote I used in the pod was talking about Russia in his quote and that it has no bearing on this topic! I borrowed the notation, not the connotation.Another * Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Temple of Jerusalem". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Mar 2012. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Temple-of-Jerusalem, accessed 24 Jul 2022)2. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)3. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)4. Rudd, Steve. Bible Maps, Chronology, Archaeology Graphics: The Essential Collection. Independently published, July 24, 2019 (Also at: https://www.bible.ca/maps/bible-maps-master-index-borders-twelve-12-tribes-israel-promised-land-joshua13-22-conquest-1400BC.htm, accessed 24 Apr 2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Last time, I promised a trip in the Wayback Machine because, obviously, only going back two thousand years might be getting passee. If we’re going to understand what happened in ancient Israel, though, we have to go back to even more ancient Israel and check out the prophets. The hunt for evidence begins now!Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:*Unless otherwise noted, most Bible quotes come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. Sorry, I don’t have a Nostradamus reference. Worse, I’m not planning to get one, either.2. Aslan, Reza. Zealot: The Life and Times Of Jesus of Nazareth. NY: Random House, 2013Ehrman, Professor Bart, “The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History,” Audio Course,The Great Courses, Chantilly, VA3. Safrai, Schmuel. “Jesus and the Hasidim”, Jerusalem Perspective, Numbers 42,43 and 44. Tel-Aviv: Sabinsky Press, 19944. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria, seach for Pesahim and Sanhedrin. (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024.)5. Shaus A, Gerber Y, Faigenbaum-Golovin S, Sober B, Piasetzky E, Finkelstein I (2020) “Forensic document examination and algorithmic handwriting analysis of Judahite biblical period inscriptions reveal significant literacy level.” PLoS ONE 15(9): e0237962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237962 (Accessed 19 Jun 2023)6. Didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 20187. Humphreys, Colin J. “The Star of Bethlehem – a Comet in 5 BC – and the Date of the Birth of Christ.” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 32:389, 1991 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We need to slow down a bit in this episode and develop a witness list. Who should we question when any witnesses related to this case would be, um...dead? Did any of the people who interacted with the Holy Family leave a testimony behind? Where might we find them?Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:*Most Bible quotes come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.1. Bergsma, John. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Image Penguin Random House, 20192. Meinardus, Otto F.A. The Holy Family in Egypt. Cairo, Egypt: The American University in Cairo Press, 19863. Filas, Francis L., S.J. Joseph: The Man Closest to Jesus. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 19624. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. Jesus and Moses – Mary Magdalene. April 26, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/Jesus_and_Moses.pdf, accessed 10 Apr 2023)Historicity of Jesus References:Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1993Pitre, Brant. The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. New York: Image, 2016Windle, Bryan. “Top Ten Historical References to Jesus Outside of the Bible.” Bible Archaeology Report, 18 Nov 2022. (https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2022/11/18/top-ten-historical-references-to-jesus-outside-of-the-bible/, accessed 8 Apr 2025) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

What is an Investigative Plan and how do you put one together? More importantly, how does it pertain to Biblical research? Join us this episode to take some time to build a convincing case, along with some wildly entertaining stories that may or may not have anything to do with the subject. Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:1. New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.2. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Betrothal.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal, accessed 6 Jun and 6 Sep 2022)3. My Jewish Learning. “Ancient Jewish Marriage.” myjewishlearning.com, Copyright 2002-2022 (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ancient-jewish-marriage/, accessed 27 Jan 2022)4. The Greek and a literal English translation of Matthew, Chapter 1, verses 18 and 19 on BibleHub.com (https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1-19.htm, accessed 7 Jan 2022):5. All 63(!) translations of Matthew 1:19 that I compared, courtesy of the Bible Gateway website (https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Matthew%201:19), accessed 7 Jan 2022.)6. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.7. Filas, Francis L., S.J. Joseph: The Man Closest to Jesus. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 19628. Fletcher, Elizabeth. “Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin – Bible Woman” Women in the Bible website, 2006. (http://womeninthebible.net/women-bible-old-new-testaments/elizabeth/, accessed 1 Mar 2022) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. So far, there are seven reasons why Saint Joseph might have wanted to divorce Mary. The suspense is building. Are there other theories? Can I convince you that two thousand years of super smart people missed something critical? I am genuinely interested in your opinion even though today’s episode is called “You’re All Wrong!” Let’s find out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. In today’s episode, we finally get to start tearing into Joseph’s Ordeal. Mary and Joseph had the perfect life planned until.....something changed. What went wrong, up in sunny, scenic Nazareth? Join us to find out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Today’s episode of the Investigators Guide to the Bible is called “The Lay of the Land.” Let’s dig into some of the backstory for The Greatest Story Ever Told. Why do Matthew and Luke give completely different family trees for Jesus? Is it possible that Joseph was 200 years old? Join us to find out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Prelude to Ordeal.” Ooh, suspenseful! So let me ask you: what do Scriptural analysis, spy stories, a Pixar movie and the zombie apocalypse have in common? I managed to jam them all into this week’s episode! We’re having some fun now! I’m Tony. I’m the author and, since I remember most of what I wrote, I’m the narrator, too. I’m efficient like that. Check us out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible, the blogpod for people who read the Bible and say...What?...what does THAT mean? I am super excited to get started and share something with you today. As I was prepping for this week’s blogpod, I reread the first chapters of Matthew and Luke. But this time, I saw something different. We’ll talk about that and so much more. I even managed to find an appropriate Princess Bride reference. Stick around! Like and subscribe for new episodes.Notes and References to make it look like I’m earning my pay:1. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references. The one I used most for this episode is New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 20102. Again, use your Bible for the Gospel passages or, for this example, you can go back to Episode #6, Horizonal Statements, where it is laid out for you.3. Safrai, Chana. “Jesus’ Jewish Parents”, Jerusalem Perspective, Number 40. Jerusalem: Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, 19934. Mishna Tosefta Challah 2.9 (https://www.sefaria.org/Tosefta_Challah_(Lieberman).2.9?lang=bi, accessed most recently on 27 Feb 2025)5. Mishna Kiddushin 29a (https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.29a.8?lang=bi, accessed most recently on 27 Feb 2025) Safrai, Schmuel. “The Role of Women in the Temple”, Jerusalem Perspective, Volume 2, Number 9. Jerusalem: Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, 19896. Mishnah Keritot 1:7, 2:4 (https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Keritot.2.1?lang=bi and https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Keritot.2.4?lang=bi, accessed most recently on 27 Feb 2025)7. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)8. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.9. The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12984-sacrifice, accessed 6 Sep 2022)10. Josephus, Flavius. The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 201311. Pliny the Elder (Caius Plinius Secundis), translated by Dr. Philemon Holland. Natural History. London: George Barclay for the Wernerian Club, 1847-184812. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 199613. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)14. Pliny the Elder (Caius Plinius Secundis), translated by Dr. Philemon Holland. Natural History. London: George Barclay for the Wernerian Club, 1847-184815. Broshi, Magen. “Matrimony and Poverty: Jesus and the Essenes.” Revue de Qumrân, vol. 19, no. 4 (76), 2000, pp. 629–34. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24662972. Accessed 8 Sep 2022 Broshi, Magen. “Qumran and the Essenes: Purity and Pollution, Six Categories.” Revue de Qumrân, Vol. 22, No. 3 (87), June 2006: pp. 463-47416. The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden, available at https://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Bridget%20(Birgitta)%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Prophecies%20and%20Revelations.html, accessed 28 Apr 202217. Schiffman, Lawrence H. "Community Without Temple: The Qumran Community's Withdrawal from the Jerusalem Temple." Qumran and Jerusalem, 2010, pp. 81-97.18. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 199619. ConformingtoJesus.com Map of Jerusalem (https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/jerusalem_in_jesus_time_map_1.jpg) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Conspiracies and Stuff.” Okay, now we’re getting somewhere! Like we did in the last couple episodes, we will cover some of the good and some of the bad you will find out there in Biblical Research Land. This will be the last one on the topic of evidence for a bit and I can hear the collective sigh from both of my adoring fans. Again, I hope you pick up a few tools and tips to use as you listen to lectures and read analysis on Biblical history. If you’re interested, I’m Tony. I’m the author and the narrator. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, ask questions and all that jazz.Notes and References, just to prove I’m not making up this stuff!1. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.2. “The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.” Available on the internet. Feel free to search for it. I don’t have a copy and don’t really want one. It’s dumb.3. Pitre, Brant. The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. Greenwood Village, CO: Augustine Institute, 20174. “The Decretum Gelasianum.” Ernst von Dobschütz, Das Decretum Gelasianum de libris recipiendis et non recipiendis in kritischem Text herausgegeben und untersucht von Ernst von Dobschütz (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1912) Available online at https://www.tertullian.org/decretum_eng.htm, accessed most recently on 18 Feb 2025.5. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 19926. Josephus, Flavius. The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 20137. “Spirit.” The Chosen, season 2, episode 5, Angel Studios, 23 May 2010. https://watch.thechosen.tv/page/seasons%201-3.8. Mishnah: Avodah Zarah (50b), Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Avodah_Zarah.50b.5?lang=bi), accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024.)9. Aslan, Reza. Zealot: The Life and Times Of Jesus of Nazareth. NY: Random House, 201310. Mishnah: Sanhedrin (17b), Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.17b.9?lang=bi), accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024.)11. Francis of Assisi. “Rule of 1221.” The entire First Rule is available at https://www.capdox.capuchin.org.au/legislation/the-unconfirmed-first-rule-of-st-francis/ (accessed 4 May 2022).12. Miller, Father Frederick L. Saint Joseph: Our Father in Faith. New Haven, CT: Catholic Information Service (Knights of Columbus Veritas Series), 200813. Prat, Ferdinand, S.J. Jesus Christ, His Life, His Teaching and His Work, Volume I. Milwaukee, WI: The Bruce Publishing Company, 195014. Aquinas, Saint Thomas. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels. St. Matthew Oxford, John Henry Parker; J. G. F. AND J. Rivington, London. 184115. Calloway, Donald H., MIC. Consecration to St. Joseph. Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 202016. Phillippe, Fr. Marie-Dominique. The Mystery of Joseph. Bethesda, MD: Zaccheus Press, 2010.17. Jerome, Saint, translated by Thomas P. Scheck. “Commentary on Matthew,” The Fathers of the Church, Volume 117. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 200818. Calkins, Arthur B., Fr. “The Justice of Joseph Revisited.” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, June 1988 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Evidence, Part 2,” which is my catchy little naming device to clue you into the possibility that there was a Part 1 and might even be a Part 3! Does it get any better than this? I hope these few episodes help you pick up some tools and techniques to use when deciding if some hotshot analyst is giving you gold or another line of...well, you know.Notes and References1. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024.2. BibleHub.com Interlinear Bible: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1.htm, accessed many, many times between 2021 and 2025.3. BibleGateway.com for Side by Side text Comparisons: https://www.biblegateway.com/, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Evidence, Part 1.” I hope these few episodes give you some tools to sift through the billions of sources, all claiming to give you the inside scoop on what happened 2000 years ago. Here are some sources I talk about in the episode:1. New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 20102. The Didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 20183. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)4. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ's Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)5. Mason, Steve. “Jews, Judaeans, Judaizing, Judaism: Problems of Categorization in Ancient History.” Journal for the Study of Judaism, 38, p. 457-512, 2007.6. Jensen, Morten Horning. “Purity and Politics in Herod Antipas’s Galilee: The Case for Religious Motivation,” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 11-1, p. 3–34, 2013.7. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.8. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Mishnah, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2024.) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Reading Statements Horizontally,” and your response should be, “Um, yeah, reading statements horizontally is generally what we do. Most of us have been reading left to right for a couple years, now.” But what I mean is to read witness statements simultaneously to see what details jump out. I’m Tony. I’m the author and narrator, and I like the way it sounds when it’s smashed together so I remain the authorator. Like and subscribe for new episodes.Notes and References1 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE), The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Notes and References1  Charlesworth, James H., and Mordekhai Aviʿam. "Reconstructing First-Century Galilee: Reflections on Ten Major Problems." Jesus Research: New Methodologies and Perceptions: 103-137. United Kingdom: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 20142  “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.3  “The History of Joseph the Carpenter.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.4  Ratzinger, Joseph, Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. New York: Crown Publishing, 20125  Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 20106  McHugh, John. The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 19757  The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden, available at https://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Bridget%20(Birgitta)%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Prophecies%20and%20Revelations.html, accessed 28 Apr 20228  Martyr, Justin. The First Apology. Translated by Marcus Dods and George Reith. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.9  Sister Mary of Jesus. The Mystical City of God, Book Two. Translated by Fiscar Marison. Washington: Ave Maria Institute, 1971 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Asking Good Questions,” where we will talk about asking questions; why we should ask them and even what kind of questions to ask. As always, I will throw in a couple stories from my work that are as interesting as I can make them, without giving any of the classified details from the job. If you’re tracking episode numbers, you will notice that today’s pod is out of order. My apologies, it’s all my fault. I started recording a week after I started publishing and am catching up. For continuity’s sake, you can listen to this episode before number 4, to keep things in order. After we talk about questions today, I invite you to go to the written version on Substack. There are a bunch of questions that I will chew through, as we go along. Feel free to add to the list. In case you’re wondering, I’m Tony. I’m the author, narrator, editor, sound tech, and whatever else I need to be! Like and subscribe for new episodes. Let’s go! Asking Good Questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Choosing Good Sources,” where I will talk about some of the primary sources I use on the page and why we should or should not trust them. I also get to use cool words, like historicity a lot and try to sound intelligent, doing so. One note is that I will give a bunch of references, if you want to dig deeper on some of these subjects. All of the notes and links are in the written version on Substack. I’m Tony. I’m the author, narrator, and whatever else I need to be! Like and subscribe for new episodes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. Today’s episode is called “Setting the Scene,” where I try to explain why I decided to talk about something other than what I told you I would talk about in this episode. I’m Tony. I’m the author and the guy you blame when the episode is a snoozer, as if that would ever happen. I’m your narrator, too, if you want to comment on my ability to read a script. If you like what you hear, go ahead and subscribe for new episodes. Join us now to....Set the Scene! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com

After 30 years, as a counterintelligence agent, investigator, and director of a large analytic center, Tony Devlin is turning his investigative and analytic experience toward making sense of the Bible. We will pick apart the stories you know and love, always seeking to understand what is in the Bible and what it means. Join us for the Investigators Guide to the Bible! Feel free to leave comments and to subscribe for new episodes! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit investigatorsguidetothebible.substack.com