The Bible Lore Podcast

This one's all about Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, an oddball devotee of the moon god Sin whose reign ends up becoming the basis for some of Daniel's most infamous stories. Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Buy Between Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-Rashid: https://bookshop.org/p/books/between-two-rivers-ancient-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-history-moudhy-al-rashid/9a6c9713e7d1cb21 Keyvan Golsorkhi on Iran:   https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-diaspora-war-trump-israel/ Data Over Dogma on seeing the face of God:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohh4Huzfn2U Bibliography:   Paul-Alain Beaulieu - 'Nabonidus the Mad King';   Paul-Alain Beaulieu - 'Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon';   Moudhy Al-Rashi - 'Between Two Rivers';   John Collins - 'Daniel';   Hallo & Younger - 'The Context of Scripture Vol 1-3';   Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';   Radner, Moeller, Potts, et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition';   Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Pietersma, Wright - 'A New English Translation of the Septuagint'; 

Hello wonderful Patreon subscribers and freeloaders (whom I also love). Today's episode is a special one, an extended conversation with Andrew Tobolowsky about the myth of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Hebrew Bible and then later in everything from early Christianity to the Black Hebrew Israelites. Plus, a small announcement, now in custom written form: the pace of this show has slowed down due to my gaining of employment (steel foundry maintenance helper, an insane job for the young or delusional-and-mid-30s). Because this happened nearly overnight (I applied and started working within four days), I haven't had time to address the slowdown until now, nearly a month after my last release. My sincere apologies. Here's the rub: for the near future, I'll be shifting to releasing one episode per month, with occasional bonus content for Patrons only, and a move to two-week early access for all content for my Patreon subscribers, the blessed Shaddayim. If that's not enough content for your $5, I totally get it; I'm obviously as bummed as you are that the show has slowed down. It's no worries at all. You'll still be able to enjoy all free scripted episodes and Bible at the Movies episodes on the free tier. My main goal, which I will not abandon despite its Quixotic nature, is to tell the entire history of the Bible and how it accrued the lore it did in a format that's accessible to just about anyone. The breadth of this journey and the massive scope of this history is something that could keep this show going for many years, until I inevitably have to figure out how to tell the story of a quarter of the planet in a coherent way. I hope you'll all stick with me through this slower period, cuz I'm not leaving. Buy Andrew's books: The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel Israel and its Heirs in Late Antiquity Subscribe to the Patreon to support this show: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast  

We get right back into the 6th century as we explore the latter years of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and the chaos of his three immediate predecessors. On the lore side, this episode features a lengthy discussion of the origins of the Sabbath, various Judahite festivals, seeing the face of Yahweh himself, and an ancient board game! Try the Royal Game of Ur yourself: https://royalur.net/ Bibliography: Radner, Moeller, Potts, et al, 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V'; Christian Frevel, 'History of Ancient Israel'; Robert Alter, 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary'; Berlin, Brettler, et al, 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition'; Irving Finkel, 'The Ark Before Noah'; Jon Levenson, 'Israel's Day of Light and Joy'; Jacob Wright, 'Why the Bible Began'; Moudhi Al-Rashi, 'Between Two Rivers'; Hallo & Younger, 'The Context of Scripture Vols. 1-3'; Paul-Alain Beaulieu, 'The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556-539 B.C.'; Glassner & Foster, 'Mesopotamian Chronicles'; Wolfram von Soden, 'Der neubabylonische Funktionär simmagir und der Feuertod des Šamaš-šum-ukīn'; Rainer Albertz, 'A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament Period, Vol. II'; https://www.thetorah.com/article/does-a-day-begin-in-the-evening https://www.thetorah.com/article/shabbat-of-the-full-moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gF4YGKRXxc https://www.thetorah.com/article/shabbat-mid-fifth-century-bce

PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE BEFORE LISTENING. THIS IS NOT A JOKE. CLICK THIS LINK ASAP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUkeQM_QsCA This episode released a week early for Patreon subscribers. Join their ranks and support the show here: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast This time, I've got Luke and Jesse from Stores podcast to talk about the greatest Christian movie of all time: Black Easter: Assassin 33 A.D. (Director's Cut). Check out Stores, a podcast about stores: https://www.patreon.com/c/storesthepodcast/home

This episode released a week early for Patreon subscribers. Happy New Year to all, and especially all of my wonderful subscribers here! After the holidays and an extended period of congestion, we're back in the 570s BCE. I talk about the precious little archaeological evidence for the Torah outside of two magic scrolls, and the overall reasons scholars believe the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, were not only five individual books but also composed of multiple source texts. That's right, today is the big introduction to the Documentary Hypothesis. There is a whole lot going on here, so I've provided some additional resources below for anyone interested in diving deeper, including a link to some helpful companion videos and a chart showing the way the Torah is divided by scholars. Join the Patreon:   https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast David Carr's video on the composition of the Pentateuch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myY62SoqLPk A link to Joel Baden's division of the Pentateuch rendered in KJV, and handy chart showing the composition of the Torah's sources according to his division: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Bible/King_James/Documentary_Hypothesis Paul Davidson's video on Eden's location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BceHNgc3dzg Bibliography: David Carr, 'Genesis 1-11'; David Carr, 'The Formation of Genesis 1-11'; Joel Baden, 'The Composition of the Pentateuch'; Konrad Schmid, 'Genesis and the Moses Story'; Marc van de Mieroop, 'A History of the Ancient Near East'; Stephanie Dalley, 'Myths from Mesopotamia'; Hallo, Younger, 'The Context of Scripture, Vol. 1-3'; Herodotus, de Sélincourt (translated by), 'The Histories'; Robert Alter, 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary'; Berlin, Brettler, et al, 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition'; Richard Friedman, 'The Bible with Sources Revealed'; https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-tower-of-babel-a-polemic-against-marduks-temple-esagil https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/miniature-writing-ancient-amulets-ketef-hinnom/ https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-decalogue-ten-commandments-or-ten-statements

Jerusalem is a smoldering ruin, and the king is dead. The destruction of the temple of YHWH leads to one of the most eclectic and strange and disturbing books of the Bible, as the prophet Ezekiel rants and rages about the failings of Judah. Also I talk about weed. Get bonus content and support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography: Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel'; Moshe Greenberg - 'Ezekiel 1-20; 21-37'; Herodotus, de Sélincourt (tr) - 'The Histories'; Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy'; Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary'; Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition'; Radner, Moeller, Potts, et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V';

Hello all! As I'm currently putting together a few episodes that have taken a touch longer than anticipated, I thought I'd unlock some Patreon-exclusive content for everyone to enjoy. Find more bonus content here and become a subscriber to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast

It's the grand finale of the first part of the history of the Bible: the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar the Second. The last king of Jerusalem, Zedekiah, repeats the same mistake made by his brother Jehoiakim and bets against Babylon. As we explore this fateful event, scholar Eric Harvey takes us through the way the elites of ancient society exploited the working class, and how some of the most famous creation stories in all of mythology act as justification for this economic arrangement. Get Eric's book:   https://bookshop.org/a/117081/9781009559911 And check out his website:   https://www.blindscholar.com/ And subscribe to the Patreon: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Bibliography:   Eric Harvey - 'Reading Creation Myths Economically in Ancient Mesopotamia and Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';   Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';   Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition';   Radner, Moeller, Potts, et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V'; 

We bring Jerusalem to the brink of total destruction and explore the roots of astrology, as we near the end of the Judahite monarchy. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography:   Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';   Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Moudhy al-Rashid - 'Between Two Rivers';   Geza Vermes - 'The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition';   Seth Schwartz - 'Imperialism and Jewish Society';   Radner, Moeller, Potts, et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V';   Hallo, Lawson, and Younger - 'The Context of Scripture';   https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/nabonidus-the-first-archaeologist/ https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-5-jerusalem-chronicle/

Kipp Davis joins the pod again, as we say farewell to a king and an empire. Josiah's time on the throne meets an abrupt and unexpected end, leaving the kingdom of Judah reeling, and Assyria gets its send-off, as the kingdom is conquered by the Babylonians. Buy Kipp's book: https://bookshop.org/a/117081/9781069638502 Support the show and join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Buy books mentioned in the show from this affiliate link:  https://bookshop.org/shop/biblelorepodcast Bibliography: Radner et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East Volume IV'; Radner et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume V'; Kipp Davis - 'God's Propaganda';   Eckart Frahm - 'Assyria';   Andrew George - 'The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic';   Robert Cargill - 'The Cities That Built the Bible';   Vicente Dobroruka - 'Persian Influence on Daniel and Jewish Apocalyptic Literature';   Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible';   Charles Dickens - 'A Tale of Two Cities';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';   Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Stephanie Dalley - 'The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon'; 

This episode released early for Patreon subscribers. Support the show and join the ranks of the Shaddayim here:  https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Kipp Davis returns to walk us through the reign of Josiah, the monarch against which all others are measured in the book of Kings. The Assyrian Empire crumbles, Jerusalem rejoices, and the righteous king begins his crusade to centralize all worship in Judah's capital. Check out Kipp's book here:  https://bookshop.org/a/117081/9781069638502 And his YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/@DrKippDavis Buy books mentioned in the show from this affiliate link:  https://bookshop.org/shop/biblelorepodcast Bibliography:  Eckart Frahm - 'Assyria';  Radner et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East Volume IV';  Radner et al - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: Volume V';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible';  Berlin et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition';  Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7l37SSVImE

This episode came out early for Patreon subscribers, so make sure to become a supporter here: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Max (Palma) introduces me to the terrific French Bible epic parody, Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ. Join us as we determine whether the movie is racist and homophobic and Orientalist or just French! Check out The Drain: https://www.patreon.com/thedrain/home And buy some of the books you've heard mentioned on the show from my affiliate shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/biblelorepodcast

This episode release several early for paid subscribers. To get early access along with hours of bonus content, and to support the show, become a member of the Patreon here: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast This time, I'm elated to bring on Dr. Eckart Frahm, who is the John M. Musser Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University, and whose wonderful book, Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire, is a must-read for fans of the show (click the affiliate link). We talk about the management of empire under the idiosyncratic king Ashurbanipal, whose handling (or mishandling) of Assyria will set the stage for its downfall, and the long afterlife as a cultural figure that Ashurbanipal would have in the Greek tradition, where he was known as the corrupt king Sardanapalus.

This episode came out early for Patreon subscribers, so make sure to become a supporter of the show here: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast It's child sacrifice time again at the Bible Lore Podcast! Yay! This time I talk about the real mlk sacrifice sites discovered throughout the Mediterranean, the real Manasseh, and the way both biblical authors and modern apologists attempt to deflect and obfuscate the connection between proper Yahweh worship and child sacrifice. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Bibliography: Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice';   Heath Dewrell - 'Child Sacrifice in Ancient Israel';  Coogan & Smith - 'Stories from Ancient Canaan';  Coogan & Metzger - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible';  Shelby Brown - 'Late Carthaginian Child Sacrifice';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Hallo & Younger - 'The Context of Scripture, vol. 1-3';  Charles Krahmalkov - 'Phoenician-Punic Dictionary';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';   Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and NJPS with adaptations https://www.thetorah.com/article/giving-your-firstborn-son-to-god https://www.thetorah.com/article/how-exodus-revises-the-laws-of-hammurabi https://www.thetorah.com/article/isaac-before-he-was-abrahams-son https://x.com/timothybarnett/status/822992422888239104

Here's an extended preview of today's Patreon episode. To get full access to the interview, become a paid member here: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast I am absolutely honored to welcome Bob Cargill to the show to talk about all things Melchizedek, as well as the use and abuse of archaeology to attempt to legitimize claims from Israeli settlers in the modern Palestinian West Bank. Check out more from Bob here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TIKnUUWEhh1nspJ62komg https://classics.uiowa.edu/people/robert-cargill https://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

We're BACK to watching the Bible on the screen, as I'm joined by Brigham Young Money podcast's Jordan, aka @slclunk, to dive into an evangelical/Mormon foray into prestige TV Jesus. This time it's Angel Studios' pilot for The Chosen: if the streaming era has been marked by bloat, The Chosen is conservative Christianity's answer to this boring trend. Watch as all the minutiae of the gospels are extended ad nauseam with needless and tedious backstories, long establishing shots, and heavy abuse of speedramping. This episode is out EARLY for Patreon supporters, so make sure to back the show by becoming a member here: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast

Patreon subscribers get early access to this episode! This time, I'm talking about one of the most taboo and horrifying topics in the Bible: child sacrifice. This first of two episodes on the subject covers some of the biblical laws and rhetoric and folktales about child sacrifice, while the next will go over the practice in archaeology and history. Today I answer a few questions: was Isaac actually killed in his famous binding? Did Yahweh give a law commanding the sacrifice of the first born? And what does Ishtar's descent into the underworld have to do with the tragic tale of Jephthah's daughter? Join the Patreon for early access to episodes, along with bonus content:   https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Bibliography: Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice';   Heath Dewrell - 'Child Sacrifice in Ancient Israel';  Coogan & Smith - 'Stories from Ancient Canaan';  Coogan & Metzger - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Hallo & Younger - 'The Context of Scripture, vol. 1-3';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';   Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and NJPS with adaptations https://www.thetorah.com/article/giving-your-firstborn-son-to-god https://www.thetorah.com/article/how-exodus-revises-the-laws-of-hammurabi https://www.thetorah.com/article/isaac-before-he-was-abrahams-son

This week's episode, we spend a lot of time with Assyrian king Esarhaddon, whose hellbent insistence on ensuring his own son's succession was not a repeat of his own disastrous rise to the throne that he promulgated a treaty text to the far corners of the Assyrian empire, a text that would be reworked to be a treaty between Yahweh and his people in Judah. All of this and so much more on this week's episode! Support the show on Patreon and get hours of bonus content and early access to episodes: https://www.patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Bibliography:   Stavrakopoulou - 'King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice';  Hayes - 'Hidden Riches';  Younger - 'The Context of Scripture, Vol. 4';  Van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Frahm - 'Assyria';  Podany - 'Weavers, Scribes, and Kings';  Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible';  Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Berlin & Brettler - 'The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd Ed.';  Radner, Moeller, and Potts - 'The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Vol. IV' Neujahr - 'Predicting the Past in the Ancient Near East';  Adams and Goff - 'The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature';  https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/solar-eclipse-substitute-king ;

This is part 2 of the story of the prophet Isaiah, the Judahite King Hezekiah, and the Assyrian Emperor Sennacherib. We explore prophetic oracles, a tortured cultural pizza metaphor, divine snakes, and more on purity and sacrifice from scholar Eve Feinstein. Support the show on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/c/BibleLorePodcast   Check out the Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Bibliography: Eve Levavi Feinstein - 'Sexual Pollution in the Hebrew Bible';  Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible (Second Edition)';  Daniel McClellan - 'YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach';  Barton & Stavrakopoulou - 'Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah';  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy';  Eckart Frahmn - 'Assyria';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Finkelstein and Silberman - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Van der Toorn, Becking, van der Hoorst, et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible';  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/hezekiahs-tunnel-reexamined/ https://thestateoftheology.com/data-explorer/2022/7?AGE=30&MF=14&REGION=30&DENSITY=62&EDUCATION=62&INCOME=254&MARITAL=126&ETHNICITY=62&RELTRAD=62&EVB=2&ATTENDANCE=254 https://www.thetorah.com/article/hezekiahs-reform-the-archeological-evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e2kuETGoOM&list=PLpQ8NT-8yU1qbtN4sHO8I-r4fJI27Adlg  

This is part 1 of the life and times of the prophet Isaiah, Judahite King Hezekiah, and Assyrian King Sennacherib. A lot of political history in this one, folks. Featuring an interview with Dr. Eve Levavi Feinstein, who provides important context on the concept of purity in the Hebrew Bible. Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/BibleLorePodcast   Check out the Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/   Bibliography: Eve Levavi Feinstein - 'Sexual Pollution in the Hebrew Bible';  Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible (Second Edition)';  Daniel McClellan - 'YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach';  Barton & Stavrakopoulou - 'Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah';  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy';  Eckart Frahmn - 'Assyria';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Finkelstein and Silberman - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Van der Toorn, Becking, van der Hoorst, et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible';  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/hezekiahs-tunnel-reexamined/ https://thestateoftheology.com/data-explorer/2022/7?AGE=30&MF=14&REGION=30&DENSITY=62&EDUCATION=62&INCOME=254&MARITAL=126&ETHNICITY=62&RELTRAD=62&EVB=2&ATTENDANCE=254 https://www.thetorah.com/article/hezekiahs-reform-the-archeological-evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e2kuETGoOM&list=PLpQ8NT-8yU1qbtN4sHO8I-r4fJI27Adlg  

Welcome to the Rapture, which doesn't seem too bad, all things considered. Thanks to Tom Sexton and Tarence Ray! Check out the Trillbillies: https://www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty And to support this show, become a member of the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast  

This time on the Bible Lore Podcast, we bring our kingdom of Samaria to an end. Along the way I talk about an important baby whose mother saves him from certain death by secreting him away in a basket on a river: Sargon. And scholar Seth Sanders returns to the show to talk about the prophetic critique, Israelization, and much more. Outro music: Mustafa - Gaza is Calling Check out Seth's work:   https://sethlsanders.wordpress.com/ Subscribe to the Patreon:   https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography: Christopher Hayes - 'Hidden Riches';   Irving Finkel - 'The Ark Before Noah'; Thomas L. Thompson - 'The Mythic Past';   Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';   Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';   Eckart Frahm - 'Assyria';   Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';   Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';   Berlin, Brettler, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';   Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue with adaptations  

This week we're taking the Bible into the unholiest of unholies: the cinema! Join me and Radio WFYM's Alex Nichols as we venture into Darren Aronofsky's biblical fantasy epic and talk about God's hog. Go see WFYM live in Beacon NY on June 7: https://www.theyardbeacon.com/upcoming-events/toy-pizza-expo-five-points-fest-present-wfym-world-tour For more Good Content: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast    

This episode I explore the emergence of Assyria as the world's first proper empire, with all of the impressive achievements and horrifying consequences this implies, as Israel descends into the chaos of a series of coups. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography:  Finkelstein & Silberman - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Amanda Podany - 'Weavers, Scribes, and Kings';  Eckart Frahm - 'Assyria';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  

This time, I cover a couple of forgotten queens of history, Dido and Shammu-Ramat, the reign of GOAT Israelite King Jeroboam II, and the prophet Amos, whose book is a social justice screed against the rich and powerful.  Join the Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Check out my Instagram account:  https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Check out Dig's video on Ramath's Yahwistic kings:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzRnnLVVIzc  Bibliography:  Hallo and Younger - 'The Context of Scripture';  Shuichi Hasegawa - 'Aram and Israel during the Jehuite Dynasty';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Cogan & Tadmor - 'II Kings: A New Translation with Commentary';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Eckart Frahm - 'Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire';  Amanda Podany - 'Weavers, Scribes, and Kings';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  Mark Fisher - 'Capitalist Realism';  https://armenianweekly.com/2017/06/28/my-name-is-shamiram/ Some Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the NJPS with adaptations  

A while back, I did an interview with scholar Dan McClellan. Since his new book, The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues just came out, I decided to unlock that episode from behind the paywall! Make sure to buy Dan's book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bible-says-so-what-we-get-right-and-wrong-about-scripture-s-most-controversial-issues-daniel-mcclellan/21752470?ean=9781250347466&next=t And subscribe to the Patreon for more interviews like this one: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast  

Today we say farewell to one last Omride queen while watching the brief fall of Assyria and the brief rise of Aram-Damascus. Along the way I talk about another two identically-named kings who might be the same guy, as well as a lot of lists! Tap in, gang, it's Bible Lore Day once again! Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography: Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Shuichi Hasegawa - 'Aram and Israel During the Jehuite Dynasty';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  David Carr - 'The Formation of Genesis 1-11';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  Liane Feldman - 'The Consuming Fire';  Cogan & Tadmor - 'II Kings: A New Translation with Commentary';  James Charlesworth - 'The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha';  Some bible quotations taken from the NRSVue with adaptations  

This week, we're going Rashomon mode as I examine the end of the Omrides and the rise of Jehu from several different angles, bringing in contemporary inscriptions and conflicting biblical narratives on the same events - one author considers Jehu's rise as direct divine providence, while another calls it a blood-soaked coup and the first domino that would lead to the Israelite kingdom's eventual collapse. Come along for a wild ride as I try to figure out just what happened at Jezreel in 841 BCE. https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Bibliography: Van Der Toorn, Becking, et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  Coogan, Smith, et al - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible';  Shuichi Hasegawa - 'Aram and Israel During the Jehuite Dynasty' Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary';  David J. A. Clines - 'Psalm 2 and the MLF (Moabite Liberation Front)';  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/what-does-the-mesha-stele-say/  

Apologies for the reupload, ran into a Spotify issue. This time, I bring Jezebel's story to a close and inch us closer to the end of the Omride Dynasty, with special guest scholar Dr. Jonathan Stökl giving context to just what prophecy was in Biblical times.  Check out Dr. Stökl's work here: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/jonathan-stokl#tab-1 Support the show by becoming a Patreon member: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/ Bibliography: Jennifer Knust - 'Unprotected Texts';  John Day - 'Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Near East';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Jonathan Stökl - 'Prophecy in the Ancient Near East';  Mordechai Cogan - 'I Kings: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary';  Cogan & Tadmor - 'II Kings: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Christian Frevel - 'Recent Issues in History: Can We Speak of a United Monarchy or an Independent Judah?' (Oxford Handbook of the Books of Kings) Coogan & Smith - 'Stories from Ancient Canaan';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  Marsha C. White - 'The Elijah Legends and Jehu's Coup'; Christian E. Hauer - AJS Review of Marsha C. White. 'The Elijah Legends and Jehu's Coup'; Theodore Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God';  The Inquisitive Bible Reader - 'Did Jezebel Murder Naboth? A 3,000-Year-Old Murder Mystery': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqWFuRpI_1w  

Before we get to the end of Ahab and Jezebel, let's finally introduce Yahweh, the god of Israel, and compare him to Ba'al and El, his predecessors.  RIP Ka - check out his album Descendants of Cain. Bibliography: Coogan, Smith, et al - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible'; Theodore J. Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God';  John Barton - 'A History of the Bible';  Daniel McClellan - 'YHWH's Divine Images';  Annette Yoshiko Reed - 'Demons, Angels, and Writing in Ancient Judaism';  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy';  Andrew George - 'The Epic of Gilgamesh';  John Day - 'Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Christian Frevel - 'When and from Where did YHWH Emerge?';  Van Der Toorn, Becking, et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible';  Berlin, Brettler, Fishbane, et al - 'The Jewish Study Bible';  Nissim Amzallag - 'YHWH: The Kenite God of Metallurgy';  https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/sidebar/does-the-bible-disapprove-of-masseboth/ Chrissy Hansen - 'Why You're Incorrect About "Yahweh and His Asherah"' https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/bethel-the-forgotten-god-of-israel/ https://x.com/shutupmikeginn/status/403359911481839617?lang=en  

We made it to ten, gang! And we've mostly made it out of the Bronze Age Collapse. In this, my first completely solo episode, the Bible gets its earliest confirmed real characters who existed outside of legend, but it's not all sunshine and roses as we immediately confront three women who get a pretty unfair rap in the book of Kings: Ma'acah, Asherah, and Jezebel. Check out my Instagram account for this week's accompanying post, which includes archaeological images and a map of West Asia in the early Iron Age. Support the show, subscribe on Patreon: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/   Bibliography: Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Finkelstein & Silberman - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Israel Finkelstein - 'The Forgotten Kingdom';  Theodore J. Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God';  Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East';  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary';  Emanuel Pfoh - 'The Emergence of Israel in Ancient Palestine';  Benjamin Sommer - 'The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel' Andrew Tobolowsky - 'The Sons of Jacob and the Sons of Herakles';  William Dever - 'Did God Have A Wife?';  Susan Ackerman - 'Warrior, Dancer, Seductress, Queen';  Susan Ackerman - 'Gods, Goddesses, and the Women Who Serve Them';  Coogan & Smith - 'Stories from Ancient Canaan';  Rashid Khalidi - 'The 100 Years' War on Palestine';  Raanan Eichler - 'Aaron's Flowering Staff: A Priestly Asherah?';  John Day - 'The Table of Nations: The Geography of the World in Genesis 10';  Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the NJPS with adaptations  

In this bonus episode, Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid takes us on a deep dive into the material culture and cuneiform writing of Mesopotamia, as detailed in her wonderful book 'Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History'. Pre-order Moudhy's book (available now globally, releases in August in the US): https://bookshop.org/p/books/between-two-rivers-ancient-mesopotamia-and-the-birth-of-history/e5c3d4bc2810d13d?ean=9781324036425&next=t& Follow her on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/moudhy.bsky.social  

This time we pick back up on the history of the emergence of Israel and the Hebrew language before diving deep into the complicated lore that connects Jeroboam I, Jeroboam II, Moses, Aaron, and Jacob/Israel. Along the way we look at early Hebrew and West Semitic alphabetic inscriptions with the brilliant Seth Sanders here to guide us. Check out Seth's blog here: https://sethlsanders.wordpress.com/ Bibliography: Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Shinan & Zakovitch - 'From Gods to God';  Finkelstein & Silberman - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Theodore J. Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God'; Van der Toorn et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible'; Esther Hamori - 'God's Monsters'; David Wright - 'Inventing God's Law'; Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary';  Youn Ho Chung - 'The Sin of the Calf';  Coogan & Metzger - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible'; John E. Anderson - 'Jacob and the Divine Trickster'; Seth L. Sanders - 'The Invention of Hebrew'; Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the JPS Jewish Study Bible with adaptations https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-depiction-of-jeroboam-and-hadad-as-moses-like-saviors https://www.abibledarkly.com/2021/06/golden-calves-israels-origins.html

This week, we're talking about the historical Solomon, the city of Jerusalem, and the practice of slavery as described in the Bible and practiced in Ancient West Asia. Special guest Dr. Josh Bowen stops by to talk about all things slavery, debt servitude, and corvee labor. Digital Hammurabi website: https://www.digitalhammurabi.com/ Digital Hammurabi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digital_hammurabi/ Digital Hammurabi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitalhammurabi/ Bibliography: Joshua Bowen - 'Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?';  Drescher & Engerman - 'A Historical Guide to World Slavery';  Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Joel Baden - 'The Historical David'; Finkelstein & Silbermann - 'The Bible Unearthed';  Coogan & Smith - 'Stories From Ancient Canaan'; Metzger & Coogan - 'The Oxford Companion to the Bible'; Van der Toorn et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible'; 'The SBL Study Bible' https://www.mems-usa.org/blog/2020/11/19/a-deeper-take-on-labor-trafficking https://www.aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/prisoners-are-getting-paid-145-day-fight-california-wildfires https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-theft-2021-23/

This time I bring Chapo Trap House's Chris Wade along as we dive into the story of David's ascension to king in both history and legend.  Check out Chris and Molly's other podcasts here: https://soundcloud.com/and-intro-pod https://soundcloud.com/infinite-cast   Bibliography: Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Joel Baden - 'The Historical David';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Emanuel Pfoh - 'The Emergence of Israel in Ancient Palestine';  Andrew Tobolowsky - 'The Sons of Jacob and the Sons of Herakles';  Andrew Tobolowsky - 'The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel';  Kyle McCarter - 'I Samuel';  Kyle McCarter - 'II Samuel';  Susan Ackerman - 'When Heroes Love';  Jennifer Knust - 'Unprotected Texts';  Sara Diamond - 'Spiritual Warfare'; Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the NJPS with adaptations;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wtBBVnyX3A https://www.thetorah.com/article/dating-deborah https://www.thetorah.com/article/boaz-married-ruth-at-the-threshing-floor-a-grammatical-solution-to-ruth-4-5 https://rbecs.org/2014/01/31/thd/ https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211133201/netanyahus-references-to-violent-biblical-passages-raise-alarm-among-critics https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/11/benjamin-netanyahu-amalek-israel-palestine-gaza-saul-samuel-old-testament/  

It's history week on the Bible Lore Podcast. This time, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Kipp Davis talks with me about the real and invented history of the conquest of Israel set in the book of Joshua. This episode serves as a sort of bird's eye view of all the history we're going to see between now and the mid-Second Temple Period, because in order to understand the Bible as a book, we have to understand the perspective of the people who wrote, collected, edited, and venerated these texts. Check out Kipp's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKippDavis Our full interview will be on the Patreon in a few days for members: https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Bibliography: Christian Frevel - 'History of Ancient Israel';  Mario Liverani - 'Israel's History and the History of Israel';  Finkelstein and Silbermann - 'The Bible Unearthed';  John Barton - 'A History of the Bible'

This week's a special episode, where we take a break from history (mostly) and spend our time recounting the Epic of Gilgamesh, the GOAT of ancient literature that gets referenced and quoted in the biblical texts. I've got brief portions of my interview with Professor Susan Ackerman, where we talk about the liminality that allows for potentially homoerotic readings in both Gilgamesh and the story of David and Jonathan in the book of Samuel. For the full interview with Susan Ackerman and to support the show, become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/BibleLorePodcast Bibliography: Andrew George - 'The Epic of Gilgamesh';  Irving Finkel - 'The Ark Before Noah';  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy';  Susan Ackerman - 'When Heroes Love';  Kerry Sonia - 'Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel';  Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary';  Shinan & Zakovitch - 'From Gods to God';  Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the NJPS with adaptations

This time on the Bible Lore Podcast, we bid our farewell to the Bronze Age. Joining today is Dr. Kerry Sonia, who is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Colby College and author of the wonderful book 'Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel'. Join us as we check out the Baal Cycle, El's Drinking Party, and other Ugaritic texts, and definitively answer your most pressing existential question: what happens when we die (in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age)? Buy Kerry's book here: https://cart.sbl-site.org/books/061731P Support the Bible Lore Podcast by subscribing to the Patreon, which gives you access to my full interview with Dr. Sonia and more bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/biblelorepodcast Bibliography: Kerry M. Sonia - 'Caring for the Dead in Ancient Israel'; Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East'; Hallo and Younger - 'The Context of Scripture'; Daniel Fleming - 'Yahweh Before Israel'; Donald Redford - 'Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times'; Eric Cline - '1177 B.C.'; Van der Toorn et al - 'Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible'; Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary'; Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy'; Andrew Tobolowsky - 'The Sons of Jacob and The Sons of Herakles'; Coogan & Smith - 'Stories from Ancient Canaan'; Theodore Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God'; John Day - 'Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan'; Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and the NJPS with adaptations  

The Bible Lore Podcast Episode 3: Sundown - This time, we finish the story of Akhenaten's brief religious/political heresy, inducting a new Egyptian dynasty from the ashes of the Aten and setting the stage for the Bronze Age Collapse. Discover the TRUE origins of monotheism and Steve Martin's SNL King Tut sketch.    Thanks again to Dan McClellan - pre-order his book, The Bible Says So here: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/ Check out Dan's podcast, Data Over Dogma: https://www.youtube.com/@dataoverdogma   Written and edited by Hayden Tank Artwork by Amanda Tank - amandatank.com   Christopher Hayes - 'Hidden Riches' Ronald Ridley - 'Akhenaten: A Historian's View' Donald Redford - 'Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times' Eric Cline - '1177 B.C.' Theodore J. Lewis - 'The Origin and Character of God' Daniel McClellan - 'YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach' Reza Aslan - 'God: A Human History' Robert Alter - 'The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary' Marc van de Mieroop - 'A History of the Ancient Near East' Francesca Stavrakopoulou - 'God: An Anatomy' Emanuel Pfoh - 'Syria-Palestine in The Late Bronze Age' Richard Elliott Friedman - 'The Exodus' Daniel Fleming - 'Yahweh Before Israel' Konrad Schmid - 'Genesis and the Moses Story' Hallo and Younger - 'The Context of Scripture' https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-queen-who-would-be-king-130328511/ Additional Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue with adaptations  

Pre-order Dan's book, The Bible Says So https://linktr.ee/maklelan Written and edited by Hayden Tank Artwork by Amanda Tank Subscribe to the Patreon for bonus content Bibliography: Christopher Hayes - Hidden Riches  Ronald Ridley - Akhenaten: A Historian's View  Donald Redford - Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times    Eric Cline - 1177 B.C.  Theodore J. Lewis - The Origin and Character of God  Daniel McClellan - YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach  Reza Aslan - God: A Human History   Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary  Marc van de Mieroop - A History of the Ancient Near East  Francesca Stavrakopoulou - God: An Anatomy  Emanuel Pfoh - Syria-Palestine in The Late Bronze Age  Richard Elliott Friedman - The Exodus   Daniel Fleming - Yahweh Before Israel  Schmid - Genesis and the Moses Story   Hallo and Younger - The Context of Scripture  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-queen-who-would-be-king-130328511/   Additional Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue with adaptations  

In our first bonus episode, Patrons will be able to check out the full interview with Assyriologist Megan Lewis that I used for our Hammurabi episode. Check it out! https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-interview-116972200

In the beginning... Digital Hammurabi website Digital Hammurabi Instagram Digital Hammurabi Facebook Amanda Tank artwork Bibliography: David Carr, The Formation of Genesis 1-11 Marc van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East Marc van de Mieroop, King Hammurabi of Babylon Christopher Hayes, Hidden Riches Theodore Lewis, The Origin and Character of God Wilfred Lambert, Babylonian Creation Myths David Wright, Inventing God's Law John Barton, A History of the Bible Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary Van der Toorn et al, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible John Day, God's Conflict with the Dragon and the Sea Hallo and Younger, The Context of Scripture Kyle McCarter, II Samuel Pete Enns, 'Genesis 1 and a Babylonian Creation Story' Paul Davidson, 'Shamgar Son of Anat and Israel's Age of Heroes' https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/complaint-tablet-to-ea-nasir-the-oldest-recorded-customer-complaint Berlin, Brettler, et al, The JPS Jewish Study Bible Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue with adaptations