Biblical Time Machine

Latest Episodes:

Meet the New Team Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

The Time Machine is back... with some changes!

Join Helen and her new co-host, ancient history Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, as they discuss what they're working on at the moment: everything from ancient Babylon, the Hittites and Persia's first lady to ancient 'lives' and the historical Mary.

They are also joined by the show's new researcher and producer, Dr John Nelson. They explore John's research on the absence of a physical description of Jesus in the Gospels, and ask how Jesus came to acquire the familiar appearance he has today.

This episode also offers a glimpse into what is coming up on Season 4: Dale Allison on Interpreting Jesus, Sean Tougher on Eunuchs in the Bible & Beyond, and Louise Lawrence on Disability and the Gospels, among many others!

SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE

If you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travellers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.

DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHY

Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Where are Helen and Dave? A BTM Update Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

It's been a while, but there are some big changes in the works for Biblical Time Machine! For more details, check out our post on Patreon.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Let's Talk About "Judeophobia" in the New Testament May 26, 2025

Show notes

Sadly, the origins of many antisemitic tropes and prejudices can be traced back to the New Testament, in which "the Jews" are cast as the religious "other" against which the Jesus movement is self-defined. As a result, Christians carry around a lot of un-historical and anti-Jewish assumptions are repeated in Sunday School classes and even the halls of academia. Let's fix that!

Our guest Meredith Warren just co-edited an excellent book called Judeophobia and the New Testament. Meredith joins Helen and Dave to dig into the origins of the Bible's anti-Jewish rhetoric and discuss new ways of reading these texts without belittling or condemning Judaism.

SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE
If you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.
DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHY
Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Why the Bible Loves Cyrus the Great May 19, 2025

Show notes

Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire, arguably the greatest empire of the Ancient Near East. Cyrus wasn't only a hero to the Persians. In the Hebrew Bible, Cyrus is the only non-Jew that God calls His "anointed one" or "messiah." But does Cyrus really deserve his reputation as the "liberator" of the Jews from Babylon or is it all a piece of ancient propaganda?

The incomparable Lloyd Llewelyn-Jones joins Helen and Dave to discuss the glory of the Persian Empire and how Cyrus was interpreted by biblical authors. For more great stuff from Lloyd, check out his latest books:

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Biblical Law—Was 'Eye for an Eye' Really Enforced? May 12, 2025

Show notes

The laws and punishments meted out in the Bible sound pretty harsh. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—not to mention all of the commandments that are punishable by death! Ancient law expert Bruce Wells joins Helen and Dave to answer the question: were biblical laws really enforced? How did they compare with other law codes from the Ancient Near East like Hammurabi? And if they weren't enforced, why do laws play such a central role in the Hebrew Bible?

Check out Bruce's books:

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

What Was the Council of Nicaea (Really)? May 05, 2025

Show notes

According to The Da Vinci Code, all sorts of wild things happened at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, chose the books of the New Testament. The role of women in the Church was suppressed. And most importantly, a bunch of powerful bishops decided (by a slim margin) that Jesus Christ was actually divine.

As our guest Sara Parvis explains, the Council of Nicaea was indeed a momentous meeting, but for very different reasons.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

The End of the World According to Paul Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Matthew Novenson is back and he's brought some exciting (wild, even) new ideas about our old friend Paul. In his latest book, Paul and Judaism at the End of History, Matt argues that Paul believed he was living through the end of the world. Paul wasn't "against" Judaism or the law—he simply believed that Jesus's death and resurrection had ushered in a new reality with new rules.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

A Second Look at the Second Coming Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

With Easter in the rear view mirror, we take a long-overdue look at the next chapter in the story of Jesus: the Second Coming. Scholar Tucker Ferda is making waves with some compelling new ideas about the origins of Second Coming prophesies. He joins Helen and Dave to discuss what Jesus himself might have believed about the End of Days and His role as the prophesied Son of Man.

We highly recommend Tucker's new book, Jesus and His Promised Second Coming: Jewish Eschatology and Christian Origins.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Easter: What's the Story with Barabbas? Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

The enigmatic figure of Barabbas appears in all four gospels as a "bandit" or "insurrectionist" who is released from prison by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus. In this special Easter episode, Helen and Dave explore the (many) theories about Barabbas' backstory and what he may have represented to the gospel authors.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

The Bible Says What?! with Dan McClellan Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

What does the Bible really say about controversial topics like slavery, abortion, homosexuality, Satan and the Apocalypse? Everybody has their take, but few have the ability to interrogate the texts and their ancient origins with as much insight as our guest, Dan McClellan.

Dan McClellan is a public scholar of the Bible and religion with a PhD in theology & religion from the University of Exeter. Since 2023, Dan has dedicated himself full-time to combating misinformation about the Bible and religion and increasing public access to scholarship. Dan is co-host of the terrific Data Over Dogma podcast with his buddy Dan Beecher.

Pre-order Dan's new book, The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues which hits bookstores on April 29, 2025.

SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.
DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHY
Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.

Support the show

Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 + 5 produced by John Nelson.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected