Biblical World

Latest Episodes:

Digging Up Israel‘s Past - Cynthia Shafer-Elliott Sep 15, 2021

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Episode: We're going back to the dirt in this episode with Cynthia Shafer-Elliott. We talk about bee hives, the Daniel diet, Ezekiel bread, gender & archaeology, and why Cynthia is willing to get up at 4am for weeks at a time each summer. This is a republished episode.

Guest: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies in the The Faculty of Theology and School of Christian Leadership at William Jessup University. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Dr. Shafer-Elliott is an experienced field archaeologist in Israel and is currently part of the archaeological excavation team at Tell Halif, Israel. She’s the author of The Five Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant which is a user-friendly exploration of basic concepts within archaeology and the techniques and methods used by archaeologists in the field. She’s also written F ood in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible (Equinox).

Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

If you like this: Check out our episode with Jonathan Greer about his co-edited book Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament

Jewish Bible Translations - Leonard Greenspoon with Mary Buck Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Episode: For this episode Mary Buck is joined by Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. Dr. Greenspoon discusses his recently published book, "Jewish Bible Translations," which represents an important contribution to our understanding of translation and transmission history, especially in Jewish communities from ancient to modern times. Host: Mary Buck Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Ancient Israel in the Digital Age - Bob Cargill Sep 01, 2021

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Episode: In this episode Chris and Kyle speak with Robert (Bob) Cargill about digital humanities—what those are and how they are done in the archaeology of ancient Israel and in biblical studies—technology and the potential for cutting edge research, and his recent book on Melchizedek. Along the way, Bob shares stories of travels in Israel, providing quality resources for people interested in the Bible and archaeology, and meaningful moments in Israel.

Hosts: Chris and Kyle

Summary: Bob, Chris, and Kyle discuss the following topics: the role of digital humanities in archaeology and Biblical studies; Melchizedek traditions; technology and research; public archaeology. Check out Bob's book The Cities that Built the Bible (HarperOne).

Links: www.bobcargill.com/home.html

Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament - Jonathan Greer Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Episode: Jonathan Greer joins the show to talk about a big project he just co-edited on the history, context, archaeology, culture, and world of the Old Testament. Jonathan shares from his own work digging at Tel Dan, a very significant site for understanding the Jerusalem Temple and worship in ancient Israel. They discuss major archaeologists, the historicity of events in the Bible, the interaction of faith and critical study, and much more. This episode is republished from our OnScript podcast.

Guest: Jonathan Greer is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Director of the Hesse Memorial Archaeological Laboratory at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has written extensively on the history and context of the Bible. He's the author of Dinner at Dan: Biblical and Archaeological Evidence for Sacred Feasts at Iron Age II Tel Dan and Their Significance (Brill, 2013) and the co-editor with John Hilber and John Walton of Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Baker Academic, 2018).

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you’d like to support the Biblical World podcast as we grow and develop.

If you like this episode: Check out our OnScript episodes on the Isaiah Seal Impression, and The Ancient World of the Bible.

Five Views on the Exodus (pt 5) – Peter Feinman Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Episode: This is part 5 in our look at views on the Exodus from Egypt. In this episode, Chris and Kyle speak with Peter Feinman about the Levite-Hyksos view. Peter Feinman is the author of The Exodus: An Egyptian Story.

Hosts: Mark Janzen (Louisiana College) and Chris McKinny (Gesher Media)

Summary: In this episode, Mark and Chris interview Peter Feinman about the following:
- The Egyptian evidence for the Israelite Exodus
- The Hyksos and their possible connection to the Exodus
- The importance of the Exodus to Jewish and Christian believes and its connection to Passover and Easter

Additional Resources: 2021 Janzen, Mark (ed.). Five Views of the Exodus. Zondervan

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Excavating the Borderlands (Tel Burna) - Chris McKinny Aug 18, 2021

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Episode: Chris McKinny sits down with Kyle Keimer to discuss the Tel Burna Archaeological Project, where he's been digging for over a decade. This important borderland site of biblical Libnah offers some important insights into historical Judah.

They discuss the following topics:
- The identification of Tel Burna with biblical Libnah
- The Canaanite cultic remains found at Tel Burna
- The Judahite fortress and gate with destructions from the 10th (Shishak?), 8th (Sennacherib), and early 6th centuries (Nebuchadnezzar) BC

Links: Tel Burna Archaeological Project; Itzick Shai’s (Tel Burna director) academia page

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you'd like to support the Biblical World podcast as we grow and develop.

Excavating Judah in the Time of Philistines - Kyle Keimer Aug 11, 2021

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Episode: In this episode Chris and Kyle discuss the archaeology of Khirbet er-Ra‘i/Arai, a small site in the southern part of Israel that dates from the end of the Late Bronze Age into the early Iron Age IIA (ca. 13th-10th c. BC). This site is proving to be exceptional for this time period and appears to be the key site in the region, having taken over this role from the nearby site of Lachish following its destruction in the mid-/late-12th c. BC. Specific finds, including the recent Jerubba’al inscription, as well as the ancient name of the site are also covered. Chris and Kyle discuss whether or not Arai was biblical Ziklag.

Hosts: Kyle Keimer (MacQuarie University) and Chris McKinny (Geshur Media)

Detail: Chris and Kyle discuss the following topics:
- The archaeology of Khirbet Arai; the Iron Age I context of the site
- identity/ethnicity of, and cultural interaction between Canaanites, Philistines, and Israelites
- the early Iron Age chronology debate; Dating the arrival of the Sea Peoples/Philistines
- the recently discovered Jerubba’al inscription
- the ancient name of Khirbet Arai—is it biblical Ziklag?

More information about Khirbet El-Rai.

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Five Views on the Exodus (pt 4) - James K. Hoffmeier Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

Episode: This is Part 4 of our look at Five Views on the Exodus, this time with James Hoffmeier. Hoffmeier makes the case for a 13th century BC exodus from Egypt. In this episode, Mark and Chris interview James Hoffmeier about the following:
- The Egyptian evidence for the Israelite Exodus
- “Egyptianisms” in the Pentateuch
- The historicity of the Exodus events and its importance to the Old Testament as a whole
- The importance of the Exodus to Jewish and Christian believes and its connection to Passover and Easter

Hosts: Mark Janzen (Louisiana College) and Chris McKinny (Gesher Media)

Guest: James K. Hoffmeier

Additional Resources: 2021 Janzen, Mark (ed.). Five Views on the Exodus. Zondervan; (podcast) Thinking Exodus: Egyptology and the Bible (James K. Hoffmeier)

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Five Views on the Exodus (pt 3) - Gary Rendsburg Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Episode: This is part 3 of our 5 part look at five views on the exodus from Egypt. In this episode, Gary Rendsburg presents the 12th century BC view.

Hosts: Mark Janzen (Louisiana College) and Chris McKinny (Gesher Media)

Guest: Gary A. Rendsburg (Rutgers University)

Summary: In this episode, Mark and Chris interview Gary Rendsburg about the following:
- The Egyptian evidence for the Israelite Exodus
- “Egyptianisms” in the Pentateuch
- The historicity of the Exodus events and its importance to the Old Testament as a whole
- The importance of the Exodus to Jewish and Christian believes and its connection to Passover and Easter

Additional Resources: 2021 Janzen, Mark (ed.). Five Views of the Exodus. Zondervan; Gary Rendsburg’s publication page

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Architecture of the City of David - Chris McKinny & Mary Buck Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Episode: Chris McKinny and Mary Buck discuss the archaeology and architecture of Iron Age Jerusalem.

Hosts: Mary Buck (Shepherd’s Seminary) and Chris McKinny (Gesher Media)

Summary: In this episode, Mary and Chris discuss the following:
- The topography of ancient Jerusalem.
- The history of research related to the “Millo” in Jerusalem (Judg 9:6, 20; 2 Sam 5:9; 1 Kgs 9:15, 24; 11:27; 2 Kgs 12:20; 1 Chr 11:8; 2 Chr 32:5).
- The archaeology of the City of David and the Spring Tower.
- The identification of the Millo/House of Millo with the Spring Tower fortifications based on a new suggestion by Chris McKinny, Aharon Tavger, Nahshon Szanton, and Joe Uziel.
- The narrative implications of the Gihon Spring (1 Kgs 1:33, 38, 45), ṣinnor (2 Sam 5:8), and the Millo/Spring Tower being the same location.

Additional Resources: Haaretz article on the Radiocarbon project of Uziel and Gadot; BiblePlaces “Warren’s Shaft”

Photo by Yoav Dothan - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8255891

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

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