History in the Bible

Latest Episodes:

3.34 Show Finale- Speculations V: 100-700 CE Jan 21, 2024

Show notes

The last episode in the show. I give a big thank you to all my listeners, and a brief biographical sketch. Then I finish the series with three more speculations. First, what if Marcionism had become the orthodoxy of the imperial church incorporate? Second, could Manichaeism have swallowed up the church? And finally, could the church have survived and prospered had it not become the state religion of the Roman empire?

3.33 Speculations IV: 100-400 CE Jan 14, 2024

Show notes

Four more speculations. I argue that an important element of Christianity's success was that it quickly transformed itself into what I call the imperial church incorporate. Would Christianity have succeeded had it not done so? Second, could Mithraism have triumphed over the church? Third, could the Gnostic variants of Christianity come to dominate? Finally, the Jewish arm of the church vanished after the Bar Kosiva revolt of 132. What might have happened had that group survived and thrived?

3.32 Speculations III: 35-100 CE Jan 07, 2024

Show notes

More speculations and alternative histories! Our first diverges from our own timeline in about the year 35. What if Jesus had not been executed by the Romans, but had lived on to see the Great Judean Revolt of 66 CE. What would he have made of it? Second, let's say that Jesus died when did, a generation before the Great Revolt. What might have happened if his chief apostles Peter and Paul had lived to witness the Roman attack on Judea? And third, let's move on to about the year 100, when Christians first fell under the Roman gaze. Would the church have flourished earlier and more strongly if the Roman state had never persecuted it?

3.31 Speculations II: 50-66 CE Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

This is the second episode in a series of speculations and alternate histories. This time: What if Christian missionaries had never preached to the pagans? Second, what may happened if Christian missionaries had ignored the Roman empire, and proselytised in Parthia, instead? Third, what would have become of Christianity if the Jewish revolts had never occurred, and the Temple stood to the end of the empire?

Bonus 58: The Gadarene Swine Dec 10, 2023

Show notes

In this bonus, I continue my collaboration with Steve Guerra of the "History of the Papacy" show (www.atozhistorypage.com/), and Scott McCandless of the "Retelling the Bible" podcast (retellingthebible.wordpress.com/). In this bonus we revisit Scott's show on the Gadarene swine.

I also have a reminder of Gil Kindron's and my course on Isaiah, in January 2024. For more information, go to podcastofbiblicalproportions.com/courses.

3.30 Speculations I: 30-65 CE Nov 19, 2023

Show notes

This is the first episode in a series of speculations and alternate histories. This time: what if John the Baptist was bigger than Jesus? What if Paul had split to form his own independent movement?

Bonus 57: Growing Christianity, with Bernie Maopolski Nov 05, 2023

Show notes

In this bonus, Bernie Maopolski of Fan of History (https://shows.acast.com/history) invites me onto his "Whats New In History" segment. We discuss my ideas about how Bible scholars have it all wrong about the mathematics of the growth of Christinaity in the Roman Empire, and how I have corrected their errors. I also have some announcements about my final episodes, and about my forthcoming book of the show.

Bonus 56: Abraham's Three Mysterious Visitors Oct 01, 2023

Show notes

In this bonus, I continue my collaboration with Steve Guerra of the "History of the Papacy" show (https://www.atozhistorypage.com/), and Scott Mcandless of the "Retelling the Bible" podcast (https://retellingthebible.wordpress.com/). In this show we revisit Scott's show on Abraham's three mysterious vistors.

I also have an announcement about the final episodes in my main narrative, and a forthcoming book.

3.29 The Last Heirs of Abraham III: Survivors of the Jungle Aug 05, 2023

Show notes

The revolt of Bar Kosiva against Rome failed, as had the Great Revolt. The Roman punishment destroyed almost all the many blooms living in the mighty jungle that was Second Temple Judaism. Only two species escaped the immolation: rabbinic Judaism, and Christianity. The imperial punishment also destroyed the Jewish wing of the church incorporate, leaving the franchise to follow its own path. With a shout-out to the great Rabbi Akiva.

3.28 The Last Heirs of Abraham II: Fall of the Temple Jul 16, 2023

Show notes

The Temple's destruction also destroyed all the many varieties of Second Temple Judaism, save for the emerging rabbinic movement, and the nascent Christian movement.

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