The Bible Lore Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 9: The Bull, the Goat, and the Donkey (feat. Seth Sanders) Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep. 8: The Bible, Slavery, & You (feat. Josh Bowen) Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

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/

Ep. 7: Hell of a King (feat. Chris Wade) Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

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/

Ep. 6: Conquest (feat. Kipp Davis) Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

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'

Ep. 5: Gilgamesh & the Deluge Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

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

Ep. 4: Disintegration feat. Kerry Sonia Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

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

Ep. 3: Sundown feat. Dan McClellan Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

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

Ep. 2: Praise the Sun! feat. Dan McClellan Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

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

Patreon Preview: Megan Lewis Interview Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

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

Ep. 1: Hammurabi feat. Megan Lewis Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

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

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