Danny Jones Podcast #363 - Explosive Bible Debate: Exiled Language Expert vs Ancient Religion PhD | Ammon Hillman & Luke Gorton
Jan 12, 2026
Dr. Luke Gorton, a classicist and expert in ancient Mediterranean religions, and Dr. Ammon Hillman, a specialist in ancient medicine and pharmacy, engage in a fiery debate on ancient texts. They explore the interpretation of Jesus' actions in non-canonical literature, the significance of Greek in the ancient world, and the fascinating intersections of magic and medicine. Surprisingly, their discussion reveals controversies in academia and personal stories that led to a reevaluation of faith and scholarship, mixing humor and serious analysis throughout.
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Professor Expelled Over Historically Accurate Play
- Ammon describes being fired from a Catholic college after staging a historically accurate Medea with phallic props, which provoked claims of demon possession.
- He turned the censored dissertation material into The Chemical Muse to document ancient drug use and its suppression.
Classics Is A Wide, Linguistic Landscape
- Luke explains classics studies the Mediterranean world broadly, not just literature, and requires Greek and Latin mastery to read surviving evidence.
- He stresses that New Testament texts sit inside this wider linguistic and cultural world and benefit from cross-disciplinary study.
Anchor Biblical Claims In Language And Context
- Read biblical texts in their original languages and study Greek from 200 years before to 200 years after for real context.
- Avoid pulling isolated verses out of context and build concentric contextual layers around passages.
