In this episode we square off against some of the many, many puzzles remaining about who and when we came from, including: 0:00  -  0:58   Intro 0:58  -  4:30   The Hominins 4:30  -  6:52   The Earliest Ancestral Human 6:52  - 22:50   The Mystery and Controversy of H. naledi 22:50 - 41:40  The Walking Anachronisms of Red Deer Cave 41:40 - END    The Final Fate of the Neanderthals      Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

Rushing in again where angels fear to tread. This time into the deep end of the mysterious life of arguably the most influential person in the history of the West, if not the entire world. Who was Jesus? What did he think about himself? Where did he come from, what did he do, how did he die and why?  What were his influences? Was he a disciple of John or not?  Was he married or not? What happened after his death? How do we know any of this? Although not even close to exhaustive, there is a wealth of information in this episode about some of the episodes in the life of Jesus, about what we can and do know about the times and place he lived, about his motivations and influences, and about what happened after his death to vitalize a movement that would take over the Western World.    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

In this episode I cover: --The Brutal Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE --Christ Mythicism, or can we know whether Jesus of Nazareth ever existed? --Mysteries about the genealogies of Jesus --Questions about the location of Jesus' birth    --Especially what on earth were two natives of Nazareth doing in  Bethlehem?   --Was there ever a time that Cesar declared that "all the earth should be taxed"? --What year was Jesus of Nazareth born?  What decade? Art: The History of Being Human by Ian Armstrong Debate on "Christ Mythicism":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzjYmpwbHEA Song: Done too Soon by Neil DiamondBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

In this episode we rush into a mystery where angels fear to tread and search for the Jesus of History.  We visit Palestine of the 1st Century and discuss: --its brutal Roman occupation --its geopolitical situation --the various sects and parties vying for power --Herod and the Herodians --slaughter at the temple --Pontius Pilates complex persona --and even a little Roman intrugue. Now that's something everyone can enjoy!  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

In this edition of the History of Being Human we present our list of the most uncanny, improbable, and influential coincidences in history.  Events that make you wonder at times if there are hidden springs turning the wheels of history that we have yet to discover.   We peek into the into the troubled minds of conspiracy theorists and their followers for a few enlightening moments and also ask the question of how much volitional control we can exert over the moment of our deaths. Art: Oz by Ian Armstrong End song: 1904 by The Tallest Man on Earth email: thobhpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

Armageddon. John of Patmos saw the great battle, where the "demonic spirits" would join "the kings of the whole world" and battle against the armies of "God Almighty." Revelation 16: 14,16 reads: "They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty...Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."  Since then, few words in the English language have carried the power of "Armageddon" -- the great symbol of the end of times apocalyptic battle royale. Why did John see this as the site for his great showdown? What is there about the hill of Megiddo (now Armageddon) that would inspire such violent imagery? Today we find out. We speak with the man who wrote "the" book on the Collapse of the Late Bronze Age and now has written "the" book on the history of the great dig at Har Megiddo and what was found there.   In this interview we cover the VERY violent past of Megiddo, the many battles that were waged there, and its status in the Bronze Age Collapse. Dr. Cline shares rare insights into the writing and teaching and researching life, references his extensive corpus of work, and previews some of his coming releases.   He also paints a sobering, not to say grim, picture of how similar our civilization today is to the end of the Late Bronze, and how a knowledge of history can go a long way toward saving the world. Highlights include comments on the origins of the Sea Peoples, the evidence for EXTENSIVE drought and famine at the end of the Late Bronze, the great plagues of the Hittites and Athens, a cryptic pleading letter from the King of Ugarit, the digs at Megiddo and the 34 battles fought there including Dr. Cline's own digs at Megiddo (!), the Great Temple of Megiddo from the 31st century BCE, John of Patmos and his Revelation of the penultimate battle at the end of time, and why he couldn't possibly have chosen a more apropos place to have a good apocalyptic war. Visit Dr. Cline: ehcline.com Buy his books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=eric+cline&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 Write to me: thobhpodcast@gmail.com Intro song: Kaiak "Run to the Hills" Art: Ian Armstrong  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

You know about them, but do you know them?  This episode we speak with someone who does.  Dr. Assaf Yasur-Landau is a recognized expert in the Canaanites, Philistines, Phoenicians, ancient Israel, and all things Near-Eastern Bronze and Iron Aged both underwater and on land. In this wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Yasur-Landau explains -- as only a working archeologist can -- who the Canaanites were and how they fared in the Collapse of the Late Bronze Age. We talk about who some of the Sea Peoples were, what motivated their incursions into Canaanite lands. We delve into whether there is any archeological evidence for the Exodus and Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, the origins of Ancient Israel, and whether the Gods of Ancient Israel were different from other Canaanite deities. This is also a view of the collapse of the Late Bronze Age among the Canaanites, from a man who is immersed in their world and understands their material culture like few others. Visit his web page: http://marsci.haifa.ac.il/index.php/en/staff/civi-faculty/168-ayasur See some of his work or join a dig (when it's safe to travel again): https://digkabri2019.wordpress.com/ Visit the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tel-Kabri/137882719565782        Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

Today we take a break from the Collapse of the Late Bronze Age to present a primer on the causative agent, the transmission, and the pathology of coronavirus disease (not to be confused with the collapse of the Late Petroleum Age). What is it? Where and what did it come from? How many ways can it transmit? What are its vectors? How does it gain entrance to your body? What happens once inside? Symptoms and signs. Some of this you already know. Some you most likely have never heard or considered.  Much of it, I hope, is worth knowing. Comments, suggestions, or questions? thobhpodcast@gmail.com Protect yourself: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html   Artwork: Oz by Ian Armstrong    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The History of Being Human. The name is different but the podcast is the same. The Sea Peoples, ominous harbingers of the end of an entire age. In this episode we encounter this most mysterious force of destructive pillaging pirate pilgrims in history. The Sea Peoples. All of them, the Sherden, Shekelesh, Denyen, Lukka, Ekwesh, Peleset, Teresh, Tjeker, and of course Weshesh. Who were they? Where did they come from? What did they want?  How did they destroy so many powerful lands? Who could withstand their onslaught? Did their confederation cause the Bronze Age Collapse, or were they also victims of larger forces at play? We read the first hand accounts, such as they are, as we examine the written records from Egypt and Ugarit, the evidence of DNA and physical culture, to learn what we can about these terrifying raiders.  And the truth is, it isn't much.  Most of The Sea Peoples are a mystery that might never be unraveled.  Email me with comments or corrections or questions at thobhpodcast@gmail.com. Let me know if you wish to remain anonymous, just in case I read your comments on the next episode. Cover art: Oz by Ian Armstrong  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

Welcome to the greatest mystery of the ancient world. In the 12 Century BCE, the greatest civilizations of the ancient world were suddenly and violently either eradicated or weakened so badly that they never recovered.  Almost every city of importance was demolished, most of them never inhabited again.  The Late Bronze Age was a dynamic, intriguing, optimistic time with vast nations and empires trading, writing letters, building and creating, traveling, intermarrying, and making war. And all of it, incomprehensibly, would end in a period of a few decades.  This episode is an introduction to the Empires and Kingdoms of North Africa, the Aegean, Levant, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia -- the worlds original (semi) global society    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.