Biblical Time Machine

Did you know there's not a single mention of God, prayer, or prophets in the Book of Esther? So how did this entertaining tale of beauty contests, banquets, and impaled bad guys make it into the Hebrew Bible? Special guest Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones joins Helen and Dave to discuss the ancient Persian origins of the Book of Esther. Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

The Second Temple in Jerusalem was a wonder of the ancient world and the center of Jewish life. In this episode, Dave and Helen describe the grandeur of the Temple complex after a major upgrade under Herod the Great, how Temple sacrifices worked, and why money changers played an important role (even if Jesus wasn't a fan). Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

What were the Jewish origins of baptism? Did people really wear camel hair and eat bugs? According to Josephus, was John the Baptist a "bigger deal" than Jesus? Special guest Joan Taylor joins Helen and Dave to discuss how John the Baptist fits into the 1st-century world of the New Testament. Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Women played a hugely important role in Jesus’s inner circle and in early Christianity, but the New Testament only gives us a few tantalizing clues. In this episode, Helen and Dave fill in the forgotten stories of Jesus’s female disciples. Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

The New Testament wasn't handed down from on high as a complete and fully formed text. The books of the NT were written by different individuals at different times to meet the spiritual needs of different communities. Join Dave and Helen as they explore the historical roots of the "Good Book" and the people who wrote it. Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Helen, an accomplished author specializing in the historical context of Jesus, joins to dissect the real figure behind the many interpretations. The conversation navigates the difference between the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith, shedding light on Enlightenment-era perceptions. They explore the diverse religious landscape of Jesus' time, including expectations of the Messiah and societal empowerment. Helen also discusses the linguistic shifts from Aramaic to Greek and the intriguing findings related to the early Gospel of Mark and maritime archaeology.