Biblical World

Episode: In this on-location episode, Chris McKinny interviews Steven Notley about identifying and exploring the ancient city of Bethsaida/Julias. This is a crossover episode with OnScript and the new In Context university from Lipscomb University where Chris McKinny teaches.  Guest: Dr. R. Steven Notley is Dean of the School of Religious Studies at Pillar College.  He was Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins on the New York City campus of Alliance University (2001-2023).  He received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University, where he studied with David Flusser.  Notley lived sixteen years in Jerusalem with his wife and four children, during which time he was the founding chair of the New Testament Backgrounds program at the Jerusalem University College.  He has been leading groups of students and laypeople to Israel and the eastern Mediterranean region for over 35 years.  He is the author of many books and articles.  He continues collaborative research and publication with Israeli scholars in the fields of historical geography, ancient Judaism and Christian origins.  Among his list of publications, he collaborated with Flusser on the historical biography, The Sage from Galilee:  Rediscovering Jesus’ Genius (Eerdmans 2007); with Anson Rainey (Tel Aviv University) the monumental biblical atlas, The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World (Carta Publishing 2005); with Ze’ev Safrai (Bar Ilan University) an annotated translation of Eusebius’ important description of Roman Palestine, Eusebius, Onomasticon:  A Triglott Edition with Notes and Commentary (Brill 2005).  He rejoined Safrai for their second work, a pioneering collection and translation of the earliest rabbinic parables that provide the literary and religious context for the parables of Jesus, The Parables of the Sages (Carta 2011). Since 2016 he has served as the Academic Director of the El Araj Excavation Project in its search for first-century Bethsaida-Julias, the lost city of the Apostles. (from the Pillar College website - https://www.pillar.edu/team-members/r-steven-notley-phd) Photo Attribution: The “chief of the apostles” invoked in this mosaic inscription from biblical Bethsaida—being cleaned by Professor Notley and his wife, Sunya—must refer to Saint Peter the Apostle, indicating a special connection between the site and the saint. Photo from BAR website, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/where-is-the-house-of-saint-peter-the-apostle/. Give: Help support the OnScript and Biblical World podcasts HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!  

Prof. Ilker Mimiroglu, a Turkish archaeologist specializing in early Christian and Byzantine art, leads the new excavations at ancient Lystra. He discusses the city’s 7,000-year history, strategic trade routes, churches, mausoleums, and Christian burials. The conversation also explores the search for Paul’s Lystra, discoveries beneath the mound, and plans to welcome visitors and researchers.

Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, Baylor Hebrew Bible scholar and field archaeologist, joins Libby Backfish, an Old Testament scholar specializing in Psalms and Septuagint studies. They explore how archaeology and theology illuminate ancient Israelite life, from household structures and marginalized people to levirate marriage, gleaning, ritual, and feasting. Discover how everyday practices shaped Israel’s theology and vision of community, hospitality, and flourishing.

Paul N. Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies and editor of a new volume on John and archaeology, argues John contains rich historical and topographical detail. He highlights archaeological matches at Bethesda and Siloam. He traces composition layers, chronology, and how John relates to the synoptics. He explores geography, typology with Hebrew Bible echoes, and why scholarship is rethinking John's historicity.

James K. Hoffmeier, Egyptologist and emeritus professor who has done decades of Sinai and Egyptian fieldwork. He surveys new Sinai fieldwork, paleoenvironmental studies, and excavations reshaping Exodus geography. He revisits Ramesside evidence at Tel el-Maskuta and Wadi Tumilat, discusses Egyptian parallels for cultic objects and iconography, and reflects on the state of biblical archaeology.

Jason Borges, Associate Director of the Asia Minor Research Centre and scholar of early Christian history. He tours Greco-Roman cities, showing how civic spaces like basilicas, agoras, baths, and necropoleis shaped Christian practices. He traces architectural symbolism, courtroom scenes in Acts, urban-rural dynamics, funerary cults, and how classical myths and local legends color Gospel contexts.

They walk through spectacular 2025 archaeological discoveries, from a massive Lamassu at Nineveh to rare Assyrian reliefs featuring apkallu. New finds include an Assyrian burial in Jezreel, a possible cuneiform tribute from Jerusalem, and muon imaging that revealed hidden caves. Other highlights: a Hellenistic pyramid, redated Dead Sea Scrolls, and fresh evidence from Megiddo and the Siloam Pool.

Episode: Back by popular demand is our Best Archaeological Finds series, and this one for 2025 (we’re well into 2026, we know, but if you listen, it'll all make sense!). Enjoy this first of our series on these 2025 finds, where we discuss some really cool discoveries! Legends of the Lost Ark: To learn more about Chris' new movie and to find how to buy tickets ... https://www.legendsofthelostark.com/ Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor. Image Attribution: Santorini Island, Greece By NASA - http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02673Transferred from English Wikipedia ;, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=188759

The hosts dive into Tablet 11 of the Epic of Gilgamesh, focusing on the great flood and Utnapishtim's recounting of events. They discuss Gilgamesh's quest for immortality, his eventual failures, and the irony of human limitations. The narrative explores divine motives, the construction of the ark, and the trials faced after the flood. Themes of memory, legacy, and the ethics of survival are analyzed, alongside Gilgamesh's repeated mistakes and the symbolism of snakes. It all ties back to the enduring memories inscribed in the walls of Uruk.

Dr. Stephen Carlson, an Associate Professor in Biblical and Early Christian Studies, shares fascinating insights about the Nativity story. He challenges the traditional idea of the 'inn,' revealing that the Greek term 'kataluma' actually means 'place to stay.' Carlson discusses the marriage dynamics of Mary and Joseph, the role of the census in Luke's narrative, and how typical Judean household layouts reflect the story's themes of humility and poverty. His analysis redefines common assumptions, blending textual criticism with rich historical context.