Exploring the connections between the Epic of Gilgamesh and biblical tales, the hosts dive into themes like guilt, grief, and humanity. They discuss the cultural influence and universal appeal of the epic, highlighting its impact on different cultures. Delving into the complex character of Gilgamesh, they unravel the contradictions within his persona and explore the parallels between ancient myths and biblical narratives.

Episode: Suzanna Millar and Sébastien Doane introduce us to a newer field in biblical studies that focuses on animals in the Bible and ancient Near East. Millar and Doane co-chair "The Bible and Animal Studies" program unit at the Society for Biblical Literature. Guests: Dr. Suzanna Millar is the Chancellor's Fellow in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at the University of Edinburgh. She co-edited the Cambridge Companion to Biblical Wisdom literature, and is also interested in ecology and non-human animals. She's also editing the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Animals and is writing a book tentatively entitled Animals and Power in the Books of Samuel. Dr. Sébastien Doane is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the Université Laval. He's the author of several books, including Questions controversées sur Jésus (Montréal, Novalis, 2023) and Analyse de la réponse du lecteur au récit des origines de Jésus en Mt 1-2 (Leuven, Peeters, 2019). He's currently writing Reading the Bible Amid the Environmental Crisis: Interdisciplinary Insights to Ecological Hermeneutics (Lexington). Image Attribution: By Syrischer Maler um 1335 - The Yorck Project (2002), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159265 Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World continue by becoming a regular donor. Live Event! If you’d like to attend our live event in San Antonio on Nov 19, click HERE.

Azzan Yadin-Israel, Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University, explores the fascinating journey of the forbidden fruit from biblical texts to its modern identity as an apple. He discusses the linguistic and cultural transformations that shaped this iconic symbolism. The conversation also touches on interdisciplinary connections, including insights from music, particularly Bruce Springsteen. Azzan emphasizes the need for collaboration in academia to deepen our understanding of biblical narratives and their ongoing relevance in popular culture.

Professor Erica Ferg discusses the impact of geography on religious history in the Eastern Mediterranean, exploring topics such as the Baal Cycle from Ugarit, biblical story of Elijah, and the interconnectedness of religious traditions in the region. The podcast highlights the agricultural focus in biblical research, geographical influence on religious stories, evolution of worship from Baal to Yahweh, and modern implications of religious history in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Episode: This episode covers new terrain for Biblical World. Amy speaks with Ron Simkins about the environmental crisis, ancient Israel, and an economy of enough. This is part 1 of our series on "The Bible and Nature".  Guest: (From the Creighton University website) Ronald Simkins is Professor of Theology and Classical & Near Eastern Studies at Creighton University. He also directs the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, with specialties in the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel, Hebrew, and epigraphy. He regularly teach courses on the Hebrew Bible, archaeology, and history. He's the founding and general editor of the Journal of Religion & Society. He has also produced the digital archaeology project, The Virtual World Project (http://www.virtualworldproject.org), which enables scholars and students to take virtual tours of archaeological sites in Israel and Jordan. He, along with other colleagues, continue to contribute to the project. Simkins is the author of Creator and Creation: Nature in the Worldview of Ancient Israel (Hendrickson, 1994), Yahweh’s Activity in History and Nature in the Book of Joel (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1991), and most recently, Creation and Ecology: The Political Economy of Ancient Israel and the Environmental Crisis (Cascade, 2020). Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: Biblical World co-host Kyle Keimer discusses his research on King Hezekiah's preparations for the Assyrian attack in 701 BCE. How do archaeologists determine the nature and extent of Hezekiah's defensive network? Did the Judeans use fire signals? How did the king prepare for war (and pay for it)? Listen in for a fascinating discussion of Keimer's archaeological, biblical, and geographical thoughts on this crucial event in Judah's history.  Guest: Kyle Keimer is Senior Research Fellow in the Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University, where he was Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, History, and Language of Ancient Israel. He also lectures at Jerusalem University College. For over 20 years he has been excavating in Israel and Cyprus and was co-director of the Khirbet el-Rai excavations. He loves digging as much as he loves working with ancient texts, especially the books of 1-2 Samuel and Isaiah. His research currently focuses on the early Israelite monarchy in text and archaeology. He’s co-edited Registers and Modes of Communication in the Ancient Near East (Routledge) and The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge), and he's published articles in various journals. His UCLA Ph.D. dissertation was on "The Socioeconomic Impact of Hezekiah’s Preparations for Rebellion." Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris chat with Shlomit Bechar of Haifa University about her recent book Political Change and Material Culture in Middle to Late Bronze Age Canaan (Eisenbrauns 2022). We tackle the topic of how changes in the material culture relate to political events (in particular the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt and Thutmose III's campaign to Canaan), the excavations at the mega-site of Hazor, the challenges in defining archaeological periods, literary archives in Hazor, and we even hear about Kyle almost finding the long-sought archive at Hazor. We also hear about Shlomit's new project excavating in the lower city of Hazor. Guest: (from the Univ. Haifa website) Shlomit Bechar is a senior lecturer at the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. She is the director of the excavations in the Lower City of Tel Hazor in the Upper Galilee. Shlomit specializes in ceramic analysis to ask questions relating to social differentiation, interconnections between different cultures, trade relations, economic change and challenges, and more recently to identify methods of resilience to climate change. She combines the study of pottery and architecture with geochemical and geophysical aspects, environmental considerations, economic processes and the wider socio-political context, while leading and joining several interdisciplinary research projects. Her current projects examine the interactions between humans and environment in wetlands, focusing on the inland wetland of the Hula Lake, identify the creation of memory and narratives through archaeology, and study the daily life of people in the Middle and Late Bronze Age. Link to Dr. Bechar's excavation in the Lower City of Hazor https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/dig/tel-hazor-lower-city/#directorsSec   Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: Chris and Kyle chat with Ken Dark about his work in and around Nazareth, which has illuminated our understanding of early Roman-period Nazareth. Ken talks about his survey on the northern outskirts of Nazareth, his re-analysis of the Franciscan excavations at the Church of the Annunciation, and his work at the nearby Sisters of Nazareth Convent. Guest: Prof. Ken Dark (KCL London) He’s the author of Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth (OUP), The Sisters of Nazareth Convent: A Roman-Period Byzantine and Crusader Site in Central Nazareth (Routledge), and Roman Period and Byzantine Nazareth and its Hinterland (Routledge), and he’s the co-author of books like Hagia Sophia in Context, The Landscape of Roman Britain, and Constantinople. Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image Attribution: Nazareth (1657) By Jansson, Jan, 1588-1664 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nazareth_1657.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120977092

Episode: This wide-ranging interview explores the joys, travails, and wonders of archaeology related to the history and context of the Bible. Discussion focuses on Pauline archaeology, especially on Cyprus, but also his excavations in Kazakhstan, Sudan and elsewhere. Guest: (from the Libscomb University website) has forty years of experience as an archaeologist, working extensively in Cyprus, the Near East, Egypt, Central Asia, and the United States. He started his archaeological career as a professional archaeologist for a private company in the USA from 1991-2003. He next served (2003-2011) as Director of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) in Nicosia, Cyprus, one of the premier archaeological research centers in the Eastern Mediterranean. Before coming to Lipscomb University, Tom was a Professor of Archaeology from 2011-2020 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth Texas. Dr. Davis currently directs the Lanier Center excavations at the early Christian site of Kourion (Cyprus). He also serves as Project Co-Director and Field Director, of the Ilyn Balik Expedition, Kazakhstan, as Project Coordinator for the Recordation Project of the West Wall of the Cour de la Cachette in the Temple of Karnak, Luxor Egypt, and as Co-director for the Nuri Pyramid Project in Sudan. Dr. Davis has lectured extensively in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia. He's the author of Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology. Image Attribution: On site image from https://www.lipscomb.edu/news/sculpture-young-boy-highlights-lanier-work-kourion-summer Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Delve into the archaeological treasures of Jerusalem that illuminate Passion Week. Discover the intricate history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, including its architectural marvels and the significance of Jesus's trial. Explore burial practices that shaped the city's landscape and hear about the complexities of religious coexistence at this iconic site. Uncover evidence related to Jesus's crucifixion and burial, revealing how archaeology intertwines with biblical narratives to deepen our understanding of these pivotal events.