Biblical World

Episode: In this episode Chris and Kyle speak with Andrea Berlin about the Hasmonean expansion in the Galilee. The bigger historical picture is discussed, along with how to integrate text and archaeology. Andrea speaks about her work at Tel Anafa and Tel Qedesh and how the results at these two sites have helped to illuminate the “Galilee of the Nations” in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Guest: Andrea Berlin (James R. Wiseman Chair in Classical Archaeology, Professor of Archaeology and Religion, Boston University). See her recent book, The Middle Maccabees: Archaeology, History, and the Rise of the Hasmonean Kingdom (edited with Paul J. Kosmin). For more of Andrea’s work, see her Academia.edu page: https://bu.academia.edu/AndreaBerlin Hosts: Chris and Kyle Summary: Andrea, Chris, and Kyle discuss the following topics: the “Middle Maccabees” and Hasmonean expansion into the Galilee; relating text and archaeology; the dynamic changes in Hellenistic and Roman period Galilee; Andrea’s excavations at Tel Anafa and Tel Qedesh. Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!    

Episode: Holly Beers and David deSilva discuss life in the first century with Biblical World host Lynn Cohick. Holly and David both wrote novels that explore life on the ground in Ephesus, giving readers a unique opportunity to experience Paul's world in a very personal way. Today we discuss Holly's book A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman (IVP Academic) and David's book A Week in the Life of Ephesus (IVP Academic). Guests: Holly Beers (Westmont College) and David deSilva (Ashland Theological Seminary)  Host: Lynn Cohick Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: In this episode, Kyle and Chris interview Erez Ben-Yosef (Tel Aviv University) concerning his work on the 11th through 9th century BC copper industry in the Arabah of Israel and Jordan. The discoveries of the last decade or so - in Timna and in Feinan - have revolutionized our understanding of ancient Edom and its relationship with Israel, Phoenicia, and Egypt. Erez has also argued that archaeologists have tended to reconstruct history with an "architectural bias" when in reality there existed complex societies that did not leave large-scale archaeological remains. This has massive implications for understanding the biblical account - particularly in the early Iron Age. Resources: * For the Vetus Testamentum paper on “The Architectural Bias in Current Biblical Archaeology” and other publications of Professor Ben-Yosef: https://telaviv.academia.edu/ErezBenYosef/Papers * For his most recent edited book, Mining for Ancient Copper: Essays in Memory of Beno Rothenberg (Eisenbrauns 2018): https://www.eisenbrauns.org/books/titles/978-1-57506-964-7.html * The Timna Valley Expedition website: https://www.tau.ac.il/~ebenyose/CTV/And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentralTimnaValleyProjectCtv Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode: In this special Halloween OnCrypt Biblical World episode Chris and Kyle speak with Matt Suriano about Israelite mortuary belief along with Matt’s work on the Jerusalem necropolis in Silwan (east, southeast of the Old City). Matt discusses elite and royal burial customs in ancient Israel as he articulates why ancestors were important and what this means in biblical literature.   Guest: Matthew Suriano: https://jewishstudies.umd.edu/directory/matthew-suriano Hosts: Chris and Kyle  Topics Covered: Matt, Chris, and Kyle discuss the following topics: monumental burials in Jerusalem; ancestor traditions in the Bible; elite and royal burial customs in ancient Israel  Resources: Suriano, Matthew 2018 A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press). -- The Politics of Dead Kings: Dynastic Ancestors in the Book of Kings and Ancient Israel (Mohr Siebeck, 2010). Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us! H/T to David Schroder for the OnCrypt idea!  

Episode: For this episode of the OnScript Biblical World podcast, co-host Mary Buck is joined by Dr. Doug Bookman, Professor of Bible Exegesis at Shepherds Theological Seminary. Though Dr. Bookman's research extends across a variety of topics including the Life of Christ and church perspectives of Israel in his recent book Forsaking Israel, his dissertation was focused on the topic of the Urim and the Thumim. In this episode Dr. Bookman walks through the biblical evidence available for the Urim and the Thumim, the Rabbinic views of what this instrument may have been, and provides his own conclusions about what the Urim and the Thumim were (or "was" in his view) and how it was distinct from the "sacred lot."    Guest: Dr. Douglas Bookman   Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!   Image: By SuperJew - Own work. This panorama was created with Canon PhotoStitch (stitched images may differ from reality)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6586028

Episode: In this episode Kyle and Chris discuss Kyle's work on Galilee in the book of Kings, and specifically, the site Cabul mentioned in 1 Kings 9. Kyle discusses fortifications in the Solomonic era, site identification, the historicity of Hiram of Tyre, and much more. Hosts: Kyle and Chris.  Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Episode Summary: Arguably one of the greatest textual discoveries from the Ancient Near East, the Amarna Letters provide an unparalleled window into the period of international relations in the Late Bronze Age. Co-hosts Chris McKinny and Mary Buck discuss the discovery of these texts, and work through a selection of letters that showcase how great and lesser kings of the period interacted.  Series: STANE - “Special” Texts of the Ancient Near East. See our Mesha Stele and Introductory episodes in the same series.  Hosts: Mary Buck and Chris McKinny Give: Help support Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image Attribution: By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95958735

Episode Summary: Perhaps one of the most famous texts from the Ancient Near East, the Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, provides an important corollary from the Iron Age for the historicity of the Bible. Co-hosts Chris McKinny and Mary Buck discuss the wild discovery of this text in the 1800s, read the text itself, and discuss what we learn about the Bible and about history from one of the longest texts ever discovered in the Levant. This is the second installment of our STANE (Special Texts of the Ancient Near East) series.  Hosts: Mary Buck and Chris McKinny Give: Help support Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image Attribution: By Unknown artist - Mbzt 2012, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22090379    

Episode: In this inaugural episode of a new series entitled “Texts from the Ancient Near East,” co-hosts Mary Buck and Chris McKinny provide an introduction to the languages and writing in the ancient world. This includes a review of some of the most important languages of the Ancient Near East (e.g., Middle Egyptian, Phoenician, Akkadian, Hebrew) and also discuss how writing and textual media developed over time. All this to help you navigate the literature and world of the Ancient Near East! Hosts: Mary Buck and Chris McKinny Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. Image: By Daderot - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40839123.

Episode: In this engaging conversation, Mark and Kyle chat with Eric Cline about his life as an archaeologist and about public archaeology—making scholarship approachable—and why it is important for scholars to engage with the interested public. We draw upon a number of Eric’s recent publications to highlight how this dialogue is possible and how it can be done well. Guest: Departmental webpage: https://cnelc.columbian.gwu.edu/eric-h-cline Hosts: Mark and Kyle Summary: Eric, Mark, and Kyle discuss the following topics: Eric’s academic and public scholarship; how to combat misinformed attempts to explain biblical archaeology/history; the evolution of Eric’s scholarly career and how to make an impact beyond the academy; how/where to find good resources on the archaeology of Israel and the Bible; the importance of dialogue between academics and the interested public. Books: Check out some of Dr. Cline's recent books! 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Rev ed., Princeton University Press, 2021) Digging Deeper: How Archaeology Works (Princeton University Press, 2020) Digging Up Armageddon: The Search for the Lost City of Solomon (Princeton University Press, 2020) Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology (Princeton University Press, 2019) Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.