Biblical World

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.

Episode: We're going back to the dirt in this episode with Cynthia Shafer-Elliott. We talk about bee hives, the Daniel diet, Ezekiel bread, gender & archaeology, and why Cynthia is willing to get up at 4am for weeks at a time each summer. This is a republished episode. Guest: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies in the The Faculty of Theology and School of Christian Leadership at William Jessup University. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Dr. Shafer-Elliott is an experienced field archaeologist in Israel and is currently part of the archaeological excavation team at Tell Halif, Israel. She’s the author of The Five Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant which is a user-friendly exploration of basic concepts within archaeology and the techniques and methods used by archaeologists in the field. She’s also written Food in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible (Equinox). Give: Help support OnScript's Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE. If you like this: Check out our episode with Jonathan Greer about his co-edited book Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament

Episode: For this episode Mary Buck is joined by Dr. Leonard Greenspoon, the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. Dr. Greenspoon discusses his recently published book, "Jewish Bible Translations," which represents an important contribution to our understanding of translation and transmission history, especially in Jewish communities from ancient to modern times. Host: Mary Buck Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

Episode: In this episode Chris and Kyle speak with Robert (Bob) Cargill about digital humanities—what those are and how they are done in the archaeology of ancient Israel and in biblical studies—technology and the potential for cutting edge research, and his recent book on Melchizedek. Along the way, Bob shares stories of travels in Israel, providing quality resources for people interested in the Bible and archaeology, and meaningful moments in Israel.  Hosts: Chris and Kyle Summary: Bob, Chris, and Kyle discuss the following topics: the role of digital humanities in archaeology and Biblical studies; Melchizedek traditions; technology and research; public archaeology. Check out Bob's book The Cities that Built the Bible (HarperOne). Links: www.bobcargill.com/home.html