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Bible and Archaeology

Bible and Archaeology
Bible and Archaeology
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143 episodes

  • Bible and Archaeology

    How Assyria Changed God

    2026/09/16 | 1h 6 mins.
    The Assyrians built one of the ancient world’s most powerfulempires, but what drove the Assyrian Empire's dramatic rise? And why did it fall so quickly? This week, Eckart Frahm joins Bible & Archaeology to trace Assyria's history, from its emergence as a major power to its eventual collapse. Along the way, we explore the reigns of famous Assyrian kings likeTiglath-Pileser III and Ashurbanipal, the Assyrians’ impact on the ancient Near East, what the Bible gets right (and wrong) about the Assyrian Empire, and how encounters with Assyria may have shaped the biblical idea of God.

    ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

    📚 Reading Recommendations
    Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire by Eckart Frahm
    Three New Kings of Assyria by Alexander Johannes Edmonds and Eckart Frahm

    ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
    🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    🎙️ Credits
    Guest: Dr. Eckart Frahm
    Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
    Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
  • Bible and Archaeology

    Samson's Story Isn't About His Hair. Judges 13–16 Explained

    2026/09/09 | 47 mins.
    What is the story of Samson really about? Samson is often remembered as the strong man whose power was tied to his hair, but the story in Judges 13–16 is far more complicated. This week, Bob Cargill joins the podcast to explore Samson’s story, from his unusual birth and Nazirite status to his conflicts with the Philistines and his eventual downfall. We look at Samson’s violence and his role as a judge of Israel to find out what this strange and often troubling story is actually trying to say.

    ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

    ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
    🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    🎙️ Credits
    Guest: Dr. Robert Cargill
    Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
    Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
  • Bible and Archaeology

    How the Israelite Priesthood Really Developed

    2026/09/02 | 46 mins.
    Who controlled religion in ancient Israel? The Israelite priesthood may look like a straightforward institution, but its history is anything but simple. This week, Nathan MacDonald joins the podcast to to trace the development of the ancient Israelite priesthood and present his reconstruction of how the Israelite priesthood developed, drawing on the Hebrew Bible and the broader history of ancient Israel. We explore competing priestly traditions, the role of the temple, and the struggle for religious authority to find how Israel’s priests became such an important part of its religious and political life.

    ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

    📚 Reading Recommendations ⁠
    The Making of the Tabernacle and the Construction of Priestly Hegemony by Nathan MacDonald

    ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
    🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    🎙️ Credits
    Guest: Dr. Nathan MacDonald
    Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
    Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
  • Bible and Archaeology

    Why Biblical Books Didn't Have Titles

    2026/08/26 | 46 mins.
    Why is Genesis called Genesis when ancient Israelites didn’t call it that? And why didn't books in the Hebrew Bible have titles? This week, Seth Sanders joins the podcast to discuss how writers organized, referenced, and transmitted these titleless biblical texts, and what the absence of titles reveals about the Bible's origins and implications.

    ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

    🔗 Read "Why Didn’t Biblical Books Have Titles?" by Seth Sanders

    📚 Reading Recommendations From Adapa to Enoch: Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon by Seth L. SandersThe Invention of Hebrew by Seth L. Sanders

    📺 More podcasts with Seth:The Invention of the Alphabet with Prof. Seth Sanders

    ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
    🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    🎙️ Credits
    Guest: Dr. Seth Sanders
    Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
    Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
  • Bible and Archaeology

    How Satan Became God’s Greatest Enemy

    2026/08/19 | 1h 7 mins.
    Satan wasn't always God's greatest enemy. In the Hebrew Bible, “the satan” appears as an agent in God's heavenly court. But by the New Testament, Satan has become the Devil, God's cosmic opponent, and in Revelation, he is a terrifying dragon. This week, Peter Miller returns to Bible & Archaeology to trace the surprising development of Satan across the New Testament. How did this figure evolve from Matthew and Paul to Revelation? Why does Satan become associated with evil, temptation, demons, and cosmic rebellion? And where did the image of the dragon come from?

    ✨ Support what we do and help make videos like this possible by joining the Bible & Archaeology Patreon community. Members receive early access, exclusive bonus content, and more: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch

    👉 Podcasts Referenced:
    Did Christians Get Satan Wrong? Why The Hebrew Bible Says Something Different
    The Origins of Demons
    The Origins of Lilith
    Witch Hunts, Black Cats, and the Bible: The Surprising Connection

    ✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu
    🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Peter Miller
    Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones
    Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.
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About Bible and Archaeology
The place for anything and everything about the lands, civilizations, and archaeology of the Bible. Join Biblical scholar Dr. Jordan Jones and guests as they discuss the stories, people, and objects we all think we know. Have a question? You can send it to us at: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu Where to find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology
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