Bible and Archaeology

The Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most important archaeological discoveries ever made, but not every fragment has turned out to be real. This week, Dr. Kipp Davis joins the Bible & Archaeology podcast to explore how early questions about authenticity emerged, why the circumstances of the Scrolls’ discovery created an environment ripe for forgery, and how the early antiquities trade laid the groundwork for future fake fragments. This is just part one of a deeper conversation about how Dead Sea Scroll forgeries began, how experts detect them, and what these mistakes teach us about archaeology, manuscripts, and the modern antiquities market, so stay tuned for more!📺 Check out Kipp's YouTube Channel👉 Dr. Davis helps us explore:– Did scholars always think the Dead Sea Scrolls were authentic?– Why did conspiracy theories about the Dead Sea Scrolls begin?– Did the early antiquities market setup later Dead Sea Scroll forgeries?📚 Reading Recommendations:God's Propaganda: Pulling Back the Curtain on What the Bible Wants You to See Gleanings from the Cave of Wonders? Fragments, Forgeries, and “Biblicism” in the Dead Sea ScrollsDating ancient manuscripts using radiocarbon and AI-based writing style analysis✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected]🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Kipp DavisHosted and edited by Dr. Jordan JonesAdditional contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

The Nativity stories are often told as peaceful and comforting, but the historical world Jesus was born into was anything but calm. This week, historian Dr. Joan Taylor, author of Boy Jesus, joins the Bible & Archaeology podcast to explore the political violence, fear, displacement, and social instability surrounding Jesus’ birth. Rather than dismantling the Nativity, Dr. Taylor seeks to expand it. Drawing on archaeology, Roman history, and close readings of the gospel narratives, she places Jesus’ birth within the turbulent historical world that the gospels quietly assume their readers already knew.👉 Dr. Taylor helps us explore:– Do the gospels preserve a more dangerous story than we imagine?– What were Bethlehem and Judea really like under Herod?– What did Jesus’ Davidic lineage claims are really mean?– Why understanding Jesus as a Judaean matters📚 Reading Recommendations:📖 Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times by Joan Taylor📖 What Did Jesus Look Like? by Joan Taylor 📃 What world was Jesus born into? by Joan Taylor ✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected]🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Joan TaylorHosted and edited by Dr. Jordan JonesAdditional contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

The Star of Bethlehem is one of the most famous elements of Matthew’s Nativity story, but what could it actually have been? How could a star lead travelers, stop over a location, or identify a single house? This week, physicist Dr. Aaron Adair joins Bible & Archaeology to examine the most common scientific explanations for the Star of Bethlehem and why many of them fall apart. By looking at both the science and the ancient context, we ask what Matthew may have intended his readers to understand and why the Star functions the way it does in the Gospel narrative.👉 Dr. Adair helps us explore– Was Matthew using technical astronomical language?– How were astronomical phenomena understood in the ancient Mediterranean world?– Could Matthew’s star have been a comet, a supernova, or even a planet?📖 Reading Recommendations:The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View by Aaron Adair"The Star of Christ in the Light of Astronomy" by Aaron Adair"A Critical Look at the History of Interpreting the Star of Bethlehem in Scientific Literature and Biblical Studies" by Aaron Adair in The Star of Bethlehem and the Magi✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected]🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Aaron AdairHosted and edited by Dr. Jordan JonesAdditional contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

The Proto-Gospel of James is one of the most influential non-canonical texts in Christian history, especially when it comes to how Christians came to imagine Mary and the Nativity. This early Christian gospel focuses not on Jesus’ ministry, but on the miraculous birth and early life of Mary, her betrothal to Joseph, and the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. In fact, many familiar Christmas traditions, like Mary’s perpetual virginity, Joseph’s age, and the detailed setting of the Nativity, trace back not to Matthew or Luke, but to this text. This week, Dr. Mark Goodacre joins us to explore what the Proto-Gospel of James aims to accomplish, why it became so influential, and how it addresses gaps and tensions in the canonical Nativity stories while creating new problems of its own.👉 Dr. Goodcare helps us explore:– Where did the Proto-Gospel of James come from?– What does it tell us about Mary?– What new problems does it create?– Why does the Proto-Gospel of James still matter?📖 Reading Recommendations:"The Protevangelium of James and the Creative Rewriting of Matthew and Luke" by Mark GoodacreThe Protevangelium of James in Papyrus Bodmer V: Titles, Genres, and Traditions in Transmission by Kimberley A. Fowler✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected]🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Mark GoodacreHosted and edited by Dr. Jordan JonesAdditional contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

Many of the Christmas traditions we take for granted, like December 25th, the Nativity, Christmas trees, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem, and even Herod’s massacre, have complex histories that don’t always match the Bible or what we’ve been taught. This week, biblical scholar Dan McClellan joins us to explain the most common Christmas misconceptions and what the historical and textual evidence actually shows.👉 Dr. McClellan helps us explore:– When Christians started saying “put Christ back in Christmas”– Whether Christmas has pagan origins– The origins of the Nativity scene– How modern culture reshapes the Bible✨ Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected]🔗 Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.🌐 Everywhere you can find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Dan McClellanHosted by Dr. Jordan JonesEdited by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone