Biblical World

Biblical Geography - The Missing Ingredient

Episode: What happens when we ignore the physical settings of the Bible? In this episode, Biblical World co-hosts explore the significance of the land for biblical interpretation. We journey to Shechem, Nahal Besor, and the end of the Jordan River to discover the historical and theological significance of geographical locations for biblical interpreters. We also discuss some helpful resources for understanding the geography of the Bible.

Co-hosts: Chris McKinny, Amy Balogh, Kyle Keimer

Mentioned in this episode:
1. The Sacred Bridge: Carta's Atlas of the Biblical World
2. https://www.biblicalbackgrounds.com/

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Photo attribution: Jordan River Aerial by W. Robert Moore - The National Geographic Magazine, Dec. 1938, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29624912

Tell Balata/Shechem - By TrickyH, Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48030017

 

Moses among the Idols - Amy Balogh

Episode: In this episode, we discuss the god Moses. Yes, you heard that right! It's there in Exod 7:1. But what does this mean? How can we make sense of the transformation of Moses from a man of "uncircumcised lips" to a god? What happens if we read this story in its ancient Near Eastern context? How is Moses also like an idol? We explore this and many other intriguing aspects of the character Moses in this episode with new Biblical World co-host Amy Balogh. This ep is cross-listed with the OnScript podcast. 

Guest: Amy L. Balogh, Ph.D., is Lead Lecturer of the Humanities for the Department of Liberal Arts at Regis University’s School for Professional Advancement. She is also founder and co-chair of the new Society of Biblical Literature program unit Comparative Method in Biblical Studies, and Assistant Editor of the forthcoming Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books (2 vols., Lexham Press). In December 2022, Balogh also became the founding president of the newly formed Religion & Bible Society of the Rocky Mountain Great Plains Region, a 501(c)3 professional organization dedicated to the academic study of the Bible and religion. She's the author of Moses among the Idols: Mediators of the Divine in the Ancient Near East (Lexington Books, 2018). Her forthcoming book uses comparison and myth theory to examine the tension between humankind and nature as expressed in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern literatures. She now joins as a new co-host on the Biblical World podcast!

Hosts: Matt Lynch and Chris McKinny

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

 

The Egyptian Plagues – Real-World Calamities on the Nile (Egypt Series)

Episode: In this episode of the Egypt and the Bible series, Chris and Mark discuss the Egyptian background and context of the ten plagues from the Book of Exodus, including the details of real-world calamities.

Hosts: Chris and Mark    See Mark's edited book, Five Views on the Exodus (Zondervan, 2021).

 

Egypt Series: Check out our other episodes in the Egypt series:

• Visits of the patriarchs to Egypt
• Egyptian influence and the early chapters of Exodus
• Early and late date of the exodus
• Parts one, two, three, four, and five of the Five Views on the Exodus series.

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Elephantine - Collin Cornell

Episode: Elephantine continues to fascinate scholars of Second Temple Judaism, in part, because it shows that there wasn't just one Jewish temple after the return from exile. In this episode, which is part of longer episode to be released later on OnScript, Collin Cornell discusses this fascinating site and its significance for understanding early Judaism. This is part 1 of a longer interview that will release later on OnScript. 

Guest: Collin Cornell is Office of the Provost-Candler School of Theology Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Candler School of Theology (at Emory University). Before returning to Emory, he taught for three years as a visiting assistant professor of biblical studies in the School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee). For one year he managed Sewanee’s Center for Religion and Environment, coordinated Sewanee’s Indigenous Engagement initiative, taught Old Testament for Duke Divinity School’s hybrid MDiv program, and served as academic dean of the Stevenson School for Ministry, a local formation project of the Episcopal Church. Collin is author of one book, Divine Aggression in Psalms and Inscriptions (Cambridge University Press, 2020), editor of two, Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH's Ancient Look-Alikes (Penn State University Press, 2020) and The Incomparable God: Readings in Biblical Theology (Eerdmans, 2023), and co-translator of a third, Biblical ABCs: The Basics of Christian Resistance (Lexington Books, 2021). He is currently working on a book entitled, Monotheism and Divine Aggression, for Cambridge University Press. He is also working on The Lords that Never Were: Early Judaism and the Gods of the Hellenistic Levant. He has also written several articles on Elephantine. (adapted from the Candler School of Theology Website)

Image Attribution: "Aswan, Elephantine, west bank, Egypt, Oct 2004." CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181182

Host: Matt Lynch

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Finding a Dig (with BAR) - Nathan Steinmeyer

Episode: In this episode - Chris and Kyle are joined by Nathan Steinmeyer (Biblical Archaeological Review, Assistant Editor) to discuss BAR’s dig issue - one of the best resources for finding a place to dig! Also, hear about how Kyle got into archaeology. 

To find a dig:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/digs/
To find out more about Biblical Archaeology Review:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazines/

Hosts: Chris and Kyle

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

The Ancient Israelite World - George Pierce, Kyle Keimer, Chris McKinny

Episode: George Pierce joins hosts Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny to discuss their newly edited volume The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge, 2022). This volume brings together a world-class line-up of scholars and includes a whopping 47 essays on ancient Israelite society, economy, religion, language, culture, history, and more! 

Participants: Kyle, Chris, and George A. Pierce.

Book: The Ancient Israelite World (Routledge, 2022). For a table of contents, see HERE.

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

The History and Archaeology of Christmas (Part 2) - Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer

Episode: In part 2 of this series, Kyle and Chris discuss additional historical and archaeological aspects associated with the origin stories of Jesus as seen in Matthew and Luke. They discuss the archaeological background and traditions associated with the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They also explain a number of other historical background elements connected with Matthew’s use of the Old Testament focusing – in particular – on the impact of the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian conquests of Israel and Judah in prophetic literature and how that context still matters for how one reads the origin narrative of Jesus in Matthew. (This is a re-broadcast of a previously published episode)

Relevant Articles
The Accommodations of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem: Κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7* STEPHEN C. CARLSON

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer.

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

The History and Archaeology of Christmas (Part 1) - Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer

Episode: Biblical World hosts Chris and Kyle talk about the archaeology and historical context of Christmas. They try not to be Grinches. This is part 1 of a two part series. This is a re-broadcast of an episode from last year.

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer.

Give: Help support OnScript’s Biblical World HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

Image by by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Ruth’s World - Oliver and Chris

Episode: One site in Jerusalem, this episode explores the cultural backgrounds to the book of Ruth. We discuss agriculture, famine, marriage relationships, orphans, widows, geography and much more! 

Hosts: Oliver Hersey (JUC) and Chris McKinny (Geshur Media). Find out more on Jerusalem University College and Geshur Media. 

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help support the ongoing work of OnScript and Biblical World!

Solomon’s Officials and Administration in Kings - Koert van Bekkum

Episode: In this episode, Chris and Kyle interview Koert van Bekkum (ETF Leuven) about his views on Solomon’s Administrative Division in 1 Kings 4 in its Ancient Near Eastern context. What is the purpose of this list? Are there parallels to this list in the ANE? What does this list tell us about the nature of Solomon’s “kingdom”?

Hosts: Kyle and Chris

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help support the ongoing work of OnScript and Biblical World!

Resource: See Koert's ARTICLE "The Situation is More Complicated: Archaeology and Text in the Historical Reconstruction of the Iron Age IIA Southern Levant."