Biblical Time Machine
Join Dave and Helen as they travel back in time (metaphorically… it’s a podcast) to explore the real history of the people, places and events of the Old Testament, New Testament and everything in between.
Episodes
84 episodes
What's Up with the 3 Endings of Mark?
The 3 endings of the Gospel of Mark present a real "choose your own adventure." Scholars think that the original text ended at Mark 16:8 with Mary Magdalene and the other women running in terror from the empty tomb on Easter morning. So why do ...
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Season 3
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Episode 81
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46:26
Beyond the Documentary Hypothesis
It's time to re-think the Documentary Hypothesis — the prevailing theory about the authorship of the Torah. Guest
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Season 3
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Episode 80
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57:26
The Weird and Wonderful "Gospel of Mary"
Written in the 2nd Century CE, the non-canonical "Gospel of Mary" gives us a taste of the wild diversity of Early Christianity. Religious historian Sarah Parkhouse joins...
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Season 3
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Episode 79
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43:32
The Ancient History of Jerusalem
People have lived in Jerusalem for 5,000 years. Archeologist Jodi Magness hops in the Time Machine to give Helen and Dave a tour of Jerusalem's long and fascinating history. Buy Jodi's book — it's ...
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Season 3
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Episode 78
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1:12:42
Judaism and the Gospels After 70 CE
The destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE was a cataclysmic event for the people of Judaea and the Galilee. Our guest Nathanael Vette argues that all four New Testament gospels were wr...
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Season 3
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Episode 77
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46:02
Wine and Beer in Ancient Israel
Bottoms up! In today's mildly alcoholic episode, we talk with guest Elaine Goodfriend about the role of wine in Ancient Israel, and why the Israelites weren't big...
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Season 3
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Episode 76
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49:06
Reading the Bible as Greco-Roman Literature
The authors of the New Testament were playing with genres, philosophies and themes that were well-known in Greco-Roman literature. Guest Robyn Faith Walsh teaches us how to read the Bible for what it was in the 1st and 2nd centuries — part and ...
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Season 3
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Episode 75
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1:02:41
All About Circumcision!
When did this ancient practice begin? Was it unique to the ancient Israelites? And what did Paul really think about circumcision? Helen and Dave cover it all with guest Ryan Collman, author of
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Season 3
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Episode 74
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56:38
Was Jesus a Disciple of John the Baptist?
The gospels claim that John the Baptist was just preparing the way for Jesus, but what if his role was much bigger? In this episode, Helen and Dave are joined by James McGrath, wh...
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Season 3
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Episode 73
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55:42
Season 2 Celebration + Season 3 Teaser
Thank you listeners for another amazing season of Biblical Time Machine! We couldn't do this without you. EXCITING NEWS FOR SEASON 3Season 3 is just a few weeks away and we're unveiling some exciting new perks for members of the...
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Season 2
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17:53
Body and Blood: The Mysterious Origins of the Eucharist
The Eucharist is such a common part of Christian worship that it's easy to overlook how strange it is — drinking wine that represents Jesus's blood, eating bread that represents His flesh. The ritual would have been even more shocking to Jesus'...
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Season 2
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Episode 72
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57:48
A Crash Course in Biblical History with Dan McClellan
Join Helen and Dave as they attempt the impossible — to cover the entirety of biblical history in one fact-packed episode! To help us, we recruited Dan McClellan from the
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Season 2
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Episode 71
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1:03:33
The History of Prayer from Ancient Judaism to Early Christianity
The "Song of Miriam" is one of the oldest verses in the Hebrew Bible and it's a prayer. What was the nature and role of prayer in ancient Israelite religion? And how can we trace th...
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Season 2
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Episode 70
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58:32
Food: What Did They Eat in Ancient Israel?
Finally, Helen and Dave turn to the most important topic of any time period — food! What the heck did regular folks in the Levant eat back in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE? The Hebrew Bible is a lousy recipe book, so we talked to
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Season 2
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Episode 69
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54:58
A Face-Melting Look at the Ark of the Covenant
If Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is accurate, peering inside the fabled Ark of the Covenant will result in mild to severe face-melting and occasional head exploding. In the Hebrew Bible, the Ark doesn't melt any faces, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 68
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35:43
The Case for Q, the 'Lost Gospel'
One of the longest-running debates among biblical scholars is over the existence of a hypothetical "lost gospel" called Q. If you compare the synoptic gospels — Mark, Matthew and Luke — there are similarities and differences that can't easily b...
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Season 2
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Episode 67
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53:52
Samson: Hero or Psychopath?
Of all the problematic heroes in the Hebrew Bible, Samson takes first prize. Samson is hailed as a hero of the Israelites — a "Nazirite" consecrated to God with superhuman strength — but he's also a mass murderer, womanizer and all-around menac...
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Season 2
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Episode 66
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42:37
Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library Explained
In 1945, dozens of previously unknown Christian texts were discovered near the Egyptian desert town of Nag Hammadi. Some texts were closely tied to the New Testament, like the Gospel of Thomas, but others were pretty wild, portraying the God of...
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Season 2
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Episode 65
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50:30
Surgery or Spit? Healthcare in the Ancient World
Countless things could sicken or injure you in the ancient world, so where did people turn for help? Much like today, there were no shortage of healthcare options: herbs, drugs, surgery, saliva — even a literal hole in the head! Helen and Dave ...
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Season 2
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Episode 64
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43:53
Passover: Did the Exodus Really Happen?
Every Passover, Jewish families gather to recount the miraculous story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt. But how much of this age-old tale is true? Helen and Dave welcome Ca...
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Season 2
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Episode 63
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49:26
How Horrible Were Ancient Prisons? LIVE from SBL
If you thought everyday life in the 1st century was disgusting, wait until you step inside a Roman prison. In our very first LIVE episode, we talk with Matthew Larsen, hi...
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Season 2
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Episode 62
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1:18:54
Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible
In the 1st-century Roman world where Christianity was born, 20% of the population was enslaved. Enslaved people were laborers, farmers, artisans, scribes, teachers, servants and sex workers. And as our guest C...
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Season 2
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Episode 61
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40:26
Easter: Behind the Scenes of "The Chosen"
"The Chosen" is a global phenomenon. The streaming series about the life of Jesus is now in its 4th season, which is building toward Jesus's final week in Jerusalem. Helen and Dave were thrilled to chat ...
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Season 2
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Episode 60
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36:27
Easter: A Closer Look at the Resurrection
The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity, but the reality of the empty tomb is largely a matter of faith, not history. All of the evidence pertaining to the Resurrection is found within the New Testament. So how can anyone d...
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Season 2
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Episode 59
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47:15
Easter: Crucifixion in the Roman Empire
Jesus's mortal life ended on a Roman cross, one of the cruellest execution methods known to man. But how common was crucifixion in the Roman world and how accurate was the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus's agonizing end? In thi...
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Season 2
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Episode 58
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51:31