Ever wondered why genealogies hold such significant weight in the Bible? Get ready to learn about this and more with Dr. Nancy Dawson, an esteemed theologian and the brilliant mind behind "All the Genealogies in the Bible." In our latest episode, Dr. Dawson shares her intriguing journey from the world of biology to becoming a renowned biblical scholar. Her rigorous scientific approach has culminated in the creation of over 250 genealogical charts, meticulously mapping out the lineages of key biblical figures.
Tune in as Dr. Dawson sheds light on the profound importance of biblical genealogies, revealing how they delineate the covenant family of God and trace the Messianic lineage leading to Jesus. We explore the fascinating transition from physical places of worship to a personal, spiritual connection with God, highlighted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Whether you're a Bible novice or a seasoned scholar, this episode promises to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Bible's intricate genealogical records.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
All the Genealogies in the Bible Author: Nancy Dawson, PhD (For questions, speaking engagements, or podcast requests, she can be reached at nsdawson@me.com.) Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Ever wondered why genealogies hold such significant weight in the Bible? Get ready to learn about this and more with Dr. Nancy Dawson, an esteemed theologian and the brilliant mind behind "All the Genealogies in the Bible." In our latest episode, Dr. Dawson shares her intriguing journey from the world of biology to becoming a renowned biblical scholar. Her rigorous scientific approach has culminated in the creation of over 250 genealogical charts, meticulously mapping out the lineages of key biblical figures.
Tune in as Dr. Dawson sheds light on the profound importance of biblical genealogies, revealing how they delineate the covenant family of God and trace the Messianic lineage leading to Jesus. We explore the fascinating transition from physical places of worship to a personal, spiritual connection with God, highlighted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Whether you're a Bible novice or a seasoned scholar, this episode promises to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Bible's intricate genealogical records.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
All the Genealogies in the Bible Author: Nancy Dawson, PhD (For questions, speaking engagements, or podcast requests, she can be reached at nsdawson@me.com.) Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.
Jacqui:
Welcome listeners to another captivating First Tuesday episode of the Bible Basics podcast, where we invite teachers to share insights that make the Bible accessible and fascinating for everyone. Today, I am absolutely thrilled to introduce an exciting three-part conversation with a truly special guest and an incredible topic that promises to enrich your understanding of scripture in a whole new way. We are honored to have with us Dr Nancy Dawson, a distinguished author and researcher in theology and biblical studies. Dr Dawson's remarkable academic journey spans from biology and cell biology to theology. Dr Dawson holds an impressive academic background, with degrees in biology and cell biology, along with theological studies from Duke Divinity School. Dr Dawson has served in numerous Christian education positions and taught adult Sunday school in many churches over the years. She is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church. Her unique analytical skills and scientific rigor bring a fresh perspective to biblical scholarship. Her new book, all the Genealogies in the Bible is nothing short of a masterpiece. This comprehensive reference delves into every genealogy found in the scriptures. Featuring over 250 meticulously crafted genealogical charts and insightful commentary, Dr Dawson not only maps out the lineage of key biblical figures but skillfully harmonizes the genealogies of Jesus as presented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, providing clarity and depth to these intricate records.
Jacqui:
We've divided our conversation with Dr Dawson into three episodes. In this first episode, we'll explore the profound significance of biblical genealogies. Dr Dawson will illuminate how these detailed family histories not only enhance our understanding of biblical narratives, but also reveal the grand narrative of God's plan throughout history. Whether you're a seasoned Bible reader or just beginning your journey, this conversation is sure to ignite your curiosity and deepen your appreciation for the Bible's rich tapestry. So grab your Bible, get comfortable and let's jump into this intriguing discussion with Dr Nancy Dawson. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where, weekly, we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. Greetings, listeners. I am so excited today to bring to you a Bible scholar, a researcher, a theologian and the author of the book All the Genealogies of the Bible. Yes, I said all. I said all, so you know we're going to have a lot to talk about. I want to introduce to you Dr Nancy Dawson. Welcome, Nancy.
Dr. Dawson:
Thank you so much, Jacqui. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk with you and your listeners.
Jacqui:
Great, great. Well, this is great, so let's just jump right on in. What gave you the idea to start working on a book about genealogies? What inspired you to do this Kind of? Give us an overview of that and what the book is about?
Dr. Dawson:
Okay, Well, I guess it really started about 20 years ago. I really didn't set out to write this book in particular. I set out to read through my Bible front to back and take sort of careful notes, and I always believe in that process because it's the living word and God speaks to you in just real time. As an individual and my educational background, I have a Master's in plant taxonomy and a PhD in cell biology. Excuse me, what is plant?
Jacqui:
taxonomy.
Dr. Dawson:
Well, I did a study of all the plants in a parish of Louisiana and this is where you document all the different varieties of plants and you key them down to genus and species names and you see little subtle differences between the ones that are similar. So what happened when I started reading through scripture? I mean, my brain sort of works systematically and methodically and maybe a little bit slowly, but you know, that can be a good thing, I guess. So what I did was, as I got through you know some of the characters in Genesis I could see all of these sort of classification, type associations. So, in the same way that plants are classified like kingdom, phylum, class order, family, genus, species, well, I could see how these individuals were related to one another and I was like, well, that is very interesting. I'm going to start keeping some sort of interesting. I'm going to start keeping some sort of notebooks, lab notebooks, of just drafting these genealogies, the family trees, and that's what I did Just. Oh, wow, that began a very long process. So it took me about seven years to get from Genesis through Chronicles Chronicles is a big, genealogically rich book and then it took me about three more years to finish Old Testament and then in about 2010, I started doing New Testament, and of course the goal was try to understand Jesus's genealogy as it's presented in Matthew and in Luke, because the names are different and so everyone questions what is going on here. So that was a real, you know, like objective of what I was doing, and so I finished the work in about 2016, 17, and went to some theological meetings the ETS is the Evangelical Theological Society meetings and I went there and the you know I talked to different publishers that's the beauty of being around these publishers, great publishers and so Zondervan Academic was interested in publishing this work, but I was not on faculty anywhere. I had been in the sciences, but not in a seminary setting. So they said you'll have to have an Old Testament editor and a New Testament editor to sort of bet these charts and make sure that they're correct. So that led to another several years of working. Another several years of working. I worked with Eugene Merrill at Dallas Theological Seminary and also with Andreas Kostenberger, who was at Southeastern Baptist. He was at Midwestern for a while, but anyway, he's a wonderful scholar too and so they came alongside with me and so it finally came out. Last fall. The book was published with Zondervan Academic in late October of 2023.
Dr. Dawson:
And so I've just been trying to get the word out for those of your listeners. You know, everyone starts in the same place, just reading the Bible or hearing a sermon or being in a Bible study, and you hear a name and you're trying to find mental hooks to put that person in a time in a place, and who are they related to? Where is the story going? Everyone starts basically in that same spot, and so as you study more, I really feel like God brings these wonderful people into your. You learn and um, so the upshot was the book turned into 288 family tree charts and, um, the bulk of them, like 250, are in Old Testament, about 25 are in New Testament and the remaining ones are what I call supplement charts. These are ones sometimes you have people that study Assyrians or Babylonians or the Roman emperors, and so I did all the genealogies of those rulers in the biblical world. Some are mentioned, some are not, and so those were in the form of supplement charts.
Dr. Dawson:
So that took quite a bit of time, but generally I just stuck strictly with the Bible, what it revealed. There's lots of good literature, but you have this feeling of well, how credible is it? Is this a faithful rendition? So I always kept mostly, almost exclusively, with scripture. I did, for Jesus's genealalogy, look at some extra biblical material that I thought was credible, um, and consistent with how genealogies are presented in in the bible. So that's kind of how it turned out.
Dr. Dawson:
Each chart has a title, um, and it it might, you know, like Genesis 35, the genealogy of the family of Jacob, and then it will show all his wives and their children, and then there's a commentary that shows the biblical and theological significance of that chart. Because basically, you know, everyone doesn't want just a bunch of names. That's like reading through a dictionary or the phone book or something People want to know well, what's the significance of this book? Or something people want to know well, what's the significance of this? And so then that is followed by notes and those notes go into a little bit more academic information or refer to you, refer you to other charts where there may be more explanatory information. So that's how it came about.
Dr. Dawson:
It was rather slow, but when you feel called to do things, god enables you and I think the Spirit, just you know, gives you a pep in your step. He inspires you on a daily basis, because you cannot sustain this work if you do not feel called to do it. But once you're called, then you know that God is coming alongside of you. His presence is what sustains you, and that is a wonderful, wonderful thing that I've relied on. And so I, you know, give God the credit for, in a way, the book is not your own, it's you know, just sort of. It passes through you like water through a hose. You know you are involved, but you are not the motive force. You know, in the sense you're using inspired scripture and you're, you're being inspired by god to write it.
Jacqui:
So it's a, it's a beautiful scenario and I'm thankful wow, I love that like it comes through you like water through a hose. That's beautiful. I love that it's apparent. It is an amazing work. I love the commentary. You know you have the genealogy charts, but then the commentary is so interesting where you identify some of those connections in the family relationships, so you think you might be overwhelmed.
Jacqui:
Yes 288 charts. How am I going to find what I'm interested in? So in the back you have a chart or a listing or index of names yes, so even if you and the name, like I was looking at Zachariah.
Jacqui:
No, it was Zachariah, I think it was, and there are I don't know a ton of people with that name. Zachariah, I think it was, and there are, I don't know a ton of people with that name Zechariah. To make it clear which one it is Zechariah the father of John the Baptist. That's what I was looking for and I was able to find that. And then you also have an index of scripture references. So if you happen to be in I Chronicles 24, struggling, you can go to the charts that are associated with that. So it's a work of art, I believe, a great resource, nancy. Why do you think? Why are these genealogies even in the Bible? Oh gosh, are they there to confuse us? What are they?
Dr. Dawson:
there for Well. Number one they're part of God's inspired word and so he thinks they're valuable, obviously, and wants us to know them. They are a major literary genre, and by that I mean they're the same as narratives or apocryphal literature or the Psalms or the Proverbs or the Gospels or the Epistles. They have this prominent. They're a genre. They're telling you the associations between people and, more important thing than that, they tell you or identify the family of God, the family that's going to be part of the covenant family of God. So this, you know, we start out basically with Jews, but even in Old Testament you see the coming alongside with Gentiles coming into the family of faith, and so it's this large family, and one of the major things is that it tells you, um, all of the like. We start out with the nuclear family, like Adam and Eve, then you have the pre-flood families that lead up to Noah and his three sons, and then you trace the Shem line. You have leaders of Israel it can be like Moses and Aaron and Joshua. You have all the patriarchs you know, obviously, abraham, isaac, jacob and the matriarchal figures that are usually identified all in that era and then you go to the time of the judges. There was 12 judges. Then that leads to the time of the kings. Then you have prophets, that kind of close out. Well, that doesn't close out Old Testament. It's the people that go into Babylonian exile and then return, under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, in like 458, 444. And then there's another figure earlier than that, Zerubbabel, that brings another wave of exiles back to Jerusalem. And so you see that God is working to bring about this family of faith. And by New Testament we see that many of those people were so important in identifying the messianic thread, the line that is going to lead up to the birth of Jesus and that opens up New Testament. I mean, Matthew is like making a major announcement and this sets up the whole New Testament. And then Luke, when he talks about Jesus's birth, he sets it up so that this is an inauguration of Jesus's public ministry. And of course he calls disciples and then all the Pauline epistles. And so you do have genealogies in New Testament, but they tend not to be of the same sort as Old Testament.
Dr. Dawson:
The Old Testament is much more elaborate and it tells you the people that are involved in the religious cult, all of the Aaron high priesthood, all the Levites, all the monarchy, all of the people that are going to attend at the Ark of the Covenant, at the tabernacle, at the temple.
Dr. Dawson:
And so worship is this undercurrent that you see below everything, because there's God calling a family and then it's the family that's going to worship in spirit and truth.
Dr. Dawson:
So first it's at a physical building and then you see this general transition to where, by the time of Jeremiah the prophet, he says now there's going to be a new covenant, god is going to write the laws, not on tablets of stone, he's going to write them on our hearts, in our minds. And you see the beautiful transition from like a physical place to worship, with sacrifices like sheep and goats and that kind of thing and bulls, to, um, we're making our own personal sacrifice and by New Testament because this is, you know, God calls us each to, to basically lay your life down to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. So the Spirit isn't going to be in a church, in a temple tabernacle, it's going to be not in the church but in our hearts. So the church represents the body of believers and this is the great, this is just a great, wonderful transition and evolution that you see across Scripture. So that's how I see it anyway.
Jacqui:
Listeners, Dr Dawson is teaching, isn't she? Wow, who knew there was so much significance associated with genealogies? Well, that was good, but we're just warming up. Join us next week where we'll be discussing the ahas Dr Dawson had as she researched genealogies. Also the insights she shares regarding Gentiles in the family of God. If you found this episode helpful, informative or inspirational in any way, gentiles in the family of God, or you can click on the share button right where you're listening now. For those of you listening on YouTube, go ahead and like, subscribe and leave us a comment. In closing, may the grace and peace of God be with you now and always. You.
