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.

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 menace to society. Helen and Dave welcome <a href='https://www.holycross.edu/academics/programs/religious-studies/faculty/mahri-leonard-fleckman'>Mahri Leonard-Fleckman</a> to the podcast to try to make sense of the wild (and wildly entertaining) Samson cycle. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>$5/month subscription</a>. (Think of it as $1.25 an episode!) GET YOUR BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE MUG The<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store'> Biblical Time Machine Store</a>  is open! Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/biblical-time-machine-study-guide-the-gospel-of-mark-as-an-ancient-biography'>The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography</a>." Or get yourself a handsome <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/timetravelersmug'>Biblical Time Machine mug</a> or a <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/bubble-free-stickers'>cool sticker</a> for your water bottle.  <a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine">Support the Show.</a>Join the Time Travelers Club! Join our Patreon to support the podcast and get special perks like bonus content and direct messaging with the hosts. Learn more and subscribe at the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>. Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Biblical Time Machine

Samson: Hero or Psychopath?

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 the Hebrew Bible as a demon trickster. All of these texts were labeled "gnostic," but scholars continue to debate what "gnostic" really means and what to make of these curious works from the early centuries of Christianity. Helen and Dave are joined by <a href='https://research.rug.nl/en/persons/kimberley-fowler'>Kimberley Fowler</a>, a scholar of early Christianity who spends her days reading cryptic texts like The Second Discourse of the Great Seth.  Learn more at Bible Odyssey:<ul><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/was-the-gospel-of-thomas-gnostic/'>Was the Gospel of Thomas Gnostic?</a></li><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/the-gospel-of-judas/'>The Gospel of Judas </a></li></ul>SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>$5/month subscription</a>. (Think of it as $1.25 an episode!) GET YOUR BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE MUG The<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store'> Biblical Time Machine Store</a>  is open! Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/biblical-time-machine-study-guide-the-gospel-of-mark-as-an-ancient-biography'>The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography</a>." Or get yourself a handsome <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/timetravelersmug'>Biblical Time Machine mug</a> or a <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/bubble-free-stickers'>cool sticker</a> for your water bottle. <a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine">Support the Show.</a>Join the Time Travelers Club! Join our Patreon to support the podcast and get special perks like bonus content and direct messaging with the hosts. Learn more and subscribe at the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>. Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library Explained

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 welcome historian <a href='https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/jared-secord-0'>Jared Secord</a> to discuss what passed for medical care in the ancient Mediterranean and why Jesus fits the profile of a faith healer. Check out Jared's cool new book, co-authored with Kristi Upson-Saia and Heidi Marx, <a href='https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520299726/medicine-health-and-healing-in-the-ancient-mediterranean-500-bce-600-ce'>Medicine, Health, and Healing in the Ancient Mediterranean 500 BCE–600 CE: A Sourcebook</a>. More from our content partner <a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/'>Bible Odyssey</a>:<ul><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/medicine-and-the-hebrew-bible/'>Medicine and the Hebrew Bible</a></li><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/magic-in-the-first-century-world/'>Magic in the 1st-Century World</a></li><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/divine-power-in-mark-8/'>Divine Power in Mark 8</a></li><li><a href='https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/barrenness/'>Barrenness in the Bible</a></li></ul>SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>$5/month subscription</a>. (Think of it as $1.25 an episode!) GET YOUR BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE MUG The<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store'> Biblical Time Machine Store</a>  is open! Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/biblical-time-machine-study-guide-the-gospel-of-mark-as-an-ancient-biography'>The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography</a>." Or get yourself a handsome <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/timetravelersmug'>Biblical Time Machine mug</a> or a <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/bubble-free-stickers'>cool sticker</a> for your water bottle. <a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine">Support the Show.</a>Join the Time Travelers Club! Join our Patreon to support the podcast and get special perks like bonus content and direct messaging with the hosts. Learn more and subscribe at the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>. Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Surgery or Spit? Healthcare in the Ancient World

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 <a href='https://scholars.duke.edu/person/carol'>Carol Meyers</a> back to the podcast to talk about the limits of Exodus archeology and to put forward some intriguing theories about the historical origins of the Ancient Israelites. For even more from Carol about the Exodus and Moses, check out <a href='https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/meyers.html'>this terrific interview</a> she did with PBS NOVA and her book <a href='https://www.amazon.com/Exodus-New-Cambridge-Bible-Commentary/dp/0521002915'>Exodus (New Cambridge Bible Commentary)</a>. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE! If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>$5/month subscription</a>. (Think of it as $1.25 an episode!) GET YOUR BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE MUG The<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store'> Biblical Time Machine Store</a>  is open! Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "<a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/biblical-time-machine-study-guide-the-gospel-of-mark-as-an-ancient-biography'>The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography</a>." Or get yourself a handsome <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/timetravelersmug'>Biblical Time Machine mug</a> or a <a href='https://www.biblicaltimemachine.com/store/p/bubble-free-stickers'>cool sticker</a> for your water bottle. <a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine">Support the show</a>Join the Time Travelers Club! Join our Patreon to support the podcast and get special perks like bonus content and direct messaging with the hosts. Learn more and subscribe at the <a href='http://patreon.com/BiblicalTimeMachine'>Time Travelers Club</a>. Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos

Dave Roos

Biblical Time Machine by Dave Roos

Episodes