GÖBEKLI TEPE has been called the oldest temple in the world. Who—or what—was worshipped there? 

Dr. Aaron Judkins and Dr. Judd Burton, authors of the new book Decoding Gobekli Tepe: Biblical Anatolia and the Watchers (https://amzn.to/3WpE3xu), join us to explore the significance of the ancient site. They discuss the archaeological evidence that supports biblical narratives, the spiritual connections to ancient Anatolia (modern Türkiye), and the cultural implications of the site's findings.  

We delve into the role of the Watchers, the worship of the moon-god, and the anthropomorphic representations found at Göbekli Tepe, ultimately connecting these themes to the veneration of ancestors and the Rephaim. 

Aaron and Judd also discuss cultural engineering by the Watchers and their astonishing discovery of a connection between iconography at Göbekli Tepe and the Luwians, a Bronze Age people who lived in what is now southern Türkiye—thousands of years after Gobekli Tepe was built. 

THE SO-CALLED silent centuries between the books of Malachi and Matthew in the Bible were not as quiet as we’ve been told.

Award-winning screenwriter and best-selling novelist Brian Godawa (Godawa.com) joins us to discuss the latest entries in his Chronicles of the Watchers series, Judah Maccabee Part 1: The Abomination of Desolation and Judah Maccabee Part 2: Against the Gods of Greece. 

Brian tells us why he chose this period of relatively unfamiliar Jewish history (unfamiliar to Christians, anyway) to dramatize spiritual warfare, explains why the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament is relevant to Christians, and reveals where in the Apocrypha we find accounts of angels fighting against the Greeks for the Jews.

WE LIVE in interesting times. And 2025 promises no end of excitement. 

What’s ahead for the coming year? The two biggest economic blocs on Earth, the G7 and BRICS, will launch pilot programs for Central Bank Digital Currencies, the closest thing we’ve seen to what the mark of the Beast will look like. 

In the Middle East, Turkey has overthrown the Assad regime in Syria, but what that means for regional security is still unknown, as is Russia’s response to Ukraine’s use of long-range British and American missiles. Meanwhile, China is looking more ready than ever to try to reintegrate Taiwan into the mainland. 

Politically, Donald Trump will become the second American president to serve two non-consecutive terms (the other was Grover Cleveland in 1885–89 and 1893–97). Will he be able to outmaneuver the deep state the second time around?

IF YOU’RE looking for evidence of a global catastrophe followed by a mysterious civilization that somehow survived, you might not start with the Americas.

However, contrarian investigator and author Graham Hancock has done just that with season 2 of his Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse.

Our Iron and Myth crew gather to discuss Hancock's work in this second season. Joining us at the virtual round table is Dr. Judd Burton (www.BurtonBeyond.net), author of Interview with the Giant, Doug Van Dorn (www.douglasvandorn.com), author of Giants: Sons of the Gods, and Brian Godawa (www.Godawa.com), best-selling author of the theological thriller Cruel Logic, and a new novel based on the period of the Maccabees in Judea.

Ancient Apocalypse is very well done. We discuss the questions it raises about lost civilizations, and the implications of new archaeological discoveries. We critique the documentary's potential biases and the role of propaganda in shaping narratives. The discussion also touches on the connections between ancient myths, geometric patterns, and the use of hallucinogenic substances in historical contexts, ultimately emphasizing the importance of understanding different worldviews in interpreting archaeological findings. 

We appreciate Hancock for asking the right questions. However, he’s got a great big blind spot right in front of the answers.

SKEPTICS OFTEN claim that the Hebrew Bible must have been copied from older Mesopotamian texts. Frankly, this is lazy thinking by people looking for excuses not to deal with God. 

Our Iron and Myth crew joins us to discuss the relationship between the Bible and Mesopotamian religion: Doug Van Dorn (www.douglasvandorn.com), author of Giants: Sons of the Gods and Brian Godawa (www.Godawa.com), best-selling author of Chronicles of the Nephilim, Chronicles of the Watchers, the theological thriller Cruel Logic, and a forthcoming novel based on the period of the Maccabees in Judea. Sadly, Dr. Judd Burton (www.BurtonBeyond.net) was unable to join us this month. 

We discuss the parallels between creation stories from different cultures, including Mesopotamian and Mesoamerican myths, and the implications of these similarities for understanding the Bible. We dig into the nature of myth and history, the importance of context in biblical interpretation, and the need for a nuanced approach to understanding ancient texts. 

There is an intricate relationship between myth and history, particularly in the context of biblical narratives. It’s important to understand ancient texts through the lens of genre and cultural context, and at the end of the day the Bible's authority does not negate the value of other literature. 

AND THEN a whole new one begins. 

This has been the most bizarre presidential campaign since the Civil War. Thankfully, the campaign ends this week with Election Day Tuesday, and—we hope—a winner declared shortly thereafter. 

Then comes a different kind of crazy as we prepare for whoever is inaugurated January 21, 2025. Whatever happens, however, remember that God is still on His throne, none of this takes Him by surprise, and our mission as Christians has not changed.

IT WAS a common practice in the ancient world. Sadly, it’s still practiced today—and closer to us than we’d think.

Joining us for our annual Halloween episode, a tradition since 2010, is Dr. Judd Burton (BurtonBeyond.net). We delve into the disturbing reality of human sacrifice in the modern world, exploring its historical roots, spiritual significance, and the ongoing practices that continue to occur around the world. Judd explains the connections between bloodlust, vampirism, and ritual magic, as well as the dark underbelly of human trafficking and modern slavery.

We also discuss the implications of human sacrifice in ancient cultures, the legacy of figures like Vlad Dracula, and the ongoing relevance of these themes in modern society. The dialogue delves into the linguistic roots of vampirism, the significance of archaeological sites like Gobekli Tepe, and the dark legacy of biblical narratives such as Cain and Abel.

This is an issue that is only properly understood through a biblical lens. These ancient practices and beliefs still influence the modern world.

If you’ve missed our previous Halloween episodes with Dr. Judd Burton, here they are:

Vampires, Werewolves, and the Nephilim (2010)

Flesh and Blood (2014)

Halloween and the Van Helsing Way (2015)

Halloween, Vampires, and Blood (2016)

Paneas, the Watchers, and the Ghosts of Giants (2017)

Terrors and Tropes (2018)

From Watchers to Witches (2019)

Gobekli Tepe and the Watchers (2020)

Supernatural Contraband (2021)

Fairy Tales and Halloween (2022)

Creepy Dolls (2023)

OLYMPIANS, Titans, and demigod heroes in the Bible? Yes, and the Jews of Jesus’ day knew it.

Joining us to discuss what most of us call “mythology” is our Iron and Myth crew: Doug Van Dorn (www.douglasvandorn.com), author of Giants: Sons of the Gods, Dr. Judd Burton (www.BurtonBeyond.net), director of The Institute of Biblical Anthropology and author of Interview with the Giant and The Nephilim Chronicles, and Brian Godawa (www.Godawa.com), best-selling author of Chronicles of the Nephilim, Chronicles of the Watchers, the theological thriller Cruel Logic, and a forthcoming novel relevant to this month’s discussion based on the period of the Maccabees in Judea.

We discuss the intricate relationship between Greek mythology and biblical narratives, particularly focusing on the influence of Greco-Roman religion on Jewish thought, and the significance of the Abomination of Desolation (Dan. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Matt. 24:15).

We also explore the role of demigods and the Rephaim in ancient beliefs, the reality of ancient deities, and how the New Testament engages with Greek mythology. Doug highlights subversive storytelling in the Book of Acts, undermining Greek stories about the gods Zeus and Hermes. And we discuss the influence of ancient oracles on early Christianity; specifically, how the spread of the gospel silenced the oracles of Apollo, which provoked the most intense persecution of Christians in the history of the Roman Empire.

Finally, we discuss the significance of the Septuagint and how it provides insights into biblical texts that may have been lost in translation, emphasizing the supernatural elements present in the Bible.

JESUS is not the lord of the Abyss. 

That would seem obvious, but there is a teaching out there on YouTube claiming to show that Jesus is the Mesopotamian god Enki, whose temple was the E-abzu—“House of the Abyss.” 

Not only is there no textual evidence connecting Enki to Jesus, the evidence plainly suggests otherwise. Mesopotamian texts describe Enki sending forth the apkallu, which scholars have identified as the rebellious Watchers of the Book of 1 Enoch, to bring the gifts of civilization to humanity. The apkallu, like the Watchers, the sons of God from Genesis 6, the Titans of Greece and Rome, and the “former gods” of the Hittites and Hurrians, were banished to the abyss. 

In short, Jesus, who explicitly identified himself as the Father, Yahweh (John 8:58, 10:30, 14:9), put a stop to a building project that archaeological evidence suggests was an attempt to to build an “abode of the gods” directly above the abzu—the abyss. 

We also touch again on why Yahweh is not Enlil, who some identify as Satan: Enlil was also as Dagon (Amorites, Philistines), El (Canaanites), and Milcom/Molech (Ammonites), was condemned by Yahweh under all of those names. For a deep dive, see my book The Second Coming of Saturn (which you can read at my website).  

IF YOU’RE watching or listening to this program, you probably already know that. But a dangerous teaching is spreading through social media that claims Yahweh is not the Father, but the evil one. 

We address the claims of this teaching, which derives from the apparent contradiction between the behavior of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament. It’s understandable; without a divine council worldview, God can appear violent, capricious, even bloodthirsty. 

Building on that false characterization, this new doctrine—which is actually one the early church had to contend with for about 300 years beginning in the middle of the 2nd century AD—separates Jesus from Yahweh, making Him a secondary deity, an evil entity who deceived the patriarchs and prophets from Abraham to Malachi. 

However, Jesus identified Yahweh as his Father by calling the Temple, the temple of Yahweh, “my Father’s house” (John 2:16); and then identified himself as the Father. Yahweh (John 8:58, 10:30, 14:9). The Jews who heard Jesus make these claims understood his meaning; they twice picked up rocks to stone him for blasphemy. 

The notion that Yahweh is not the Father, but Jesus’ evil brother Satan, is a deception that only draws in those who haven’t read the Bible in depth or reject the parts of it they don’t like. The danger is that it presents a false justification to vilify Jews, who, in this false belief system, have been worshiping Satan since the time of the patriarchs.