On this episode of Dave Does History, we take a thoughtful—and occasionally hilarious—look at the differences between oral and written traditions.

From ancient scrolls to text messages filled with emojis, we explore how meaning changes when words are spoken versus when they are inked.

With a detour through Eddie Izzard’s comedy, a stop at the Talmud, and a glance at your phone’s last LOL, this episode sets the stage for next week’s deep dive into the word “Liberty.”

Tune in as we ask: when history speaks, do we really hear it?

Listen now on the iHeart Radio App, Spotify, or iTunes.