She seduced her father-in-law, he sacrificed his daughter, and it’s all in the Bible! 

In this episode, we explore two of the most disturbing stories in the Hebrew Bible: the story of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) and the tragic tale of Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11). These are two of the most shocking stories in the Bible, so why did they make it in? Are these stories misunderstood?

Join us as we unpack the historical, literary, and cultural background behind these two controversial texts, explore how ancient Israel understood them, and discover why they still matter today.

👉 We’ll explore: 

– Who were Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 

– What was Onan’s sin?

– What is Levirate marriage?

–  Why did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter in Judges 11?

– What these disturbing Bible stories reveal about ancient Israel.

📚Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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🎙️ Credits

Hosts: Dr. Bob Cargill, Dr. Jordan Jones

Produced and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

The Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made, but what do they actually tell us about ancient Judaism, the Bible, and the mysterious site of Qumran? Were they really part of a library, or something else entirely?

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Sidnie White Crawford, author of Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran, to explore the big questions about the Scrolls.

Dr. Crawford helps us explore:– Were the Scrolls connected to Qumran, or placed in caves by chance?– What do they reveal about ancient Jewish life and religion?– Can we ever know who wrote the Scrolls?

Check out the book ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Guest: Dr. Sidnie White Crawford

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

Who was Haman, and why has he endured as one of the Bible’s most infamous villains? In the Book of Esther, Haman rises to power in the Persian court and plots against the Jewish people, but the story also raises deeper questions. Does the story portray him as a villain to be feared, mocked, or both? This week, we're talking with Dr. Adam Silverstein, author of "Haman: A Biography," about one of the most infamous villains from the Bible.

Dr. Silverstein helps us explore:

–Haman's centrality to the story of Esther

–How Haman is remembered during Purim

–The various identities that get connected to Esther

–Why Haman is such an adaptable character

Check out the book HERE

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

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Guest: Dr. Adam Silverstein

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

Did Josephus really write about Jesus? Or is the famous Testimonium Flavianum a later Christian addition? This week, we're talking with Dr. Tom Schmidt, author of "Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ," about one of the most debated passages in ancient history and what it reveals about the historical Jesus.

Get a free PDF of the book HERE Access made possible by the Institute for Christian Reflection

Learn more about Dr. Schmidt HERE

Join Dr. Schmidt at the New Insights into the New Testament conference (September 26–28) ⁠HERE⁠

Affiliate Disclosure: As an affiliate we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you sign up for New Insights into the New Testament using the link above.

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Become a Bible & Archaeology patron on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Send us your questions: [email protected]

Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.

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Guest: Dr. Tom Schmidt

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

At the heart of Jesus’s message was a call to repentance in anticipation of the coming Kingdom of God, so why did his followers dramatically reverse this teaching after his death?

Join Dr. Ehrman for his talk "A Core Teaching of Jesus—and Why His Followers Abandoned It" at the New Insights into the New Testament conference (September 26–28) HERE

Affiliate Disclosure: As an affiliate we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you sign up for New Insights into the New Testament using the link above.

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

Want to watch the show? Find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see a video recording of this show.

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Guest: Dr. Bart Ehrman

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

This week, we're talking about Homer with Dr. Celsiana Warwick! What do we actually know about Homer? Was Homer a real person? And why does Homer still matter to us today?
Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

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Guest: Dr. Celsiana Warwick, Assistant Professorand Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Iowa

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

This week, we're talking about AI with Matthew Cunningham! How does AI actually think? What is AI really? Is AI going to take over everything? And how should we think about the impact of AI on our lives? Join us for a deep dive into the complicated world of AI and its implications.

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

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Guest: Matthew Cunningham

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

This week, we're talking about the Serabit El-Khadim inscriptions with Dr. Aren Wilson-Wright! Join us for a deep dive into the history and significance of these inscriptions and a discussion of some of the problems that exist with the readings proposed by Michael Bar-Ron.

Sinai 357 (Photo by Cédric Paulhiac)

Sinai 357 Bar-Ron (Photo by Michael Bar-Ron)

Sinai 361 (Photo by Aren Wilson-Wright)

Sinai 361 Bar-Ron (Photo by Michael Bar-Ron)

For more from Dr. Aren Wilson-Wright, look HERE or HERE

For a good article on Sinai 357, consider "Sinai 357: A Northwest Semitic Votive Inscription to Teššob" by Dr. Aren Wilson-Wright

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

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Guest: Dr. Aren Wilson-Wright, Assistant Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

There are a lot of archaeological news stories every month and with every story come questions. This week on the podcast, we wanted to round up three stories from July 2025 that deserve more discussion. Check out our news shorts for weekly archaeology news updates.

Aeneashttps://deepmind.google/discover/blog/aeneas-transforms-how-historians-connect-the-past/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09292-5Genome Sequencinghttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09195-5https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-sequenced-an-ancient-egyptian-skeletons-entire-genome-for-the-very-first-time-heres-what-they-found-180986935/Burialshttps://apnews.com/article/israel-archaeology-paleolithic-burial-skeletons-6813bf418566721409f2c3c94b5d627c

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Hosted by Jordan Jones and Mary Kathryn Lichty

Produced and Edited by Jordan Jones

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone

Did plague bring an end to the age of Pax Romana? This week, Dr. Colin Elliott joins the podcast to explain the Antonine plague and the influence this wide-reaching plague had on the decline of the Roman Empire.

Looking for more from Dr. Elliott?

Check out his book Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World.

His podcast

Or his YouTube channel

Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cities of the Bible⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Send us your questions: [email protected]

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Guest: Dr. Colin Elliott; Professor, Department of History, Indiana University Bloomington

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone