Biblical World

Episode: New co-host Jason Staples speaks with Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about her new book, Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (Oxford University Press, 2024), the spectacular synagogue mosaic her team discovered at Huqoq, why specializing in pottery is an advantage for archaeologists, and lots more.

Guest: Dr. Jodi Magness is Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Magness’ research interests, which focus on Palestine in the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods, and Diaspora Judaism in the Roman world, include ancient pottery, ancient synagogues, Jerusalem, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Roman army in the East. Her most recent books are Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (New York: Oxford University, March 2024); and Ancient Synagogues in Palestine: A Reevaluation Nearly a Century After Sukenik’s Schweich Lectures. The Schweich Lectures of the British Academy 2022 (London: The British Academy/Oxford University Press, June 2024). Three of Magness’ books have won awards: Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth (Princeton: Princeton University, 2019) was selected as a finalist for the 2019 National Jewish Book Award in the category of History, the Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award; The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002; revised edition 2021) won the 2003 Biblical Archaeology Society’s Award for Best Popular Book in Archaeology in 2001-2002 and was selected as an “Outstanding Academic Book for 2003” by Choice Magazine; and The Archaeology of the Early Islamic Settlement in Palestine (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2003) was awarded the 2006 Irene Levi-Sala Book Prize in the category of non-fiction on the archaeology of Israel. Her other books include The 2003-2007 Excavations in the Late Roman Fort at Yotvata (co-authored with G. Davies) (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015); The Archaeology of the Holy Land from the Destruction of Solomon’s Temple to the Muslim Conquest (New York: Cambridge University, 2012); and Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011). In addition, Magness has published dozens of articles in journals and edited volumes. (from the UNC website)

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Episode: Recorded on a whim after a chance meeting in Jerusalem, Wave Nunnally shares his experience of recent events in Israel, the parables of the Kingdom, and his friendship with the lead guitarist for Petra. Oh yea, all in one (shortish) episode!

Guest: Dr. Wave Nunnally is Professor Emeritus of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Evangel University in Springfield, MO. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Book of Acts  and Knowing Your Bible.  He leads regular study trips to Israel, which include training materials (see The Bible Unplugged) on-site teaching, and follow-up coaching.  More of Wave’s material can be found at http://centralfaithbuilders.com/. To connect with him further, see

Photo: Matt and his wife Abi meeting Wave and Lacey in Jerusalem

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Episode: Here’s the fifth in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun and fascinating tour through Tablet 4, so tune in and enjoy! Click HERE  HERE HERE and HERE for parts 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh

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Image: Hero mastering a lion. Relief from the façade of the throne room, Palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad (Dur Sharrukin), 713–706 BCE. Unknown artist - Jastrow (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=866865

Episode: You asked (a long time ago), we answered (finally)! In this Q&A episode, we respond to listener questions about how to raise your kids to be like Chris and Kyle, prophetic practices, 1 Cor 11, chambered gates, Pharisees, forgery scandal, and much more!

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer

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Image Description/Attribution: 6-chambered gate at Gezer. This iron-age gate shares a common pattern with iron-age gates at Lachish and Megiddo. Since these are listed in biblical texts as cities fortified by Solomon, these fortifications are often called "Solomonic" gates. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Six-chambered_gate_at_Tel_Gezer_%285751855767%29.jpg)

Episode: Matt Lynch speaks with Jerusalem University College president and Biblical World co-host Oliver Hersey. We discuss study of the world of the Bible and his thesis that the Sinai Covenant can be illuminated through knowledge of ancient marriage customs. Knowing ancient marriage customs can help us understand the plundering of the Egyptians, the birth of Moses, the genealogy in Exodus 6, and the events at Sinai! Enjoy.

Guest/Co-Host: Dr. Oliver Hersey is the president of Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel, an institution committed to helping students engage the geography, history, archaeology, languages, and cultures of the biblical world. He loves providing students opportunities to see the contours of the Holy Land and teaching them about the cultural backgrounds, history, and literary traditions of the ancient Near East, particularly as they inform our understanding of the Bible. His research interests lie in comparing ancient Near Eastern texts with biblical texts. Exemplary of this is his dissertation titled “The Marriage at Mount Sinai: Reading Exodus in the Context of ancient Near Eastern Diplomatic Marriages.” Hersey completed his PhD in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and has taught at North Park University in Chicago. For information about JUC and their programs, visit HERE.

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Image Description/Attribution: Image shows Maathorneferure and Hattusili III before Ramesses II from the Marriage Stela of Ramses II in Abu SimbelBy Lepsius - Richard Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien, 1897, Abt III, Band 7, Bl. 196, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15169398

Episode: Kyle Keimer and Chris McKinny speak with Jeff Chadwick, Jerusalem Center Professor of Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies at BYU about his excavations at biblical Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide).

Youtube Link - https://youtu.be/ovhfNwdcabQ

Guest: Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick serves at BYU as Jerusalem Center Professor of Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies, and also as Religious Education Professor of Church History and Jewish Studies (in the Department of Church History and Doctrine). Dr. Chadwick has also researched, surveyed, and excavated at several historical and biblical sites in Israel, including Jerusalem and Hebron (Tell er-Rumeide) in the 1980s, Ekron (Tel Miqne) in the 1990s, and at Gath of the Philistines (Tell es-Safi) since 2001 and for the last twenty years. He is currently senior field archaeologist with the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project in Israel (Aren M. Maeir, Bar-Ilan University, Project Director), where he directs excavations in Area F in the "upper city" and in Area D in the "lower city" of the ancient Philistine capital city. He is also director of the American Expedition to Hebron (AEH) Publication Project and associate member of the original AEH excavation staff. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) and is a senior fellow at the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. He is the author of three books, editor of a fourth, and has published more than seventy academic articles, chapters, and studies. (from the BYU website)

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer

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Image Attribution: By eman - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1839054

Episode: Here’s the fourth in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun tour through Tablet 3, so tune in and enjoy! Click HERE  HERE and HERE for parts 1, 2 & 3.

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Image: By Katolophyromai - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67292492 

Episode: In final part of our three-part series (finally!), Chris and Kyle discuss the year’s top ten archaeological discoveries and stories related to the Bible, including in this one, a weird and strange discovery. 

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Kyle Keimer

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Photo Attribution: Huqoq Samson Mosaic, from https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-vivid-color-1500-year-old-huquq-mosaic-depicts-samson-animals-hunting/

Episode: Here’s the third in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! It's a fun ep, so tune in! Click HERE and HERE for parts 1 & 2.

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.

Episode: Here's the second in our multi-part series on the Epic of Gilgamesh, hosted by Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh! They finish Tablet 1 in this episode, discussing Gilgamesh's need to tame his passions, his journey into the wilds, the character Enkidu, links to early Genesis (e.g., Enkidu as Adam), links to Daniel and much more!

Hosts: Chris McKinny and Amy Balogh

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to help Biblical World and OnScript continue by becoming a regular donor.