Christians often find themselves embarrassed by the Old Testament, particularly when they are trying to defend it to a non-religious person. It seems to condone slavery and polygamy on one hand but then criticize a man for cutting his beard on the corners. Also, there are all the weird clean and unclean laws. Is eating shellfish a sin? Should a woman avoid attending church during her menstrual cycle?  In this podcast, I want to explore the context by which the law was written and some specific cultural situations being addressed that make sense out of most of the rules given in that day.