Tommy Woodward discusses his Journal of Biblical Literature article “Theorizing Laughter and Ethnicity in Philo’s Embassy to Gaius.” He delves into how Philo uses laughter as a tool for social commentary and critique, particularly against the Egyptian population, while also addressing the complexities of ethnic identity in the ancient world. Tommy shares insights from his academic journey, including his methodology and the creation of a database to track instances of laughter in ancient texts, highlighting the nuanced interpretations of laughter in Hellenistic Judaism. Resources mentioned in this episode include the work of Denise Kimber Buell and Stanley Fish, New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity during the Great Migration, Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up, Greek Laughter: A Study of Cultural Psychology from Homer to Early Christianity, Hundreds of Beavers, Moby Dick, Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. Additionally, Jared mentioned a joke form the sitcom 30 Rock.

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