Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. The prosecution is about to rest and the defense is starting to take the stage! It really is time we get to know Joseph of Nazareth. This guy has been getting a bad rap for two thousand years. If you are one of the ones who thought Joseph was going to divorce Mary, you owe the guy an apology! Not even I’m that heartless and I’m an intelligence agent! A lot of this will sound familiar as we pull together the threads we’ve discussed and add more to the story. So, let’s do this!

Introducing Joseph of Nazareth

When someone mentions Joseph of Nazareth, does a picture form in your mind? Take a second and look at the man in that picture. Is he young or old? Is he frail or healthy? Masculine or scrawny? Would it surprise you to learn that your image of Saint Joseph was deliberately curated? What makes me crazy is that the image of Joseph was curated to protect something that didn’t need protecting. Joseph was prematurely aged and given a first wife and family, almost entirely to protect the concept of Mary as a perpetual virgin.

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Meinardus, Otto F.A. The Holy Family in Egypt. Cairo, Egypt: The American University in Cairo Press, 1986

2. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church History, Book 3. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

3. Philo, translated by F.H. Colson and G.H. Whitaker. Loeb Classical Library: Philo Volume I. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.

4. Pitre, Brant. The Hidden King: The Jewish Roots of St. Joseph. New York: Image, 2016

5. Rondet, Henri S.J. Saint Joseph, translated and edited by Donald Atwater. New York: P.J. Kennedy & Sons, 1956

6. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)

7. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)

8. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Marriage Laws.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10435-marriage-laws, accessed 6 Jun 2022)

9. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

10. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996

11. Crawford, Sidnie White, "Not According to Rule: Women, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran" (2003). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. Paper 65. (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/65, accessed 28 Sep 2022)

12. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Betrothal.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal, accessed 6 Jun and 6 Sep 2022)

13. Bulbeck, Robert, S.J. “The Doubt of St. Joseph.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, 1948, pp. 296–309. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43720043. Accessed 13 Sep. 2022.

14. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)

15. Baij, Maria Cecilia, OSB. The Life of Saint Joseph. Asbury, NJ: The 101 Foundation, 1996

16. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 1992

17. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)

18. Ngo, Robin. “Jewish Purification: Stone Vessel Workshop Discovered in Galilee.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 20 Aug 2024 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/jewish-purification-stone-vessel-workshop-galilee/#:~:text=A%20chalkstone%20fragment%20discovered%20at,Israel's%20Stone%20Age%E2%80%9D%20in%20BAR:, accessed 19 Aug 2025)

19. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1993

20. Quran Talk Blog (No Author Noted). “Which Messiah Was Jesus? Ben David, Ben Joseph, or Ben Aaron?” 5 Nov 2024. (https://qurantalkblog.com/2024/11/05/jesus-messiah-ben-david-or-ben-aaron/, accessed 28 Jul 2025)

21. Pope Leo XIII. Papal Encyclical: Quamquam Pluries, On Devotion To St. Joseph, 15 August 1889 (https://osjusa.org/st-joseph/magisterium/quamquam-pluries/)

22. Pope St. John Paul II. Apostolic Exhortation: Guardian of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Custos). Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1989

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I feel like I’ve been building up to these next three episodes forever! So, let’s stop wasting time. There is probably no more controversial subject in Christianity than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Orthodox and Catholics are crazy about her; most Protestants think she was not that special; and Muslims, oddly, have significant respect for Mary, dedicating two chapters of the Koran to her. Kind of feels like we should get to know her, doesn’t it? Since she is the victim or the culprit in this case, we need to start compiling a personality profile of her.

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Chrysostom, St. John. “Homily 21 on the Gospel of John.” Translated by Charles Marriott. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. (http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/240121.htm, accessed 11 Aug 2025)

2. Fiensy, David A. “Wedding Bells in Galilee?” Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 48, no. 4, pp 62-64. Washington: Biblical Archaeological Society, 2022

3. “The Protoevangelium of James the Lesser.” Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

4. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)

5. Tertullian. “On the Flesh of Christ,” Translated by Peter Holmes. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

6. Didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018

7. Horner, Timothy J. "Jewish Aspects of the Protoevangelium of James." Journal of Early Christian Studies, vol. 12 no. 3, 2004, p. 313-335. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/earl.2004.0041

8. Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah, Updated Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1993

9. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)

10. Gaechter, Paul S.J. “The Chronology From Mary’s Betrothal to the Birth of Christ.” Theological Studies, 2(2), 145-170, 1941

11. The Jewish Encyclopedia. “Betrothal.” JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal, accessed 6 Jun and 6 Sep 2022)

12. Calkins, Arthur B., Fr. “The Justice of Joseph Revisited.” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, June 1988

13. Laurentin, Rene, translated by Michael J. Wrenn & associates. The Truth of Christmas Beyond the Myths: The Gospels of the Infancy of Christ. Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1986

14. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Kiddushin.1.1?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)

15. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)

16. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)

17. van der Hoeven, A.A.M. With Child of the Holy Spirit – Joseph willing to give her in marriage to his heir. March 23, 2009 (http://www.jesusking.info/With%20Child%20of%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%2023-03-2009%204.pdf, accessed 8 Nov 2022)

18. Philo, translated by F.H. Colson and G.H. Whitaker. Loeb Classical Library: Philo Volume I. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.

19. Reed, Jonathan L. “Instability in Jesus’ Galilee: A Demographic Perspective.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 129, no. 2, 2010, pp. 343–65. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/27821023. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.

20. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996

21. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010

22. McHugh, John. The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1975

23. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 1992

24. The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden, available at https://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Bridget%20(Birgitta)%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Prophecies%20and%20Revelations.html, accessed 28 Apr 2022

25. Bernardine of Siena, Saint. Sermon on St. Joseph, translated by Eric May. Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild, 1947

Hey, there. Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We ended last time in the hills of Galilee so let’s move west of there to a little town called Nazareth! I have to be honest. When I started this investigation, I never realized how far I would stray from Nazareth, just to bring us right back there. I hope to shatter a few myths about the hometown of Jesus. We’ll talk about prophecy, history, and I’ll give you the inside poop on, well, poop. What more could you ask for? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. First one to bring in a hundred subscribers gets a cookie! Ready? “O Little Town of…Nazareth?”

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. With Jesus Through Galilee According to the Fifth Gospel. Rosh Pina, Israel: Corazin Publishing, 1992

2. Jensen, Morten Horning. “The Political History in Galilee from the First Century BCE to the End of the Second Century CE,” Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1, Editors: David A. Fiensy, James Riley Strange. Montenegro: Fortress Press, 2014

3. Alexandre, Yardenna. “The Settlement History of Nazareth in the Iron Age and Early Roman Period.” ‘Atiquot, Volume 98, pages 25-92. Jerusalem: Ayalon Printing, 2020

4. Crossen, John Dominic and Reed, Jonathan L. Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001

5. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010

6. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church History, Book 1. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

7. Charlesworth, James H., and Mordekhai Aviʿam. "Reconstructing First-Century Galilee: Reflections on Ten Major Problems." Jesus Research: New Methodologies and Perceptions: 103-137. United Kingdom: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014

8. Africanus, Julius. “The Epistle to Aristides.” Translator unknown. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.

9. Keys, David. “New archaeological evidence from Nazareth reveals religious and political environment in era of Jesus.” The Independent, 17 Apr 2020 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/jesus-home-town-nazareth-archaeological-discovery-research-a9470716.html, accessed 13 Oct 2022)

10. Leibner, Uzi. Settlement and History in Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Galilee. Tubingen, GE: Mohr Siebeck, 2012

11. BiblePlaces.com (No author noted). “Sepphoris.” BiblePlaces website. BiblePlaces, undated. (https://www.bibleplaces.com/sepphoris/, accessed 7 Aug 2025)

12. Jensen, Morten Horning. “The Galilean Cradle of Jesus and His Followers,” Chosen to Follow: Jewish Believers Through History and Today, edited by Jakob Wilms Nielsen and Knut Helge Hoyland, Caspari Center, 2012.

13. Dark, Ken. “The Archaeology of Nazareth in the Early First Century.” The Bible and Interpretation, July 2020. (https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/archaeology-nazareth-early-first-century, accessed 13 Oct 2022)

14. Philo, edited by Fred. C. Conybeare. About the Contemplative Life. New York: Oxford Clarendon Press, 1895

15. Schiffman, Lawrence H. “Philo, Every Good Man is Free XII, 75-87: Description of the Essenes,” Texts and Traditions, Ktav, Hoboken 1998, p.282-284 (The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated, http://cojs.org/philo-_every_good_man_is_free_xii-_75-87-_description_of_the_essenes/, accessed 9 Dec 2022)

16. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.17b?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)

17. Jensen, Morten Horning. “Herod Antipas in Galilee: Friend or Foe of the Historical Jesus?” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 5.1, p. 7-32, 2007.

18. Aslan, Reza. Zealot: The Life and Times Of Jesus of Nazareth. NY: Random House, 2013

19. Safrai, Schmuel. “Jesus and the Hasidim.” Jerusalem Perspective, Numbers 42,43 and 44. Tel-Aviv: Sabinsky Press, 1994

Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We will stay on the topic of the Essenes one more time to explain what was going on with these guys around the rest of first century Israel. It could get a little weird! We’ll challenge a long-held belief or two and I’ll do my level best to eviscerate a renowned source on the Essenes. Sounds like fun, right? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. Pass it around the campfire, if you want. Why keep all this fun to yourself?

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Quran Talk Blog (No Author Noted). “Which Messiah Was Jesus? Ben David, Ben Joseph, or Ben Aaron?” 5 Nov 2024. (https://qurantalkblog.com/2024/11/05/jesus-messiah-ben-david-or-ben-aaron/, accessed 28 Jul 2025)

2. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996

3. Ben-Daniel, John. “The Cave-Dwellers of Mt. Arbel.” Cave-Dwellers of Mt. Arbel, 2021. (Available at https://www.newtorah.org/pdf/The%20Cave-dwellers%20of%20Mt%20Arbel.pdf, accessed most recently on 31 Jul 2025)

4. Mishnah, Online Version from Sefaria (https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.1.6?lang=bi, accessed frequently between 2021 and 2025.)

5. Ben-Daniel, John and Gloria. Saint John and the Book of Revelation: From Essenes to End-Times. Jerusalem: Franciscan, 2019

6. Philo, edited by Fred. C. Conybeare. About the Contemplative Life. New York: Oxford Clarendon Press, 1895

7. The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls: The War Scroll, from The Israel Museum, copyright 1995-2025. http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/war, accessed 30 Jul 2025)

8. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)

9. Nati, James. “The Community Rule or Rules for the Communities? Contextualizing the Qumran Serakhim.” Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls: John Collins at Seventy, Volume 2. Edited by Joel Baden, Hindy Najman, and Eibert Tigchelaar. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2017

10. Baumgarten, Joseph. The Qumran-Essene Restraints on Marriage. The Center for Online Judaic Studies, undated. (http://cojs.org/the_qumran-essene_restraints_on_marriage-_joseph_baumgarten/, accessed 6 Jun and 8 Sep 2022)

11. Kohler, Kaufman. “Essenes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5867-essenes, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)

12. Schiffman, Lawrence H. "Community Without Temple: The Qumran Community's Withdrawal from the Jerusalem Temple." Qumran and Jerusalem, 2010, pp. 81-97

13. Map: “Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus.” Conforming To Jesus website (https://www.conformingtojesus.com/charts-maps/en/jerusalem_in_jesus_time_map.htm)

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. I thought we would get out of Jerusalem this episode, but we have to clean up a few of the controversies, first. So, we’ll stick around Jerusalem, wander over to Qumran, and hit the points in between for one more episode before we close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago.

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Sauter, Megan. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 14 Jun 2025 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/the-dead-sea-scrolls-and-the-new-testament/, accessed 16 Jun 2025)

2. Edgar Cayce: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Cayce, accessed 17 Feb 2023

3. Taylor, Joan E. The Essenes, the Scrolls, and the Dead Sea. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012

4. Josephus, Flavius. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013 (available at https://archive.org/details/CompleteWorksOfJosephusTranslatedByWilliamWhiston1737)

5. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996

6. Nati, James. “The Community Rule or Rules for the Communities? Contextualizing the Qumran Serakhim.” Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls: John Collins at Seventy, Volume 2. Edited by Joel Baden, Hindy Najman, and Eibert Tigchelaar. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2017

7. Bergsma, John. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Image Penguin Random House, 2019

8. Kohler, Kaufman. “Essenes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5867-essenes, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)

9. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)

10. Pike, Dana M. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament,” in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. by Lincoln H. Blumell (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, 2019), 109-121.

11. Werman, Cana. “Epochs and End-Time: The 490-Year Scheme in Second Temple Literature.” Dead Sea Discoveries, vol. 13, no. 2, 2006, pp. 229–55. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4193399. Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.

12. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010

13. Hempel, Charlotte. “The Place of the Book of Jubilees at Qumran and Beyond.” Lim, TH (Red.), The Dead Sea Scrolls in Their Historical Context. London: T&T Clark, 2000.

14. Book of Jubilees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jubilees, accessed 20 Jun 2025

15. Lanser, Rick, MDiv. “Pinpointing the Date of Christ's Birth,” Associates for Biblical Research, 2019. (https://biblearchaeology.org/about/abr-projects/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth, accessed 2 Mar 2022)

16. Pitre, Brant. Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper. New York: Image, 2011

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. In a wildly exciting episode, we’ll talk about dusty old scrolls, treasure hunts, and hidden secrets of ancient Israel. I’m already captivated, how about you? Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know.

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Wise, Michael; Abegg, Martin Jr.; and Cook, Edward. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1996

2. Joseph, Simon J. “Jesus and the Essenes: An Esoteric History”, The Bible and Interpretation. Tucson: The University of Arizona 2018 (https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/jesus-and-essenes-esoteric-history#comment-form, accessed 7 Sep 2022)

3. Safrai, Schmuel. “Jesus and the Hasidim.” Jerusalem Perspective, Numbers 42,43 and 44. Tel-Aviv: Sabinsky Press, 1994

4. Fraade, S. D. (2009). Qumran Yahad and Rabbinic Hăbûrâ: A Comparison Reconsidered. Dead Sea Discoveries 16, 3, 433-453, Available From: Brill (https://doi.org/10.1163/156851709X474012, Accessed 14 September 2023)

5. Sauter, Megan. “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington DC, 14 Jun 2025 (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/the-dead-sea-scrolls-and-the-new-testament/, accessed 16 Jun 2025)

6. Mason, Steve. “Essenes and Lurking Spartans in Josephus’ Judean War: From Story to History.” Making History: Josephus and Historical Method, edited by Zuleika Rodgers, p. 219-261. The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2007

Magness, Jodi. Review of Qumran in Context: Reassessing the Archaeological Evidence by Yizhar Hirschfeld, Society of Biblical Literature, 2005

7. Sauter, Megan. "Introduction, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future." Biblical Archaeology Review, Special Supplement Ebook. Washington D.C., 2022, pp. 5-14. (Available at https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/the-dead-sea-scrolls-past-present-and-future/, accessed 6 Mar 2023.)

8. Hesemann, Michael, translated by Michael J. Miller. Mary of Nazareth: History, Archeology, Legends. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, CA 2016 (Original German edition, 2011, Sankt Ulrich Verlag, Augsburg, Germany.)

9. Pixner, Bargil, O.S.B. Paths of the Messiah: Messianic Sites in Galilee and Jerusalem. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010

If you want to get an early start on your homework:

Josephus, Flavius. The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Translated by William Whiston, PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK. Release Date: 10 Jan 2009 [EBook #2850], Updated: 3 Aug 2013

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We’ll stick around Jerusalem for one more episode and close out our deep dive into the nonstop party that was the religious scene in ancient Israel, two thousand years ago. I'm Tony, I'm the author and there aren’t any super hard words to pronounce so I’ll be the narrator, too. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode with everyone you know. Why keep all this fun to yourself

?

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

If you read something that is not a direct quote and think the brilliant thought might be mine, it is safer to assume I messed up the citation. Give credit to the super smart people below.

1. Shaus A, Gerber Y, Faigenbaum-Golovin S, Sober B, Piasetzky E, Finkelstein I (2020) “Forensic document examination and algorithmic handwriting analysis of Judahite biblical period inscriptions reveal significant literacy level.” PLoS ONE 15(9): e0237962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237962 (Accessed 19 Jun 2023)

2. Encyclopedia of the Bible (No author noted). “Scribes.” Bible Gateway website. Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, Nashville, TN, undated. (https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Scribe-Scribes, accessed most recently 11 Jun 2025)

3. Price, Randall. “Unearthing Truth: Did Moses Write the Torah?” Israel My Glory Magazine, Jul/Aug 2019 Issue. (Available at https://israelmyglory.org/article/did-moses-write-the-torah/, accessed 9 Jun 2025.)

4. Singer, Isidore; Seligsohn, M.; Bacher, Wilhelm; and Eisenstein, Judah David. “Scribes.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13356-scribes, accessed 5 May 2025)

5. Suntharanurak, Sutthi. “Auditing in Ancient Egypt and the Role of Scribes.” Post on Medium.com, 13 Feb 2024. (https://medium.com/@sutthisun/auditing-in-ancient-egypt-and-the-role-of-scribes-037620d2830a, accessed 10 Jun 2025.)

6. Kohler, Kaufman. “Zealots.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15185-zealots, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)

7. Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024)

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. We are still hanging out in Bad Guy Central, this time, to learn about the Pharisees. Let’s see if I can dredge up a detail or two you didn’t know about them. I'm Tony, I'm the author, and the narrator. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Sharing the episode with a friend or twelve would be kind of cool, too. Let’s go: The Pharisees – The OG Deep State.

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

** You’ve heard this before. Most of the work in this piece relies heavily on the research of Allen Ross, Kaufman Kohler, and Gershom Bader, all of whom are referenced below. I edited their statements for narrative flow and added some of my own analysis but the real work here is theirs. I only take credit for anything you find that might be wrong. If a statement sounds like it could have been from one of them, you should assume it is from one of them and I just messed up the notation.

*** Most Talmudic references came from or have been confirmed at Sefaria, a wonderful, free resource that I access constantly. Hit the link to check them out. (https://www.sefaria.org)

1. GotQuestions.org website, no author noted. “What were the 400 years of silence?” Got Questions Ministries, 2002-2025. (https://www.gotquestions.org/400-years-of-silence.html, accessed 27 May 2025)

2. JewishVirtualLibrary.org website, no author noted. “Ancient Jewish History: The Edomites.” American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 1998 - 2025 (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-edomites#:~:text=The%20Edomites%20were%20later%20forcibly,who%20built%20the%20Second%20Temple, accessed 28 May 2025)

3. Kohler, Kaufman. “Pharisees.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12087-pharisees, accessed most recently on 28 May 2025)

4. Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024)

5. Bader, Gershom. The Jewish Spiritual Heroes. New York, N.Y. 1940. Public Domain document, available at https://www.sefaria.org/The_Jewish_Spiritual_Heroes%2C_Volume_I%3B_The_Creators_of_the_Mishna%2C_Introduction?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en, accessed 28 May 2025

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we dive into Bad Guy Central and learn about the Sadducees. Boo! Hiss! Let’s see if all the bad stories about them are true. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode, call mom and dad, and let’s get going: The Sadducees. Who’s Who In The Zoo, Too?

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

Today’s work, as I mentioned, is a kluge of the sources below. To learn more about the Sadducees, check out any of the sources below. If you want to learn a lot, check them all out. As always, they get the credit for what is right, and I get the credit for what is wrong.

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

1. Livius: Literature, History and Culture. “Sadducees.” Copyright 1995–2025 Livius.org. (https://www.livius.org/articles/people/sadducees/, accessed 13 May 2025)

2. Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV), Public Domain.

Ross, Allen. “The Religious World of Jesus.” Bible.Org, May 2009. (https://bible.org/series/religious-world-jesus. Accessed 8 May 2024)

Kohler, Kaufmann. “Sadducees.” The Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com, The Kopelman Foundation, 2002-2021 (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12989-sadducees, accessed 13 May 2025)

Levine, Lee I. “Let’s Talk About Sects: The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes on law.” MyJewishLearning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lets-talk-about-sects/, accessed 13 May 2025)

Abarim Publications. “Sadducees: Summary.” 06 Jan 2025. (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Sadducees.html, accessed 13 May 2025)

Welcome to the Investigators Guide to the Bible. This episode, we cover the Sanhedrin, Snidely Whiplash and answer the age-old question, “Can we end world hunger with a Vatican yard sale?” We’ll probably throw a couple other stories in, too. I’m Tony. I’m the author, the narrator, chief researcher...I’m also the assistant researcher and I make the coffee. But enough about me. Like and subscribe for new episodes. Share the episode and nominate me for the Substack Stack of Fame! Okay, let’s get moving: Who’s Who In The Zoo?

Resources and References so I can pretend I’m really smart:

* Most Bible quotes I used come from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010 This is just my working Bible for most of these episodes. Any Bible you use will be fine for all of the Biblical references.

1. Hecht, Mendy. “How far am I allowed to walk on Shabbat?” Chabad.org, Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center

(https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484235/jewish/How-far-am-I-allowed-to-walk-on-Shabbat.htm#:~:text=However%2C%20even%20walking%20on%20Shabbat,a%20long%20trek%20on%20Shabbat.&text=The%20content%20on%20this%20page,to%20www.AskMoses.com, also at

http://www.askmoses.com/

, accessed 5 may 2025)

2. Mishna Sanhedrin 1.6, Online Version from Sefaria. (https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Sanhedrin.1.6?lang=bi, accessed most recently 7 May 2025)

Eisenberg, Ronald L. “Beit Dins and Sanhedrin.” My Jewish Learning. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/beit-din/, accessed 8 Dec 2022)

3. Mishna Sanhedrin 17b, Online Version from Sefaria. (https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.17b.8?lang=bi, accessed most recently 7 May 2025)