This episode is the first of two about the tower at Babel and the confusing of tongues as found in Genesis Chapter 11. I also formulate answers to a few questions. Where was the tower? How tall was the tower? Was it destroyed? What was the language they spoke? Who was the ‘us’ God was referring to? Who was this Nimrod?

Next week, I’ll dive into the scientific theories around the origin of language as well as stories from other cultures about why there are so many languages.   

After listening, let me know what you think.

This episode completes the dive into the Biblical flood story with an exploration of Mt. Ararat. Why is this mountain considered by many to be the resting place of the ark? Also, where are the other potential resting places?  I also explore other flood stories from around the globe including the Akkadian, Sumerian, and Babylonian, all from the same region and time as the Genesis story.  In addition, there are African, Hindu, Mayan, various European, Hawaiian, and Cherokee stories, among others. All of these are included since they are similar, in various ways, to the Biblical story. Next week, I’ll discuss the Tower of Babel and the origin of language. No short task.   

After listening, let me know what you think.

This episode dives into the Biblical flood story as presented in the book of Genesis. In it, the traditional misunderstandings of the story and a common misinterpretation are discussed. Also covered is the approximate date of the flood. In addition, a few possible scientific theories as to what would have caused such a great flood are examined. Finally, a brief explanation is given for a few of the items between the Creation Story and Flood Story that are not covered, such as the Land of Nod, Enoch, and the Nephilim. Next week, I’ll explore flood stories from around the world.

This episode explores the ancient civilizations in the area on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. I walk, in a fair amount of detail, through the histories of the Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians, Akkadians, Greeks, Parthians, Aramaeans, and Chaldeans. All of this is in preparation for the forthcoming more extensive histories. Next week, dive into the biblical flood story.   

After listening, let me know what you think.

The Fertile Crescent, also known as the Cradle of Civilization is explained and explored. This episode also walks through a few theories relating to the climate of that region in the time period of the Old Testament. But, before this is done, the methods used by researchers in deducing their theories is explained. Finally, I delve into the history of the ancient city of Kish, which many believe is the region of Cush, as mentioned in Genesis.  Next week, I’ll give a general outline of the human history of the region that will serve as a basis for the forthcoming deep dives.

The four rivers of Genesis, namely the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates are explored. This episode also gives an overview into the geography of Mesopotamia.  Next week, I’ll expand out geographically and give an overview into the Fertile Crescent as well as the climate of the time. I’ll also give a general outline into the human history of the region that will serve as a basis for the forthcoming deep dives.   

After listening, let me know what you think.

This episodes recounts the Christian creation story found in the first three chapters of the book of Genesis.  I conduct a shallow dive into whether there is a singular creation story or two separate stories. Next week, I’ll explore the geography of the region known as Mesopotamia, where the creation story is thought to have taken place.

This episodes the creation myths from Mesopotamia, Samaria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, India, Islam, and several Native American tribes.  Why do I do this? So that is becomes apparent that the ones that should be similar to the story in Genesis, due to their geographic proximity and shared cultures, are not. Indeed, the story in Genesis bears more resemblance to stories from the other side of the world. Next week, I’ll do a shallow dive into the creation story of Genesis.

In this episode, I explore the tablet theory, sometimes referred to as the Wiseman hypothesis concerning the authorship of Genesis. And no, it’s not the wisemen from the gospels, but a couple of Wisemen from a little later. I explore the basis of the theory as well as its limitations. I’ll also let you know where these tablets can be found today. After listening, you can impress your friends with the three theories on how Genesis was written, including this one, the Moses authorship, and the Documentary Theory.   

After listening, let me know what you think.

This episode provides an overview of the Pentateuch, known more commonly as the first five books of the Old Testament. I also dive into the theories surrounding who wrote the books and begin to touch on the societies and geographies of the Old Testament world. This will all serve as a background for the deeper dive into that time and region, which will be the focus of this chapter. After listening, let me know what you think.