Weird Stuff in the Bible

Interview today with Will Blesch, author of the 2026 book In the Shadow of Goliath. Will digs deep into history and archaeology, unlocking ancient mysteries by approaching these topics from a biblical framework. He joins me on a video call from where he lives in Israel in this episode. Learn more about his book and his library of work at his website:

https://www.williamblesch.com/in-the-shadow-of-goliath/

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Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

I know the podcast is called Weird Stuff in the Bible, but today, I want to start with something that’s weird in our world: ziggurats. 

A ziggurat is a pyramid-like structure. It starts with a massive base, and every level going up gets a little bit smaller. They often have steps up the sides so you can climb to the top. You’ve probably seen pictures before of ziggurats in ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, from the Aztecs, from the Mayans—there’s even one in Collinsville, Illinois. 

And here’s what’s so weird about it: this structure is replicated in all kinds of societies all around the world.

Different nations, different languages, different cultures—and yet we keep seeing ziggurats repeated across the planet.

My question is: why?

Well, where do all ancient nations, languages and cultures come from? According to the Bible, they all got started at this event called the Tower of Babel.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that the Tower of Babel was a ziggurat.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to Genesis 11, and let’s get weird.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:20 - Can You Take Me Higher?

4:20 - Mountaintop Experiences

9:45 - Ziggurats

18:00 - The Ziggurat at Babel

27:45 - O Destroying Mountain

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https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Listen here, or watch the interview right here: https://youtu.be/PpolOnhpvvs

The interview today is with Derrick Warfel, author of UFOS AND GOD, as well as the creator of a new documentary by the same name. 

Learn more about the book here:
https://ufosandgodbook.com

And the documentary here:
https://www.ufosandgod.com

Derrick Warfel was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton, a Master of Theology from Dallas, and an MFA from USC.

After eight years on staff with CRU, Derrick spent the next four decades in the film industry, creating and teaching media from a biblical worldview.

This interview is part of celebrating the third year anniversary of this podcast! Look for another interview or two to drop this month. 

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Visit the Weird Stuff store!
https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com
You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]
Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Last fall I did an episode asking “What was the big deal about a tower that reaches to heaven?”

And that episode ended up setting records. At the time, it was probably my most popular episode ever, and it held that position for many months. If I were smart, I probably would have followed it up with 10 more episodes right then about the Tower of Babel. There was clearly a lot of interest in this subject to know what exactly was going on there. 

And yet, for me, that was one of my not-so-favorite episodes. Why? Because I really asked more questions than I provided answers. I was questioning why the builders at Babel thought they could somehow make it to heaven by building a tower all the way up there. Were they really that stupid- or was there something more spiritual going on with this tower? 

And most puzzling to me of all: what was it about this structure that caused God to say in

Genesis 11:6

…this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 

That’s a big claim. Made by no less than God Himself.

So I had a lot of questions about this Babel incident, and I didn’t want to explore them further on the podcast until I had time to do. my. research. And that’s what I’ve been up to, for a whole year now, preparing for this series- until today. And here we go.

And it starts with a look at the architect of Babel, a guy named Nimrod, who shows up in a few verses in a genealogy of Genesis 10. And yet—if you listen all the way to the end of today’s episode—you will find out why he is actually one of the most significant figures of the story of the Old Testament.

Genesis 10:8 says

Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

A mighty man, huh? He sounds important, but on first glance, that description is kinda mysterious and vague.

Until we look at what these words mean in the original Hebrew and in the Septuagint; then, you’ll know exactly why I find Nimrod to be weird—very weird—and I’d like to explore what he’s doing in the Bible. 

Turn with me to Genesis 10, and let’s get weird.

——

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:40 - The Genesis 10 Context

8:35 - Meet Nimrod

10:30 - A Mighty Man

16:10 - Began to Be

20:20 - A Mighty Hunter

23:10 - Before the Lord

25:10 - Next Time

25:55 - The First on Earth

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You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

I made this podcast to answer all those questions your Sunday School teacher hoped you’d never ask. 

But today, I remember being a Sunday School teacher myself, and I remember teaching Revelation chapter 20, and here’s the question I was afraid of being asked.

Revelation 20:14 says

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Now, here’s what I didn’t want to have to explain: how do you throw death?

If Hades refers to hell, then I can understand Hades being thrown in there, for reasons I’ll get to later.

But how can “Death” be dumped in there, too? What does that even mean?

And as I said, I puzzled over this verse for years.

But in studying the Abyss, as we’ve done the past two weeks, I think I have found an answer to this question.

I find the throwing of death to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Revelation 20, and let’s get weird.

——

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Greek Mythology and the Bible

6:15 - Hades

10:35 - Thanatos

15:30 - Who is Thanatos?

19:30 - Throwing Death

26:00 - Next Time

28:00 - The Fight We’re In

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

There’s a popular teaching in Christianity that there are only three named angels in the Bible. I’ve heard this a million times. I’ve probably even taught it before myself. 

GotQuestions.org states: Only three angels are identified by name in the Bible: Gabriel (Daniel 8:16), Michael the archangel (Daniel 10:13), and Lucifer the fallen angel (Isaiah 14:12). 

Unfortunately, this common belief is wrong. The Book of Revelation blows this idea apart. Especially if we’re including fallen angels. 

Revelation 9 tells us about a swarm of freaky locusts that invade the earth in the end times, and it includes this detail:

(Verse 11)

They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

So who is this guy Apollyon? Why does he have two names? And what is the bottomless pit?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. And our study today will answer ALL those questions—who Apollyon is, where he’s from—and believe it or not, how learning about this location of the Abyss will bring you to a deeper understanding so many other passages in Scripture—and even the Gospel itself.

If that sounds like a good time to you, turn with me to Revelation 9, and let’s get weird.

——

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

1:40 - Tartarus

4:55 - Apollyon

13:15 - Abaddon

17:45 - Abussos

22:45 - Antichrist

27:40 - Abyss

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

We’ve spent a lot of time the past few months talking about this spiritual region called The Underworld, also known as Sheol in the Bible. 

Now, it’s actually part of something I would call my Underworld series, which started in July and will conclude in a few weeks. Only I didn’t call it that because I thought that saying we would do a 10-week Underworld series would scare a lot of people off. 

And that’s because most Christians equate the Underworld with Hell. But that would be a gross oversimplification. That would be like saying that going to Texas means you’re going to Dallas. Dallas is a place within Texas, but Dallas is not the same thing as Texas. 

Now, you might say that driving through Dallas is like going to hell, but that would mix our metaphors, so I’ll try to stay on track. 

Texas is a big state, and it has a geography. There are different places within Texas beyond just Dallas. Likewise, Hell—as the fiery place of judgment—is actually just one compartment within Sheol. There are other compartments in Sheol that the Bible also tells us about. 

And not just the Bible; the Book of Enoch also contains a pretty lengthy description of this realm. In fact, Enoch got to take a tour of this region, and he told us all about it in his book. 

Which is pretty weird. And I’d like to read about that today and see how it lines up with the Bible.  

And if you want to find out with me, turn to Revelation 20, and let’s get weird.

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Note: Enoch quotations are taken from the Modern Standard Version of the Book of Enoch, available on Amazon (and I highly recommend it if you choose to read Enoch's book!)

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

4:15 - A Cosmic Mountain

6:35 - The Abyss or Tartarus

12:45 - The Lake of Fire

14:50 - Abraham’s Bosom

21:00 - Hell

22:00 - Two More Compartments

24:25 - Recap

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

I got sick! Something like strep throat- and I was in bed all weekend. I could not record a new episode this week, unfortunately, as my voice was not strong enough to record yet as of Tuesday morning. Fortunately, I had already recorded an extra episode a few months ago, and it’s been sitting patiently on my hard drive until I needed it. So, here’s a reflection on the Book of Enoch study- which comes at a great time, since next week’s episode will also tie in with some insights from the Book of Enoch.

——

You will often hear people claim that it’s “dangerous” for Christians to read the Book of Enoch. 

And that’s literally the word that they’ll use. Dangerous.

I’m not trying to pick on anyone so I won’t name names, but if you google it, you’ll find plenty of people telling you that the Book of Enoch should be avoided because it can be so dangerous to your faith.

Now, I often find these fears a little silly and overblown. I mean, if I thought that the book of Enoch was dangerous to read, I wouldn’t have spent the first six months of this year studying it.

However, now that I have, I would say I think there’s one—maybe two—maybe even three fair criticisms that someone could levy against the book of Enoch. 

So I want to share my thoughts on those, and then give a few reasons why I actually believe all Christians should study the book of Enoch anyway.

So it’s not so much a bible study today as it is a reflection or retrospective on this year’s study. 

——

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:40 - Enoch & Paul Harvey

6:00 - Three Dangers of the Book of Enoch

19:15 - Three Reasons to Read It Anyway

26:05 - The Rest of the Story

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

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You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Before we were arguing over flat earth vs round earth, before we were arguing over creation vs evolution, before were were arguing over whether Tom Holland has surpassed Tobey Maguire as the best portrayal of Spider-Man, there was another debate within the church: did God create the earth with a canopy around it like a dome or protective shield?

Now, perhaps you’ve never heard of this, but it centers around this mysterious firmament that comes up in Genesis 1:6 and 7. 

The NKJV says

6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

What even is a firmament? The American dictionary says a firmament is “the vault of heaven.” The British dictionary says it’s “the expanse of the sky.” I don’t quite know what that means, and to be honest, I find it to be weird, and all I really care about is what the Bible says it is.

If you want to find out, too, turn to Genesis 1, and let’s get weird.

——

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Grossly Normal

4:30 - The Waters and the Firmament

7:25 - Theories on the Firmament

9:20 - The Firmament in the Scriptures

13:05 - The Firmament in Ezekiel

18:45 - The Sea of Glass

23:00 - The Living Creatures

27:50 - Closing Thoughts

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

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You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Everyone’s heard of the Mount of Olives from the Scriptures. 

• This is where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. 
• It’s where He gave the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.
• It’s where He went to pray on the night He was crucified.
• It’s where He ascended to the heavens after His resurrection.
• And—it’s where prophecy says He will return at the Second Coming of Christ. 

Obviously a pretty significant mountain. It must be pretty sacred and special to Jesus if He does all these important things there. This must be one of the holiest locations in the Bible, right?

Well actually, this was one of the most unholy mountains of the Old Testament. This was actually a demonic place of human sacrifice in ancient Israel, and a location known as the Mount of Corruption during the later kings; a spiritual abomination where pagans tried to access the Underworld. 

We might even call it a cosmic mountain. 

So just as two weeks ago I had you rethinking Eden, and last week I had you rethinking gardens, this week will have you rethinking the Mount of Olives.

Because I’m wondering: what were Jesus’ purposes for spending so much time there?

I find it to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to Matthew 21, and let’s get weird.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Olives in the Time of Jesus

5:20 - Olives in the Old Testament

16:00 - Olives in the Future

19:00 - Next Time & Mailbag

22:15 - This Mountain (Again)

Visit the Weird Stuff store!

https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com

You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one.

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!