Best Dave Roos Podcasts (2024)

1
Season 2 Celebration + Season 3 Teaser 17:53

12d ago17:53

17:53

Thank you listeners for another amazing season of Biblical Time Machine! We couldn't do this without you. EXCITING NEWS FOR SEASON 3 Season 3 is just a few weeks away and we're unveiling some exciting new perks for members of the Time Travelers Club. We're a listener-supported podcast (no ads!), so we rely on our patrons to keep the show going. If …

1
Body and Blood: The Mysterious Origins of the Eucharist 57:48

20d ago57:48

57:48

The Eucharist is such a common part of Christian worship that it's easy to overlook how strange it is — drinking wine that represents Jesus's blood, eating bread that represents His flesh. The ritual would have been even more shocking to Jesus's Jewish followers, for whom consuming blood (even metaphorically) was absolutely forbidden. The New Testa…

1
A Crash Course in Biblical History with Dan McClellan 1:03:33

27d ago1:03:33

1:03:33

Join Helen and Dave as they attempt the impossible — to cover the entirety of biblical history in one fact-packed episode! To help us, we recruited Dan McClellan from the Data Over Dogma podcast to walk us century by century, book by book through the creation of the Bible. It's like listening to a full season of Biblical Time Machine in one sitting…

1
The History of Prayer from Ancient Judaism to Early Christianity 58:32

1M ago58:32

58:32

The "Song of Miriam" is one of the oldest verses in the Hebrew Bible and it's a prayer. What was the nature and role of prayer in ancient Israelite religion? And how can we trace the evolution of prayer into the New Testament period and Jesus's institution of the "Lord's Prayer"? Guest Judith Newman takes us on a fascinating exploration of the hist…

1
Food: What Did They Eat in Ancient Israel? 54:58

2M ago54:58

54:58

Finally, Helen and Dave turn to the most important topic of any time period — food! What the heck did regular folks in the Levant eat back in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE? The Hebrew Bible is a lousy recipe book, so we talked to Jacob Damm, an archeologist who specializes in the food and foodways of Ancient Israel. Grab a snack for this one. You…

1
A Face-Melting Look at the Ark of the Covenant 35:43

2M ago35:43

35:43

If Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is accurate, peering inside the fabled Ark of the Covenant will result in mild to severe face-melting and occasional head exploding. In the Hebrew Bible, the Ark doesn't melt any faces, but it does inflict its fair share of divine violence. Guest Rachelle Gilmour explains the fascinating history and …

1
The Case for Q, the 'Lost Gospel' 53:52

2M ago53:52

53:52

One of the longest-running debates among biblical scholars is over the existence of a hypothetical "lost gospel" called Q. If you compare the synoptic gospels — Mark, Matthew and Luke — there are similarities and differences that can't easily be explained. Was there an even earlier source about Jesus that these gospels were based on? And if so, who…

1
Samson: Hero or Psychopath? 42:37

2M ago42:37

42:37

Of all the problematic heroes in the Hebrew Bible, Samson takes first prize. Samson is hailed as a hero of the Israelites — a "Nazirite" consecrated to God with superhuman strength — but he's also a mass murderer, womanizer and all-around menace to society. Helen and Dave welcome Mahri Leonard-Fleckman to the podcast to try to make sense of the wil…

1
Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library Explained 50:30

3M ago50:30

50:30

In 1945, dozens of previously unknown Christian texts were discovered near the Egyptian desert town of Nag Hammadi. Some texts were closely tied to the New Testament, like the Gospel of Thomas, but others were pretty wild, portraying the God of the Hebrew Bible as a demon trickster. All of these texts were labeled "gnostic," but scholars continue t…

1
Surgery or Spit? Healthcare in the Ancient World 43:53

3M ago43:53

43:53

Countless things could sicken or injure you in the ancient world, so where did people turn for help? Much like today, there were no shortage of healthcare options: herbs, drugs, surgery, saliva — even a literal hole in the head! Helen and Dave welcome historian Jared Secord to discuss what passed for medical care in the ancient Mediterranean and wh…

1
Passover: Did the Exodus Really Happen? 49:26

3M ago49:26

49:26

Every Passover, Jewish families gather to recount the miraculous story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt. But how much of this age-old tale is true? Helen and Dave welcome Carol Meyers back to the podcast to talk about the limits of Exodus archeology and to put forward some intriguing theories about the historical origins of th…

1
How Horrible Were Ancient Prisons? LIVE from SBL 1:18:54

3M ago1:18:54

1:18:54

If you thought everyday life in the 1st century was disgusting, wait until you step inside a Roman prison. In our very first LIVE episode, we talk with Matthew Larsen, historian of ancient incarceration, about the conditions Paul and other early Christians experienced in ancient prisons — nasty food, nastier smells and what it meant to be sent off …

1
Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible 40:26

3M ago40:26

40:26

In the 1st-century Roman world where Christianity was born, 20% of the population was enslaved. Enslaved people were laborers, farmers, artisans, scribes, teachers, servants and sex workers. And as our guest Candida Moss explains, enslaved people also played a critical role in the spread of Christianity, including the authorship of biblical texts. …

1
Easter: Behind the Scenes of "The Chosen" 36:27

4M ago36:27

36:27

"The Chosen" is a global phenomenon. The streaming series about the life of Jesus is now in its 4th season, which is building toward Jesus's final week in Jerusalem. Helen and Dave were thrilled to chat with actor Richard Fancy, who plays high priest Caiaphas on "The Chosen." Richard did some serious research to prepare for his role — he even read …

1
Easter: A Closer Look at the Resurrection 47:15

4M ago47:15

47:15

The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity, but the reality of the empty tomb is largely a matter of faith, not history. All of the evidence pertaining to the Resurrection is found within the New Testament. So how can anyone definitively prove that the Resurrection did or did not happen? If anyone can do it, Dale Allison can. Dale…

1
Easter: Crucifixion in the Roman Empire 51:31

4M ago51:31

51:31

Jesus's mortal life ended on a Roman cross, one of the cruellest execution methods known to man. But how common was crucifixion in the Roman world and how accurate was the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus's agonizing end? In this fascinating (and somewhat gruesome) episode, we dive into the debate over the true shape of Roman crosses, whether Jes…

1
Capernaum: the Archeology of a Jewish and Christian Village 46:19

4M ago46:19

46:19

Capernaum is known as "the Town of Jesus," since so many of Jesus's miracles and preaching happened in this small town on the Sea of Galilee. In the centuries after Jesus's death, Capernaum transformed from a Jewish fishing village into a Christian holy site. Thanks to archeology, we can learn more about Jewish-Christian relations in Capernaum duri…

1
Leprosy in the Bible — What Was It? 47:18

5M ago47:18

47:18

The history doctor is in! Helen and Dave welcome Dr. Ricky Shinall — an MD with a PhD in biblical studies — to help us diagnose leprosy in the ancient world. Did biblical leprosy have anything to do with modern Hansen's disease? Were lepers considered "untouchable" pariahs? And what does all of this have to do with ritual impurity? For more, check …

1
The Ancient Jews (and Temple) of Elephantine Island 55:46

5M ago55:46

55:46

In the 6th Century BCE, on a tiny island in the Nile River, once stood a Temple to Yahweh. Far from Jerusalem, the ancient Jews of Egypt's Elephantine Island worshipped a mighty god they called "Yaho" in one of the first diaspora Jewish communities outside of Palestine. How they got there and who they became is a fascinating and little-known story.…

1
Who Wrote the King James Bible? 49:27

5M ago49:27

49:27

"Thou shalt not" miss this episode about the King James Bible, the most-read literary work in the English language! But who was King James? Why did he order a new English translation of the Bible (there were plenty out there already)? And who were the translators tasked with this monumental project (hint: not Shakespeare)? Helen and Dave are joined…

1
Did Jesus Bless a Same-Sex Relationship? 48:46

5M ago48:46

48:46

The New Testament story known as the "Healing of the Centurion's Slave" has been the subject of some intriguing scholarship in recent years. In the Greco-Roman world, the Greek word translated as "slave" or "servant" in the Bible also meant the younger partner in a same-sex male relationship. So the question is: by healing the Centurion's partner, …

1
David & Goliath Like You've Never Read It Before 48:12

6M ago48:12

48:12

Heroic stories like David and Goliath were told for centuries before they were written down. But the creative storytelling process didn't end there. Written texts were "performed" and improvised upon, creating new variations that made it into later texts. The Bible that we have today was the product of ongoing "conversations" between oral and writt…

1
Parables: Jesus's Shocking Short Stories 56:23

6M ago56:23

56:23

In the New Testament, Jesus often teaches through parables — short stories rich in symbolism and ethical dilemmas. "The Good Samaritan." "The Prodigal Son." We've heard these stories so many times it's easy to overlook how challenging and even shocking they would have sounded to 1st-century ears. In this episode, scholar Amy-Jill Levine joins Helen…

1
Pseudepigraphy: Forgery or Fan Fiction? 39:08

6M ago39:08

39:08

Ancient authors had no problem writing texts in other people's names, and that includes plenty of biblical writers. If Paul only wrote 7 of the 13 Pauline epistles, for example, who wrote the other 6, and why did they stamp Paul's name on them? The practice is called pseudepigraphy — from the Greek for "false inscription" — and a lot of biblical sc…

1
Why the Bible Was Written 55:28

6M ago55:28

55:28

The Hebrew Bible wasn't created by one of the mighty empires of the ancient world — Egypt, Assyria or Babylon — but written in the rubble of a small, conquered kingdom. So how has this "epic monument to defeat" not only survived for 2,600 years, but spawned three world religions and influenced countless lives? Because the authors of the Hebrew Bibl…

1
What Would Jesus Wear? 1:00:42

6M ago1:00:42

1:00:42

There's so much we get wrong about clothing and dress in the 1st Century. Did Jewish people dress differently than gentiles? No. Did most men have long hair and beards? No. Did Jesus and the disciples rock sandals with socks? Yes! Clothing is an essential component of culture, yet it's been woefully ignored by historians. Today we change all that. …

1
Animals in the Ancient World 1:01:38

7M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

The Bible is literally crawling with animals — from the crafty serpent of Genesis to Jesus's parable of the lost sheep. That's because animals (both wild and domesticated) were an integral part of life in the ancient world. In today's episode, Lloyd Llewelyn-Jones is back to explain what lions, donkeys, doves and dogs really meant to the ancient au…

1
A Cultural History of Christmas 51:26

7M ago51:26

51:26

Try as you might, you won't find Santa Claus in the Bible. Or Christmas trees, or camel-riding Magi, or even December 25th! In the first centuries of Christianity, Christmas wasn't really a "thing." The birth of Jesus was far less important than his death and resurrection. So how did Christmas evolve from an afterthought into the biggest holiday on…

1
A Second Look at Mary, Mother of Jesus 47:36

7M ago47:36

47:36

In the first of two Christmas episodes, Helen and Dave take another look at arguably the "best-known and least-known" woman in history: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Our guest, the fantastic James Tabor, collects the few breadcrumbs of information about Mary in the New Testament and weaves together a compelling narrative about a Jewish matriarch at th…

1
Hanukkah History: The Maccabean Revolt 38:38

8M ago38:38

38:38

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah is based on real historical events — the Maccabean Revolt of 167-160 BCE. In today's episode, Helen and Dave travel back to a time when Judaea was ruled by the Hellenized (Greek) Seleucid Empire. When a Jewish priest named Mattathias refused to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods, it sparked a violent revolution led b…

1
Biblical Blackness: Cush, the "Curse of Ham" and the Queen of Sheba 35:53

8M ago35:53

35:53

The Bible is largely silent about race. People are identified by their lands of origin and beliefs, not their skin color. Yet centuries of biblical interpreters have read race into the Bible, for good and for ill. As our guest Stacy Davis explains, the biblical land of Cush (sometimes translated as Ethiopia) has long been associated with Black peop…

1
Who Chose the Books of the New Testament? 42:22

8M ago42:22

42:22

Starting in the 1st century CE, there was an explosion of Christian literature — dozens of gospels, letters, apocalypses and more — but only a fraction of those texts made it into the New Testament canon. Who decided which books were in and which books were out? For this episode, Helen and Dave welcome New Testament scholar Francis Watson, who intr…

1
What Ancient Coins Can Teach Us About the Bible 45:22

8M ago45:22

45:22

When we recognize the Bible as a product of the ancient world, we can look for subtle ways that biblical authors incorporated elements of everyday life — including coins! We spoke with historian Michael Theophilos about everything we can learn from ancient coins (politics, economics, visual culture, propaganda), and then we found some fascinating e…

1
Everything We Get Wrong About Jesus and Jewish Impurity Laws 43:51

9M ago43:51

43:51

It's easy to read the New Testament and come away with the idea that Jesus was in opposition to the Jewish ritual impurity laws. In fact, that's what most Christian theologians have taught for the past 2,000 years. Is it possible that we've (gasp!) been misreading the Bible this whole time? Our guest Matt Thiessen says, "Yep." In today's episode, w…

1
Halloween Special: God's Monsters 42:14

9M ago42:14

42:14

There aren't any werewolves or vampires in the Bible, but God deploys his own terrifying army of monsters. Have you heard of cherubs? Not what you think! Even angels have some less-than-angelic duties. It turns out that the shepherds abiding in the field had good reason to be "sore afraid." Just in time for Halloween, special guest Esther Hamori jo…

1
Did the Author of John Know the Other Gospels? 43:44

9M ago43:44

43:44

At first reading, the Gospel of John feels a world apart from the other gospels. The language is different, there are new stories (see our episode on "the woman taken in adultery") and Jesus speaks about himself in bolder terms ("I am the resurrection and the life." "I am the light of the world.") That has led some scholars to argue that the author…

1
8. Nichole and Sarah Fight for Kids 49:57

9M ago49:57

49:57

In our season finale: When children are the victims of abuse, they need someone in their corner to make sure that seeking justice is a caring process. Sarah Stewart is the executive director of Kids First, a child advocacy center that helps kids who are victims get access to services like therapy and medical care, while making sure their stories ar…

1
Is Jonah the Weirdest Book in the Bible? 44:40

9M ago44:40

44:40

Jonah and the whale (fish, technically) is one of the best-known Bible stories, but it's also completely bonkers. It stars Jonah—the worst/best prophet ever—and reads more like a fable or satire than a serious biblical treatise. Were the authors of Jonah trying to be funny? And how the heck did this silly little fish tale become a beloved and meani…

1
7. Robert Weaver Hacks Phones for Good 56:09

9M ago56:09

56:09

Digital devices - phones, computers, tablets - have become integral to our daily lives. And they have become tools for criminals. What’s found on a suspect's digital device could make or break a case. Ask Detective Robert Weaver, who specializes in digital forensics. He has uncovered troves of damning evidence by sifting through digital data while …

1
Childhood in Ancient Israel—What Can We Know? 48:01

10M ago48:01

48:01

Pop quiz—name a famous kid from the Hebrew Bible. Baby Moses? Teenage David? That's about it. The Bible may be largely silent about childhood, but we can gather clues from archeology and ethnography to piece together a picture of what it was like to be a kid in ancient Israel. Special guest Kristine Garroway from Hebrew Union College joins Helen an…

1
6. Yael Bar Tur Goes Viral 42:21

10M ago42:21

42:21

In 2014, social media strategist Yael Bar tur took on one of the most significant projects in her career, when she was hired to revamp the public image of the New York Police Department. A year before, a federal judge had ruled the department’s controversial stop-and-frisk program was unconstitutional. For six years, Yael worked with the NYPD, weat…

1
Mysterious Origins of a Bible Story: Casting the First Stone 48:47

10M ago48:47

48:47

For the first four centuries of Christianity, the famous story of the "woman taken in adultery" was nowhere to be found in the New Testament. In this moving tale, Jesus forgives a woman condemned for committing adultery and admonishes her accusers: "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." But why wasn't the story included in the earliest m…

1
5. Matt Pitcher Disappears 46:00

10M ago46:00

46:00

Over the course of his long career in law enforcement, Matt Pitcher has put his personal life on hold to go deep undercover to catch the bad guys. Matt did short stints pretending to be someone else when he worked street crimes trying to take down drug dealers. Then came two separate deep cover investigations that required Matt to live for months a…

1
When Christians Were Jewish 41:08

10M ago41:08

41:08

It's easy to read the New Testament and come away thinking that Jesus and his disciples were in opposition to "the Jews." But the first followers of Jesus were all fellow Jews and the early Jesus movement was very much a Jewish movement. Would the first generation of "Christians" have thought of themselves as anything other than Jewish? Our guest P…

1
4. Lindsey Wade Finds Missing Children 53:24

10M ago53:24

53:24

What happens when a child goes missing? Every second counts and law enforcement needs to know exactly what to do to improve the chances the victim will be found alive. Enter Lindsey Wade, a veteran detective from Tacoma, Washington. Lindsey travels the country training officers on child abduction response and what to do in those crucial seconds, mi…

1
The Legendary John Cleese on "Monty Python's Life of Brian" 52:46

10M ago52:46

52:46

Comedy royalty John Cleese stopped by the podcast to chat with Helen and Dave about Monty Python's inspiration for making Life of Brian, what fascinates and frustrates him about the Bible, and so much more. Members of the Time Travelers Club can listen to an uncut version of our entire, hour-long conversation with John. For $5/month, you can help s…

1
3. Mark Super Examines the Bodies 44:36

10M ago44:36

44:36

Detectives Dan and Dave have long said that victims and their families are at the mercy of the quality of detective assigned to their case. It turns out that detectives and other law enforcement officials will sometimes find themselves beholden to someone else’s work: that of the medical examiner. What a medical examiner finds at a crime scene can …

1
The Nasty, Yucky, Funky World of the 1st Century 45:35

10M ago45:35

45:35

Face it — you wouldn't survive two days back in the first century. If the food-borne bacteria didn't kill you, you might keel over from the odors alone! In this episode, Helen and Dave welcome Jodi Magness, biblical archeologist extraordinaire, for a frank and sometimes graphic discussion of what daily life REALLY would have been like in 1st-centur…

1
2. Paul Holes Deals with Death 48:49

11M ago48:49

48:49

Today we explores the investigative mind of the legendary CSI Paul Holes. In a one-on-one with Detective Dave, we journey back over a career that started in a forensic toxicology lab and led to his groundbreaking cold-case work hunting serial murders like the Golden State Killer. Along the way, Paul reveals how he deals with death, what he means wh…

1
How Yahweh Became God 42:28

11M ago42:28

42:28

How did a (lowercase) god named Yahweh from the pantheon of the ancient Edomites become the one and only (uppercase) God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam? It's a fascinating story that calls into question just how monotheistic the ancient Israelites really were... For this episode, Helen and Dave are joined by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, professor …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Dave Roos Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide