Best Dave Roos Podcasts (2025)

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How Christmas Carols Retell The Nativity 43:19

Play Pause

2d ago43:19

43:19

Every Christmas, Christians sing a nativity story shaped as much by hymnody as by the Gospels themselves. In this Christmas special, Helen and Lloyd take a closer look at four of their favourite Christmas carols to ask the question: how do their depictions of Jesus' birth compare with the gospel accounts? For the first time ever, you will also be a…

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How Luke Rewrote Matthew's Nativity 39:29

2h ago39:29

39:29

For decades, scholars have thought that Matthew and Luke composed their nativity stories separately, perhaps drawing on some underlying material. Yet in this special advent episode, Lloyd Lewellyn-Jones interviews his co-host Helen Bond about her proposal that Luke shows an awareness of Matthew's infancy narrative. Together, they unpack the reasons…

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Birth Stories in the Ancient World 48:26

7d ago48:26

48:26

How did ancient biographies narrate the births of their subjects? In this episode, Helen and Lloyd are joined in the Time Machine by Dr Caleb Friedeman, who has set out to explore how biographers described their subject’s infancy. Contrary to modern readers, who often read birth account in ancient lives as works of myth and theology rather than his…

1
How Mary Was Lost 47:30

8d ago47:30

47:30

At the beginning of advent, Helen and Lloyd sit down with Dr James Tabor to discuss the best-known and least-known woman in history: Mary, the mother of Jesus. They explore how second-century Christians reshaped Mary’s story and obscured the historical woman behind the traditions. They also unpack the rumours surrounding Jesus’ paternity, the emerg…

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The Black Lodge Thanksgiving Day Terror Tapes 2:18:41

18d ago2:18:41

2:18:41

Welcome back AGAIN! Happy Thanksgiving! Today we talk about stuffing more than turkeys for Thanksgiving, EVP recordings with sampled audio clips and more! Come hang out!! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on Instagram! @the_black_lodge_podcast…

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Women's Health in the New Testament World 41:13

23d ago41:13

41:13

In this episode, Helen and Lloyd step into the fascinating world of women’s health in the New Testament world. With help from Professor Laurence Totelin, they explore who provided care, how medicine related to magic, and what medicinal recipes a first-century woman might employ. Along the way, they revisit the woman with chronic bleeding in Mark 5,…

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Manichaeism – An Ancient Faith Rediscovered 41:06

1M ago41:06

41:06

In this episode, Lloyd fires up the Biblical Time Machine with Professor Nicholas Baker-Brian, and they travel back to third-century Persia to meet one of antiquity’s most fascinating and misunderstood figures: Mani, the visionary behind the global religion we now call Manichaeism. They ask: who was Mani, what are the sources for his life, and what…

751
How the Death Penalty Came to Die 38:52

1M ago38:52

38:52

What happened when the laws of Moses were translated into Greek? In this episode, we journey from Sinai to Alexandria with Dr Joel Korytko, whose book The Death of the Covenant Code uncovers how Jewish translators in the third century BCE re-imagined Israel’s laws for a Greek-speaking world. Together with Helen Bond and Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Joel …

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The Haunted House of Early Christianity 40:46

1M ago40:46

40:46

What if the earliest Christians believed the world around them was teeming with invisible forces waiting to invade the human body? This Halloween, Biblical Time Machine delves into early Christian ideas of demons with Dr Travis Proctor, Associate Professor of Religion at Wittenberg University. His book, Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Earl…

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Persian Myth-Making in the Hebrew Bible 46:12

2M ago46:12

46:12

How did Persian mythology seep into the texts of the Hebrew Bible? In this week's Biblical Time Machine, Helen and Lloyd are joined by Professor Mark Leuchter, who has recently argued that the 'dynastic myth-making' of the Persian Achaemenid rulers left its mark on Second Temple Jewish texts. Drawing on cognitive science, postcolonial theory, ancie…

1
When Kings Were Gods 37:17

2M ago37:17

37:17

What did it mean to call a king “divine”? In this episode, Helen and Lloyd travel back to the ancient Near East — where kings were not just rulers but sacred figures and “sons of God.” They are joined by Dr Dylan Johnson, who explores how ancient peoples blurred the lines between human and divine authority, and how lawgiving, wisdom, and kingship b…

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The Black Lodge Halloween Creature Feature Show 1:42:55

2M ago1:42:55

1:42:55

Welcome back again! Today, we have a special guest host with us! We talk real life spookiness, play a quiz game where the host was probably more wrong than the contestants, and talk what we've been up to of course. Happy Halloween! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on …

1351
John – The Fourth Synoptic Gospel? 43:22

2M ago43:22

43:22

Since the mid-twentieth century, it has been routine for scholars to see John as independent of the Synoptics – Matthew, Mark and Luke. Yet a recent book by Professor Mark Goodacre suggests that John should be read as the fourth and final 'Synoptic' gospel which knew and used all of the Synoptics. Join Helen and Lloyd in the Biblical Time Machine a…

1501
Heroic Bodies in the Hebrew Bible 42:57

2M ago42:57

42:57

Esau's hairiness, David's ruddiness, Saul's great height. We tend not to pay much attention to these details, but small bodily features in the Hebrew Bible can reveal a character's whole narrative arc. Join Helen and Lloyd in the Biblical Time Machine, as they explore what it meant to look like a hero in ancient Israel. Their guest this week is Bri…

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Jesus the Exorcist 36:17

3M ago36:17

36:17

Exorcisms on the big screen are terrifying – but what did exorcisms mean in first-century Palestine? Join Helen and Lloyd in the Biblical Time Machine as they uncover the strange world of Greek magical papyri, the Dead Sea Scrolls and charismatic figures viewed as magicians. Joining them in the Time Machine is Professor Graham Twelftree, a leading …

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S3E2 - The Black Lodge Spooky Bloody Camping Trip Extravaganza 1:17:28

3M ago1:17:28

1:17:28

Welcome back again! In this episode, we head out to the woods for some spooky stories around the campfire! We also talk about some cool paranormal games to play in the dark this Halloween season, what we've been up to, and wizard staves. Come hang out! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ theblacklodgepod@gm…

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Bible & Bedlam – Disability, Sanism and the Gospels 42:49

3M ago42:49

42:49

What does it mean to read the New Testament through the lens of disability and mental health? In this episode of Biblical Time Machine, Helen Bond is joined by Professor Louise Lawrence (University of Exeter), whose groundbreaking 2018 book Bible and Bedlam explores how the ancient world understood “madness” and how modern interpretations can carry…

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Eunuchs in the Bible & Beyond 47:21

3M ago47:21

47:21

From the royal courts of Babylon to the Acts of the Apostles, eunuchs appear in some of the most intriguing corners of the biblical story. But what did it really mean to be a eunuch in antiquity? Were they trusted chamberlains at the heart of ancient empires, symbols of inclusion at the edges of faith, or even 'angel'-like beings transcending the o…

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Interpreting Jesus – Miracles, Moses & Memory 47:48

3M ago47:48

47:48

Can modern historians really talk about Jesus’ miracles? Did Jesus expect the imminent end of the world? Was he a new Moses figure? And if memory is so unreliable, how can historians claim to know anything about him at all? There’s no one better to wrestle with these questions than this week’s guest: Dale C. Allison Jr., Richard J. Dearborn Profess…

1
Meet the New Team 31:09

4M ago31:09

31:09

The Time Machine is back... with some changes! Join Helen and her new co-host, ancient history Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, as they discuss what they're working on at the moment: everything from ancient Babylon, the Hittites and Persia's first lady to ancient 'lives' and the historical Mary. They are also joined by the show's new researcher and pro…

1
Where are Helen and Dave? A BTM Update 6:10

5M ago6:10

6:10

It's been a while, but there are some big changes in the works for Biblical Time Machine! For more details, check out our post on Patreon. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE If you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!)…

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S3E1 - Steven's AI Supermodel Love Affair / The Ghost Of Roo Part One 1:33:27

5M ago1:33:27

1:33:27

Welcome back! Kicking off season 3 of TBLP we get into some of Dave's personal ghost story, Steven's new love affair with an AI supermodel, some news from the desk of Tyler, a listener email and a quiz game. Enjoy! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on Instagram! @the_b…

1
Let's Talk About "Judeophobia" in the New Testament 52:26

7M ago52:26

52:26

Sadly, the origins of many antisemitic tropes and prejudices can be traced back to the New Testament, in which "the Jews" are cast as the religious "other" against which the Jesus movement is self-defined. As a result, Christians carry around a lot of un-historical and anti-Jewish assumptions are repeated in Sunday School classes and even the halls…

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Why the Bible Loves Cyrus the Great 57:09

7M ago57:09

57:09

Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire, arguably the greatest empire of the Ancient Near East. Cyrus wasn't only a hero to the Persians. In the Hebrew Bible, Cyrus is the only non-Jew that God calls His "anointed one" or "messiah." But does Cyrus really deserve his reputation as the "liberator" of the Jews from Babylon or is it all a piece …

1
Biblical Law—Was 'Eye for an Eye' Really Enforced? 54:02

8M ago54:02

54:02

The laws and punishments meted out in the Bible sound pretty harsh. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—not to mention all of the commandments that are punishable by death! Ancient law expert Bruce Wells joins Helen and Dave to answer the question: were biblical laws really enforced? How did they compare with other law codes from the Ancient Near Eas…

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What Was the Council of Nicaea (Really)? 53:06

8M ago53:06

53:06

According to The Da Vinci Code, all sorts of wild things happened at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, chose the books of the New Testament. The role of women in the Church was suppressed. And most importantly, a bunch of powerful bishops decided (by a slim margin) that Jesus Christ was actually divine…

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The End of the World According to Paul 55:09

8M ago55:09

55:09

Matthew Novenson is back and he's brought some exciting (wild, even) new ideas about our old friend Paul. In his latest book, Paul and Judaism at the End of History, Matt argues that Paul believed he was living through the end of the world. Paul wasn't "against" Judaism or the law—he simply believed that Jesus's death and resurrection had ushered i…

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S2E8: The Black Lodge Baby 1:05:21

8M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

Welcome back AGAIN! Today, we bring in a special guest! We talk WrestleMania 41, which fictional realm we would like to spend Halloween night in, and we talk ghosts and haunted locations! Come hang out! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on Instagram! @the_black_lodge_p…

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A Second Look at the Second Coming 50:26

8M ago50:26

50:26

With Easter in the rear view mirror, we take a long-overdue look at the next chapter in the story of Jesus: the Second Coming. Scholar Tucker Ferda is making waves with some compelling new ideas about the origins of Second Coming prophesies. He joins Helen and Dave to discuss what Jesus himself might have believed about the End of Days and His role…

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Easter: What's the Story with Barabbas? 44:13

8M ago44:13

44:13

The enigmatic figure of Barabbas appears in all four gospels as a "bandit" or "insurrectionist" who is released from prison by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus. In this special Easter episode, Helen and Dave explore the (many) theories about Barabbas' backstory and what he may have represented to the gospel authors. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE If …

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The Bible Says What?! with Dan McClellan 1:05:14

9M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

What does the Bible really say about controversial topics like slavery, abortion, homosexuality, Satan and the Apocalypse? Everybody has their take, but few have the ability to interrogate the texts and their ancient origins with as much insight as our guest, Dan McClellan. Dan McClellan is a public scholar of the Bible and religion with a PhD in t…

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Ancient Synagogues and the New Testament 1:02:54

9M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

Before it was called Christianity, the "Jesus movement" was born in 1st-century synagogues. In today's episode, Anders Runneson joins Helen and Dave to talk about the important role of ancient synagogues of both civic and religious institutions, and how a better understanding of synagogues can shape our reading of the New Testament. You can downloa…

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S2EP7 - Occultist Ball Gazing 1:57:09

9M ago1:57:09

1:57:09

Welcome BACK AGAIN to our One Year Anniversary episode! Today, Pete, Steven and Dave discuss the occult and some occultist figures (John Dee, Peter J. Carroll and Michael Angelo Arquino), the ball gazing they've done, Wobbledog breeding and so much more. Thank you all for the time you've spent listening to us do our thing. Cheers to another year of…

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Introducing Wisdom Literature, a Biblical Oddball 55:05

10M ago55:05

55:05

The books of the Hebrew Bible known as "wisdom literature" — Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes — are a strange fit for the biblical canon. They're ahistorical (not interested in Israel's history) and areligious (not interested in God, covenants, the temple or any other pillars of Israelite religion). So where did these funky books come from and how di…

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Animal Studies Gets Biblical 46:01

10M ago46:01

46:01

What can Bible stories about animals tells us about power dynamics in the ancient world? A lot, it turns out! Suzanna Millar joins us to talk about the fascinating new field of Animal Studies and how the Hebrew Bible can open windows into studying human-animal power dynamics 2500 years in the past. For more on this emerging field of biblical studie…

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S2E6 - Ghost In The VCR (Cursed Media) 1:12:41

10M ago1:12:41

1:12:41

Welcome back AGAIN! This episode was sort of an impromptu. We've all been busy this month, but Tyler and Dave are back with some spooky cursed media to talk about. Come hang out! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on Instagram! @the_black_lodge_podcast…

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The Sabbath—Its Ancient Origins and Evolution 56:56

10M ago56:56

56:56

The Jewish sabbath (Shabbat), observed from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, is one of the oldest continuously observed holidays in existence. At first glance, the sabbath seems pretty straightforward; it's a "day of rest" that God commanded his people to observe on the 7th day. But when you read the Hebrew Bible really closely—like our guest Jo…

1
How the Gospels Were Actually Written 58:45

10M ago58:45

58:45

This is a Biblical Time Machine first—a historical reenactment of how the gospel writers wrote (and rewrote) the books of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Our guest James Barker made his own scrolls, wax tablets and ancient writing implements to see what the gospel-writing process was really like. It gave him all sorts of fascinating new insights into…

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Kosher—The History of Forbidden Foods 53:30

11M ago53:30

53:30

Why were certain foods "forbidden" in the Hebrew Bible? And how did the pig attain ultra-non-kosher status among ancient Jews? Guest Jordan Rosenblum joins Helen and Dave as they try to pinpoint the origins of Jewish dietary laws and how they've been interpreted over time. Check out Jordan's terrific new book, Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jew…

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Move Over, Josephus—Here Comes Philo! 1:08:42

11M ago1:08:42

1:08:42

Josephus will always be our pal, but it's time to meet another super-important ancient Jewish writer: Philo of Alexandria. Living in the vibrant intellectual hub of 1st-century Alexandria, Philo applied Greco-Roman philosophical ideas to the Hebrew Bible and wrote some of the first books about biblical interpretation. Today Helen and Dave Learn all…

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The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar 42:37

11M ago42:37

42:37

To the authors of the Hebrew Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar was a grade-A jerk. In the 6th century BCE, he and his army sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple and carried the Judahites into exile in Babylon. All of that stuff actually happened, but things really start to get wild in the book of Daniel. In that much later text, Nebuchadnezzar goes…

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S2E5 - Close Encounters of the Drunk Kind 1:33:36

11M ago1:33:36

1:33:36

Welcome BACK AGAIN! Today we discuss UFOs, conspiracies surrounding them and we play a little quiz game based on extraterrestrial things. Come hang out! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ [email protected] Follow us on Instagram! @the_black_lodge_podcast…

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What Was Travel Like in Biblical Times? 47:25

11M ago47:25

47:25

Did Roman roads have rest stops? How bad were the snacks on a sea voyage across the Mediterranean? Did Paul get frequent sailor miles? On today's episode, we answer all of your questions about travel in the ancient world. Our guest (live from an Egyptian desert) is Robert Cioffi, who wrote a terrific article titled "Travel in the Roman World." You …

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A Historian's Take on Josephus and 'The Jewish War' 1:07:56

11M ago1:07:56

1:07:56

Today's guest, historian Steve Mason, has called Josephus's The Jewish War "perhaps the most influential non-biblical text of Western history." And he's got a point! Read alongside the Bible, The Jewish War tells the "rest of the story" — specifically, how the Romans came to destroy the Temple in 70 CE. The trouble is, The Jewish War isn't "history…

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Real Time Travel with Ancient Papyri 54:52

12M ago54:52

54:52

Of course Helen and Dave have a fully functioning, very real Time Machine. But if you can't wait your turn (the line is ridiculously long), check out "documentary papyri." These scraps of ancient writing — letters, legal documents, shopping lists — offer a firsthand glimpse into everyday life in the 1st century CE. Even better, scholars like our gu…

1
"Unto Us a Child is Born" Was Isaiah Talking About Jesus? 1:04:16

12M ago1:04:16

1:04:16

The prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th century BCE, yet his writings are quoted throughout the New Testament and especially around Christmas. Who was the historical Isaiah? And who (or what) was he writing about when he prophesied the birth of a king 700 years before Jesus? For this special holiday episode, Helen and Dave are joined by Daniel Stulac, …

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S2E4 - Deck the Halls with Blood and Booze 2:02:42

12M ago2:02:42

2:02:42

Merry f*ckin' Christmas! Hang with us as we talk some beloved Christmas (and not so Christmas) movies and memories, play a spooky quiz game, get some news you can use, some HOT Krampus talk and maybe have one too many eggnogs on our holiday celebration episode! Write in to our Buzzsprout page here! - Send us your thoughts and/or ideas! @ theblacklo…

1
Ancient Censuses — Does Luke's Christmas Story Make Sense? 48:16

1y ago48:16

48:16

In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary travel to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus has ordered a census of the entire Roman Empire. But does Jesus's birth story in Luke align with what we know about censuses in the ancient world? How were people counted? Who conducted these censuses? And did people really need to travel back to thei…

1
Hanukkah: All About Menorahs and Ancient Oil Lamps 48:00

1y ago48:00

48:00

Hanukkah celebrates a miraculous event, when the eternal light of the temple burned for 8 days without being extinguished. In this special holiday episode, scholar Gregg Gardner tells Helen and Dave all about ancient oil lamps, including the magnificent and mysterious 7-branched menorah of the Second Temple. If you'd like to make your own potato la…

1
Boy Jesus: Taking the Nativity Stories Seriously 1:01:41

1y ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Most biblical scholars — including us! — are quick to dismiss the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke as later theological additions. But what if there are important cultural and even historical memories handed down through these well-worn Christmas stories? According to our guest Joan Taylor, there may be much more to the Nativity stories than we…