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Ancient History
Jewish Studies February 1, 2023

The Origins of Judaism

An Archaeological-Historical Reappraisal

Yonatan Adler

Hosted by Ari Barbalat
Throughout much of history, the Jewish way of life has been characterized by strict adherence to the practices and prohibitions legislated by the Torah: dietary laws, ritual purity, circumcision, Sabbath …

Ancient History

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Interviews with scholars of ancient history about their new books.

Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas with Renee Garfinkel January 31, 2023

Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life in the Ancient World

Arthur Keefer

Hosted by Renee Garfinkel
Is the search for meaning a luxury of the modern world or have human beings always struggled to find meaning in the human condition – in the face of suffering …
Almost Good Catholics January 31, 2023

Walking the Via Dolorosa

An Archaeologist Follows Jesus from His Trial to His Crucifixion

Ilka Knüppel

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec
Archaeologist Ilka Knüppel discusses her master's thesis—The Search for Jesus's Final Steps: How Archaeological and Literary Evidence Reroutes the Via Dolorosa—and how she came to write it. To use both …
Almost Good Catholics January 30, 2023

The Mesopotamian Connection

Comparing the Bible to Other Literature of the Ancient Near East

Cathleen Chopra-McGowan

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec
Professor Cathleen Chopra-McGowan examines some the incongruities of our Bible in the context of the Ancient Near East, showing how the stories and traditions of Israel resembled and borrowed from …
Indian Religions January 26, 2023

Opening Kailasanatha

The Temple in Kanchipuram Revealed in Time and Space

Padma Kaimal

Hosted by Raj Balkaran
In Opening Kailasanatha: The Temple in Kanchipuram Revealed in Time and Space (U Washington Press, 2020), Padma Kaimal deciphers the intentions of the monument’s makers, reaching back across centuries to …
Intellectual History January 25, 2023

The Battle of the Classics

How a Nineteenth-Century Debate Can Save the Humanities Today

Eric Adler

Hosted by Morteza Hajizadeh
These are troubling days for the humanities. In response, a recent proliferation of works defending the humanities has emerged. But, taken together, what are these works really saying, and how …
Almost Good Catholics January 19, 2023

Better Call Paul

How Did the Early Jewish Christians Understand “Works of the Law”?

Matthew Thomas

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec
In his new book, theologian Matthew Thomas takes on the big question of what the Apostle Paul means when he talks about "Works of the Law" -- as opposed to …
Indian Religions January 12, 2023

Divine Descent and the Four World-Ages in the Mahābhārata

Or, Why Does the Krsna Avatāra Inaugurate the Worst Yuga?

Simon Brodbeck

Hosted by Raj Balkaran
Divine Descent and the Four World-Ages in the Mahābhārata reflects on the theology of time in this early Hindu text and poses the key question: why does the Krishna avatāra …
Indian Religions January 9, 2023

Reading Texts and Narrating History

Collected Essays III

Patrick Olivelle

Hosted by Raj Balkaran
"The close attention required for editing and translating gives Olivelle an unparalleled understanding of the texts and inspires numerous articles and essays contained in this volume that draw out key …
Chinese Studies January 9, 2023

Grassroots Activism of Ancient China

Mohism and Nonviolence

Hung-Yok Ip

Hosted by Jessica Zu
Hung-Yok Ip's Grassroots Activism of Ancient China: Mohism and Nonviolence (Lexington Books, 2022) examines Mohism as a movement in early China, focusing on the Mohists’ pursuit of power. Fashioning themselves …
Jewish Studies January 8, 2023

Reconstructing the Talmud

An Introduction to the Academic Study of Rabbinic Literature

Joshua Kulp and Jason Rogoff

Hosted by Zalman Newfield
In Reconstructing the Talmud: An Introduction to the Academic Study of Rabbinic Literature (Hadar Press, 2014), Joshua Kulp and Jason Rogoff introduce the modern Talmud student to the techniques developed …
Nomads, Past and Present January 4, 2023

Rock Art in the Nomadic Landscape of the Black Desert

An interview with Nathalie Brusgaard

Hosted by Maggie Freeman
The "Black Desert" in the northern Arabian Peninsula is home to thousands of pieces of rock art - both written inscriptions and figural images - left there by the region's …
Nomads, Past and Present January 3, 2023

The 'Queens of the Arabs' during the Neo-Assyrian Period

An interview with Ellie Bennett

Ellie Bennett

Hosted by Maggie Freeman
Eight women appear in Neo-Assyrian sources from the 7th and 8th centuries BCE with the ambiguous but intriguing title 'queen of the Arabs.' Despite providing a rare glimpse of power …
Economic and Business History January 1, 2023

The Greeks and the Rational

The Discovery of Practical Reason

Josiah Ober

Hosted by Javier Mejia
Tracing practical reason from its origins to its modern and contemporary permutations, the Greek discovery of practical reason, as the skilled performance of strategic thinking in public and private affairs …
General History December 31, 2022

The Princeton Guide to Historical Research

Zachary Schrag

Hosted by Caleb Zakarin
The essential handbook for doing historical research in the twenty-first century The Princeton Guide to Historical Research (Princeton UP, 2021) provides students, scholars, and professionals with the skills they need …
Almost Good Catholics December 31, 2022

The Gospels in the Early Church

Evidence for the Chronology and Transmission of the Christian Scriptures

Matthew Thomas

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec
Professor Matthew Thomas returns to explain how we can place the Gospels in time and context using both internal clues (literary evidence) and the external ones (anthropological evidence). These are …
Nomads, Past and Present December 31, 2022

Nomads in the Bible

Hosted by Maggie Freeman
What does the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible have to say about nomads and nomadism in the ancient Near East? This episode explores nomadism in the Judaic religious tradition through the eyes …
Nomads, Past and Present December 30, 2022

Samsi, Queen of the Arabs

Hosted by Maggie Freeman
A bonus episode in honor of Womens History Month! Learn all about Samsi, one of the queens of the ancient Arabs, and what her story can tell us about gender …
Nomads, Past and Present December 29, 2022

The Ancient Arabs

Hosted by Maggie Freeman
This episode discusses the nomadic Arab tribes between about 850 and 450 BCE. What do we know about their lifestyles, cultures, and relationships with the empires around them? Music in …
Indian Religions December 29, 2022

Saundarya Lahari

Wave of Beauty

Mani Rao

Hosted by Raj Balkaran
Today I talked to Mani Rao about her translation Saundarya Lahari: Wave of Beauty (HarperCollins, 2022) Saundarya Lahari is a popular Sanskrit hymn celebrating the power and beauty of Sakti, the primordial …