Books of Kings

The first narrative history podcast on the Bible.

40- Advance O Horses, Rage O Chariots 10/27/2024

40- Advance O Horses, Rage O Chariots After defeating Josiah at Megiddo, the pharaoh Necho uses duplicity to consolidate his control over the Levant. Meanwhile, the waxing Babylonian Empire begins to take the place of Assyria. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/33632347

39- The Plain of Megiddo 06/16/2024

39- The Plain of Megiddo The Assyrian Empire is reduced to a rump state in Anatolia. Seeing an opportunity to return to its former glory, Egypt launches a lightning mission to rescue Assyria. In a move that has mystified biblical commentators, Josiah of Judah—despite having seemingly no stake in the fight—ambushes and attacks the Egyptian forces at Megiddo. The event proves to be Josiah’s Waterloo, making the word “Megiddo” a byword for disaster. What was Josiah thinking? /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/31765541

38- No King Like Him 04/20/2024

38- No King Like Him As Assyria disintegrates, Manasseh’s grandson Josiah declares a holy war against idolatry and invades Samaria. Ian and Caleb explain why the enigmatic “Book of the Law” brought to Josiah is thought to be Deuteronomy. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/30914733

37- All the Powers of the Heavens 02/26/2024

37- All the Powers of the Heavens Manasseh of Judah offers the most legendary story of personal transformation in the Old Testament. A loyal Assyrian vassal and fanatical pagan who burned his own children as a human sacrifice, Manasseh ultimately returned to the God of Hezekiah and led a Yahwist revival. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/30106428

36- You Have Mocked the Lord 12/25/2023

36- You Have Mocked the Lord 2 Kings 19 records the most astonishing miracle in the Books of Kings. In 701 BC, an “angel of the Lord” descended upon Jerusalem and slaughtered 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, lifting Sennacherib’s siege of the city. Incredibly, the angel’s destruction of Sennacherib’s army is perhaps the most well-documented miracle in the Old Testament, with the Deuteronomist’s account finding support or corroboration in Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian sources. Had the Assyrians succeeded in taking Jerusalem, the entire Kingdom of Judah—and, with it, all worship of the God of Jacob—would have been erased from the pages of history. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/29226453

35- A Grain of Mustard Seed 11/02/2023

35- A Grain of Mustard Seed Ian and Caleb pretend to do an episode about the religious renaissance under Hezekiah. Actually, it is an episode about the Bronze Serpent of Moses, the Rod of Asclepius, and Imhotep. They also discuss the origins of the Samaritan culture. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/28494305

34- Reap the Whirlwind 10/02/2023

34- Reap the Whirlwind Assyrian hordes eradicate Aram and swarm across the Levant, consuming almost all of Israel and its eight tribes. While most Israelites are led off to assimilation or death, some—like the ancestors of Anna the Prophetess—escape south to the Kingdom of Judah. In Judah, Ahaz escalates his pro-Assyrian religious reforms, effectively banning Yahwism and erecting altars to Baal in the streets of Jerusalem. Ian and Caleb discuss the mythology of the “ten lost tribes,” and Ian engages with emails and DMs from listeners on the order of the biblical cannon. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/28195031

33- The Root of Jesse 09/08/2023

33- The Root of Jesse Ahaz, one of the most tyrannical of the Davidic kings, aligns Judah with Assyria and begins an aggressive program to force cosmopolitanism down the throats of the Judahites. A new prophet, Isaiah, appears on the political stage and delivers the famous and controversial prophecy of “Immanuel.” Caleb introduces the career and reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III and Ian gives an introduction to the history and theology of the Book of Isaiah. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/27983472

32- Name Her No Mercy 08/13/2023

32- Name Her No Mercy Israel implodes after the death of Jeroboam II, its Second Golden Age empire crumbling into apocalyptic civil war. Under Tiglath-Pileser III, Assyria rises from the ashes to form a revolutionary new world empire. Despite the memorable warnings of the prophet Hosea, Israel’s elite is drawn once again into Assyria’s orbit. Ian explains his controversial position that reading the Bible in cover-to-cover order is not a good introduction to the Old Testament canon. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/27740970

31- To the Valley of My Mountains 05/29/2023

31- To the Valley of My Mountains With Israel flourishing, Uzziah carves out his own Judahite military empire. In 760 BC, as the prophet Amos begins to condemn the elite of Samaria, an epochal earthquake rocks the Levant, levelling whole cities to the ground. Meanwhile, pioneered by the prophecies of Isaiah, the concept of global messianic monotheism begins to take recognizable shape. Ian and Caleb discuss the growing mountain of evidence for the biblical account of Uzziah’s reign, Judahite ballistic siege weaponry, the literary qualities of Amos, and an apologetic of geopolitical prophecy. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/26974815

30- Rise Up as a Great Lion 04/08/2023

30- Rise Up as a Great Lion With Assyria facing apocalyptic chaos and Aram outflanked, a Second Golden Age of Israel and Judah began in the 8th century BC. Ian and Caleb introduce the military empires of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, the Book of Jonah and the dawn of canonical prophetic literature, and the art of Jehuide Israel and Judah. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/26482725

29- Why Be Struck Down? 12/24/2022

29- Why Be Struck Down? Both Hebrew states appear ascendant as King Amaziah, son of Joash of Judah, pushes towards the Gulf of Eliat and begins to reestablish Judahite hegemony in the southern Levant. But when the haughty Amaziah ignores the counsel of the prophets, Judah is routed and invaded by Joash of Israel—catapulting the Jehuides to new heights of power. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/25425714

28.1- Bonus: Patterns of Evidence 12/11/2022

28.1- Bonus: Patterns of Evidence By popular demand, Ian and Caleb discuss the documentary “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus” and David Rohl’s New Chronology. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/25289598

28- The Hand of Hazael 08/09/2022

28- The Hand of Hazael The Assyrian Empire attains decisive dominance in the Levant under the legendary Shammuramat, daughter-in-law of Shalmaneser III, and her son Adad-nirari III. The only Assyrian ruler well-known in classical antiquity, Shammuramat becomes an Athena-like demigod. After Jehuide Israel withers into near-irrelevance under the boot of Aram-Damascus, a final prophecy from Elisha heralds an Israelite resurgence under the third Jehuide king, Jehoash of Israel. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/24004191

27- May the Lord See and Avenge 04/07/2022

27- May the Lord See and Avenge The restoration of Davidic rule under Joash gets off to a strong start thanks to Judah’s high priest and regent, Jehoiada. But things go awry after Jehoiada’s death, leading to a deadly confrontation between Joash and Jehoiada’s son—the first prophet Zechariah. Ian and Caleb dive into controversy with an unapologetic discussion of Old Testament polygyny. They explore ancient supercentenarians, whether Jesus refers to Zechariah ben Jehoiada in Matthew, and Aram’s growing empire under Hazael. They also decide to go into business as international antiquities litigators, leading to a television series that is half legal drama, half Indiana Jones. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/22709780

26- The Horses’ Gate 02/16/2022

26- The Horses’ Gate The ultimate Old Testament power couple, the priest-statesman Jehoiada and the princess Yehosheba, bring the Jehuide Revolution to Judah and deliver the finishing blow to the international Omride elite. Ian and Caleb discuss the founding of Carthage by a relative of Jezebel, the camel-riding queens regnant of Kedarite Arabia, and whether the First Temple may have been guarded by Homeric Anatolian mercenaries. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/22150904

25- She Took for Him a Basket 11/25/2021

25- She Took for Him a Basket Israel’s sovereignty is formally surrendered as Jehu bows down before the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III—an event immortalized on the famous Black Obelisk. In Judah, the heroic princess Yehosheba rescues the last male heir of David from a second palace massacre by Athaliah. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/21280196

24- My Zeal for the Lord 09/21/2021

24- My Zeal for the Lord The dramatic Jehuide Revolution reaches its fulfillment as reactionary Yahwists uproot and replace the political and cultural structure of Israel. Contains spoilers for Fight Club. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/20544524

23- Is it Peace? 06/07/2021

23- Is it Peace? In 841 BC, a single flask of oil set the entire Levant on fire. Ian and Caleb narrate the dramatic beginning of the Jehuide Revolution, reflect on Jezebel’s legacy, and discuss how old Jezebel was when she died. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/19377785

22- He Removes Kings and Sets Up Kings 04/24/2021

22- He Removes Kings and Sets Up Kings To pave the way for the downfall of the Omrides, Elisha triggers a coup in Damascus. Ian and Caleb do an in-depth examination of Hazael of Aram. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/18845036

21- Red as Blood 03/01/2021

21- Red as Blood Boxed in by a joint Hebrew counterattack, Mesha doubles down on the Moabite practice of human sacrifice. The Omride regime decays to its nadir as monotheistic revolution approaches. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/18137855

20- Chariots of Fire 12/20/2020

20- Chariots of Fire Through his miraculous personal ministry, the stern prophet Elisha prepared the way for the political agenda of the Sons of the Prophets. Also, Ian and Caleb break down the apologetic debate surrounding the infamous story of Elisha killing 42 young boys on the road to Bethel. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/17261768

19- Let Fire Consume You 11/01/2020

19- Let Fire Consume You During the brief reign of Ahaziah of Israel, the Moabites rebelled and launched a genocidal invasion of both Israel and Judah. Elijah condemns Ahaziah for his cosmopolitan polytheism, and Jehoshaphat is delivered by God from a Moabite-led coalition. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/16632197

18- Inquire of the Lord 08/31/2020

18- Inquire of the Lord In 852 BC, Micaiah brought his satirical brand of prophecy to Samaria, and Ahab was killed by the forces of Ben-hadad at the Battle of Ramoth-Gilead. His reign had been nothing if not consistent. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/15822029

17- No Beast Could Stand Before Him 07/20/2020

17- No Beast Could Stand Before Him We dive into the Battle of Qarqar of 853 BC and discuss the major players arrayed on the Levantine side, including the Aramaeans, Israelites, Arabs, and Egyptians. We have a good laugh about the mental somersaults that some 19th century scholars used to dance around the Kurkh Monolith of Shalmaneser III, which corroborates details in the Books of Kings. Also, how did the Germanic-looking ancient Libyans end up in North Africa? /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/15276383

16.1- Bonus: Pethor and the Pentateuch 06/07/2020

16.1- Bonus: Pethor and the Pentateuch The Deir 'Alla Inscription, discovered in 1967, is a knockdown demonstration that the Pentateuch contains genuine historical information, preserved in significant detail for centuries before the Pentateuch was compiled. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/14724731

16- Charging Westward 05/17/2020

16- Charging Westward The Battle of Qarqar was fought between a Levant-Egypt alliance, including Ahab and Ben-Hadad, and the rising Assyrian Empire. To set the stage for the battle, we review the bloody conquests of Ashurnasirpal II and Shalmaneser III recorded on the Kurkh Monoliths. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/14449367

15.1- Bonus: Nat Geo's Kings of the Bible 04/05/2020

15.1- Bonus: Nat Geo's Kings of the Bible Ian and Caleb break down National Geographic's excellent single-issue edition "Kings of the Bible." /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/13859420

15- You Cows of Bashan 03/22/2020

15- You Cows of Bashan Ian and Caleb discuss ground-breaking new archaeological evidence for the story of Naboth’s vineyard at Jezreel. Also, why is Jesus so fond of wine-making metaphors? They also review the archaeological and extrabiblical textual evidence for Ahab and the Omrides. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/13652261

14- God of the Valleys 03/01/2020

14- God of the Valleys Despite being given a spectacular victory by God, Ahab continues to model the opposite of godly manhood, demonstrating the contempt of the biblical authors for cowardice. /episode/index/show/booksofkings/id/13355768

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