The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah | Tel Aviv 360

Tel Aviv University

The biblical story of the history of the Kingdom of Judah, as told in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, describes the point of view of the Jerusalem elite: what it knew, what it wanted to tell and what served its political, religious and economic interests. In this podcast Prof. Oded Lipschits will try to find out what the authors of biblical history didn't tell. Archaeological and historical studies, as well as a critical reading of the biblical text, allow us to not only understand the stories we have been told, but also to uncover the untold stories surrounding them, which co

  1. 12/01/2025

    (E8) The Untold Story of Jeremiah the Prophet

    Jeremiah was not one of the popular figures in Jerusalem on the eve of the Temple’s destruction. The ideology he held was contrary to that of many of the ministers and public leaders who championed the rebellion in Babylon and believed in the divine protection over the city, the temple and the dynasty of the House of David who were chosen by God and were given the eternal promise. This was also the ideology of the biblical historiographers, against whom the prophet stood on the eve of the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet’s attitudes and his hostile attitude towards the priests, the royal house and the Jerusalem elite, and the hostile attitude of many in Jerusalem towards the prophet, are all connected to the definition of his origin in the opening verse of the book “The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,” and to the questions of why this is mentioned in the opening of the book, and why is this information regarding his being a priest who comes from a family in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin described as part of Jeremiah’s presentation? It seems that the untold story about the fate of the Shiloh and Nob priests, and their connection to the family of priests in Anathoth, even if it is historically reliable, whether it is a historiographical work from beginning to end, or a compilation of details based on fragments of information from various sources, can give depth and a better understanding of Jeremiah’s views on the eve of the destruction of Jerusalem, his ideology and his actions during this period. Against this background, it can also be assumed that it was the association with the family of the priests who were expelled from Jerusalem that placed Jeremiah in such an oppositional position to the House of David, who was responsible for their deportation to Anathoth, despite the family patriarch’s unreserved loyalty to David, and for the physical elimination of his family, the priests of the temple in Nob. In the description of the chronicles of the Kingdom of Judah, the things are not explicitly stated, and Jeremiah himself is not mentioned in the historical description. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    44 min

  2. 12/01/2025

    (E7) The Untold Story of King Josiah

    From the biblical historiographer’s point of view, Josiah was the greatest of the kings who reigned in Judah. The reform carried out in his time in the spirit of Deuteronomy, during which the cult in Judah was purified and concentrated in Jerusalem, is the measure by which, looking back, all the other kings in Judah were judged. The days of his reign can be dated to the years 640-609 BCE. However, despite Josiah’s importance and centrality to the biblical historiographer and historiography, nothing is known about him except for one event that took place over a short period of time during the 18th year of his reign. This event can be dated to the year 622 BCE, and from the analysis of the extensive history of the Ancient Near East, it can be assumed that in this period, the Assyrian withdrawal from all strongholds beyond the Euphrates was completed, and there was a political vacuum for several years prior to the Egyptians’ entry into the region as a “successor kingdom”. This was the period of time in which Josiah could carry out a cultic reform, which also had great national and ideological implications. Despite his greatness and importance, nothing is said about Josiah except for the cultic reform which took place in the 18th year of his reign. In my opinion, this point in time was determined to be the end of the historical composition written in the days of the First Temple, and the completion of the story of Josiah was also written by historiographers who completed the description from the days of Josiah until the exile in Babylon, and therefore neither added nor detailed anything about the 13 years of Josiah’s reign until he was killed in Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. An even more interesting question surrounds the untold story of the first 18 years of Josiah’s reign. Why did the author, who wrote the description during the days of Josiah and who knew many details about the king and what was happening in Jerusalem and Judah during this time period, and so did their target audience, not describe even a single detail, or tell of even a single event from the king’s life until the cultic reform? In this chapter I try to show that this was a deliberate omission, since at this time Josiah was an Assyrian vassal, and the biblical historiographer could not have described him as such. Since both the historiographer and their target audience knew the reality, ignoring this period conveys the message to the readership and emphasizes what was being told against what remained in the dark. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    29 min

  3. 12/01/2025

    (E6) The Untold Story of King Manasseh

    This chapter deals with the most untold story about one of the kings of Judah. King Manasseh reigned longer than any of the other kings of Judah, he was the son of Hezekiah and the grandfather of Josiah, and during his long reign Judah recovered from the severe blow inflicted on it by Sennacherib’s campaign. Judah was integrated into the Assyrian Empire which was at the height of its power and strength, and the archaeological evidence from this time testifies to the prosperity that the region experienced during this period. The economy and the administration continued to develop, and Manasseh is also remembered in Assyrian documents as a king who maintained his loyalty to Assyria and fulfilled his duties as a vassal. And yet, nothing was written in the Book of Kings about Manasseh, except for a very broad description of the cultic sins that existed in his day. This is the most extreme example of the untold story about a king who completely disappeared from the biblical historiography and all his deeds were forgotten, and this in a period very close to the days of his reign, when many details about the king and the kingdom of Judah in his time were known to the authors and their readership even without the need for any written sources. Still, the story about the days of Manasseh is not told, and Manasseh became a king in the biblical historiography, and all that is told about him are the cultic sins he committed and which took place in his time. In this chapter of the podcast we will clarify why the biblical historiographer singled out Manasseh as playing the one definite role of the one who caused the sins that Josiah corrected, and in doing so he created a one-dimensional figure that matched his assessment of the king who was enslaved to Assyria all his life and also committed serious cultic sins. In this respect, the untold story of Manasseh is the most extreme example of an omission left purposefully out by the biblical historiographers, who acted according to their cultic ideology and according to the literary interests of the story they wrote. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    34 min

  4. 12/01/2025

    (E5) The Untold Story of Sennacherib’s Campaign and the Fate of Jerusalem

    Sennacherib’s campaign against the Kingdom of Judah, held in 701 BCE, was the most dramatic and significant event in the history of the Kingdom of Judah until the Babylonian destruction that came 115 years later. It left in its wake clear and well-dated layers of destruction, and resulted in severe damage to Judah, the exile of many residents, the destruction of the economy, and the lowlands’ separation from the kingdom. But it seems that beyond all the immediate effects that Sennacherib’s campaign had on Judah, another, long-term, largely unpredictable and destructive long-term effect was on the ideological, theological and historiographical side. Despite the terrible destruction of many cities, the exiles and the heavy economic damage, the main memory of the campaign among the Jerusalem elite one, two and three generations later, was the memory of the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem, which stood before the Assyrian army and was not conquered. It was the seed that was sown in the ground, from which grew the idea of God’s eternal promise to his chosen city, to the temple and to the dynasty of kings in Jerusalem. This is also the reason for the untold story of Sennacherib’s campaign. The authors of the biblical historiography as well as their readers, the members of the Jerusalem elite, were well acquainted with history and knew what the terrible results of the campaign were. But the memory of all this faded in contrast to the memory of the miraculous rescue of Jerusalem and the ideas that grew among the Jerusalem elite about God’s eternal promise to the city, the temple and the dynasty. In the days of Josiah, when Assyria withdrew from the area and it seemed that Judah was about to return to the glory days of the “united monarchy,” Sennacherib’s campaign marked the proof of the existence of the idea of God’s eternal promise, and was a clear symbol of this promise. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    1h 4m

  5. 12/01/2025

    (E4) The Untold Story of the “Temple of Solomon” at Tel Moza

    The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah Oded Lipschits Part E. The Untold Story about the Kingdom of Judah in the Days of the Biblical Historiographers The accidental and exciting discovery of a temple that existed and operated throughout the days of the First Temple, at a distance of only seven kilometers from Jerusalem, allows a unique and one-time glimpse, at least for now, of the way in which temples operated and developed in the first millennium BCE, right at the same time as the Temple, which according to the biblical description existed, operated and developed in the exact same period of time, in the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Tracking the processes of change and development in the Moẓa Temple over the hundreds of years of its activity allows a possible archaeological point of comparison to the development processes of the temple in Jerusalem, about which there is information only from the biblical descriptions. Moreover, the archaeological research of the Moẓa Temple also allows us to explore what the relationship was between the two communities that lived around the two temples: the community that lived in the Moẓa Valley and for whom the Temple in Moẓa was its central place of cult, and the nearby community that lived in Jerusalem and its immediate surroundings, and for which the Temple of Solomon, built at the top of the Temple Mount, was its central place of cult. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    52 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    (E3) The Untold Story about the Magnificent Structures Near Jerusalem

    The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah Oded Lipschits Part E. The Untold Story about the Kingdom of Judah in the Days of the Biblical Historiographers In the century in which Judah was under Assyrian rule (from 732 to slightly after 630 BCE) it is possible to notice a considerable increase in the importance of the areas surrounding Jerusalem to the north, west and south, which became more central to the administration and economy of the kingdom. On the ridge south of Jerusalem between Armon Hanatziv and Ramat Raḥel, economic, administrative and political processes took place that did not coincide with what was happening within the city itself, and perhaps even, in many respects, were disconnected from what was happening in the capital of the kingdom. It can be assumed that the processes in these areas around Jerusalem enabled the continuation of life in the capital of the kingdom under the rule of the Assyrian Empire: the continuation of the rule of the House of David, the existence of the temple and cult in it, and the continuation of the Jerusalem elite. There is no evidence in the biblical descriptions of this development in an area so close to Jerusalem, a few minutes' walk to the south, west, and north, which possess the view that Jerusalem continued to be the undisputed center of the nation’s life, the seat of the kings from the House of David and the location of the Temple. The historiography is entirely focused on this point of view on Jerusalem and from within Jerusalem, with no mention of the tremendous developments that took place in the entire immediate area around the city, of the magnificent buildings that were seen from Jerusalem and had a view of the city themselves. This is an omission that cannot be understood except as an omission that acts as the message itself. Anyone who has lived in Jerusalem or visited it, has seen the magnificent building on Ramat Raḥel towering over the entire area around Jerusalem, the magnificent gardens that surrounded it and the magnificent architecture that characterized it. The evidence found at the site of a magnificent feast indicates that the Judean elite were invited to the place and witnessed this splendor up close. The magnificent structure recently discovered in Mordot Arnona and the villa in Armon Hanatziv were also known, and the deletion of all of this from the biblical historiography shows how biased it was and was intended to serve the ideology of the royal house and the priesthood in Jerusalem, without anything else being able to endanger it. The omission, then, is the message. The untold story is the story. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    47 min

  7. 11/30/2025

    (E2) The Untold Story of Judah’s Enslavement to Assyria

    The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah Oded Lipschits Part E. The Untold Story about the Kingdom of Judah in the Days of the Biblical King Ahaz came to power at the time when the Syro-Ephraimite alliance was formed, and it can be assumed that Rezin, King of Damascus, and Pekah, King of Israel, attacked Judah immediately upon his ascension to the throne, in order to take advantage of the fact that his position was not yet established, and in the hope that they would be able to force him to join the war or replace him with another king. Ahaz turned out to be a wise, level-headed and determined king, and as one who maintained the traditional policy of the kings of Judah, who always advocated submission to the big and powerful kingdoms out of an assessment that Judah was too weak and too small to stand against these powerful forces, and would not be able to survive a strong military blow. With the support of the prophet Isaiah, while standing against circles that supported joining the anti-Assyrian alliance and wanted to replace Ahaz with another king, Ahaz was smart to be wary of Assyria’s power, estimated that Assyria would defeat the Syro-Ephraimite alliance and realized that preventing Judah from rebelling against Assyria was the only possibility to maintain its independence and integrity. Indeed, in the face of the severe Assyrian damage to the Kingdom of Israel and the destruction of Damascus (732 BCE), Judah came out unscathed. The Deuteronomistic historiographers condemned Ahaz’s enslavement to Tiglath-Pileser, since from the perspective from which the his description was written in the days of Josiah, when Assyria withdrew from the region and its hundred-year reign was now only a memory, the kings who let their people be enslaved to foreign kingdoms were slandered, and the kings who rebelled were praised. This memory of Ahaz, which was also embedded in places and objects in the temple that were associated with his name, underestimated the value of a brave and wise king, who reigned during one of the stormy periods that passed over the kingdom of Judah, during Assyria’s takeover of the entire area, managed to survive the attack by the Syro-Ephraimite alliance and protected the borders of his kingdom against the Assyrians. The archaeological finds in the Jerusalem's area also indicate a great change in the administration and economy that took place in the days of Ahaz, and this was also completely ignored by the authors of the historiographical __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    30 min

  8. 11/30/2025

    (E1) The Untold Story of the Hundred Years of Assyrian Rule in Judah

    The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah Oded Lipschits Part E. The Untold Story about the Kingdom of Judah in the Days of the Biblical Historiographers This chapter deals with the untold story of the history of the kingdom of Judah in the days of the authors of the Biblical history, with the aim of examining why they ignored the strict Assyrian rule in Judah from the time of the enslavement to Assyria in the days of King Ahaz (732 BCE) until the Assyrian withdrawal from the area in the days of Josiah, about a century later. The meaning of the long years of enslavement to Assyria was also reshaped after the retreat and collapse of the empire, apparently during the few years of independence of the days of Josiah and at the time when the biblical descriptions were written. In this way, Judah was presented as an independent kingdom, freed from the yoke of Assyria after Sennacherib’s campaign, and returned and enslaved to Egypt after the death of Josiah. All this, in order to express the author’s desire to describe Josiah as a king who was not subject to foreign rulers, and in a way that does not at all reflect the reality of the long period of time during the days of Manasseh, which were the “golden age” of the years of Judah’s restoration during the long period of the “Assyrian peace”(Pax Assyriaca) during most of the seventh century BCE. __________________ Tel Aviv 360, Israel's largest and most diverse podcast about research and innovation • Tel Aviv 360 official website ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Instagram ◄ ⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Instagram⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Facebook ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in WhatsApp (Silent group) ◄ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://360tau.com/WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Tel Aviv 360 in Spotify ◄⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://360tau.com/Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    25 min
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The biblical story of the history of the Kingdom of Judah, as told in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, describes the point of view of the Jerusalem elite: what it knew, what it wanted to tell and what served its political, religious and economic interests. In this podcast Prof. Oded Lipschits will try to find out what the authors of biblical history didn't tell. Archaeological and historical studies, as well as a critical reading of the biblical text, allow us to not only understand the stories we have been told, but also to uncover the untold stories surrounding them, which co

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