The Bible Bar

Department of Bible, Bar-Ilan University
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The Bible Bar – The Podcast of the Bible Department of Bar-Ilan University. Hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman, The Bible Bar offers a guided journey through the Bible, one chapter at a time, in conversation with leading scholars from Bar-Ilan University and across the globe. Drawing on the full spectrum of biblical studies, the podcast translates cutting-edge research into thoughtful, engaging discussions, helping listeners discover new depth and meaning in the text

  1. 5d ago

    Gen 23: Why the Bible Cares So Much About a Burial Cave

    Guest: Prof. Avraham Faust. What did family burial sites mean in the world of ancient Israel? And how can the archaeology of ancient Israelite burial practices shed light on Genesis 23, the story of Abraham's purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs? Drawing on archaeological discoveries from Iron Age Judah and the broader ancient Near East, we explore how family tombs functioned as enduring markers of kinship, inheritance, memory, and attachment to the land. Only then do we turn back to the biblical text. Why does Genesis devote an entire chapter to Sarah's burial? And how does this archaeological context illuminate Abraham's first permanent possession in the Promised Land? Topics include: What excavated family tombs tell us about ancient Israelite society.Burial, ancestor veneration, and family identity.Why the purchase of Machpelah mattered so much.The literary artistry of Abraham's negotiation with Ephron.How archaeology and biblical interpretation enrich one another.

  2. Jul 13

    Gen 22 - The Unbinding of Isaac: Beyond Kierkegaard

    Guest: Dr. Aaron Koller. For generations, the Binding of Isaac has been read through the lens of Søren Kierkegaard: the supreme test of Abraham's willingness to obey God, even when commanded to suspend ethics itself. But what if that reading misses the climax of the story? In this episode, we speak with Professor Aaron Koller (University of Cambridge) about a provocative new interpretation of Genesis 22. Koller argues that the story reaches its true theological climax not when Abraham binds Isaac, but when God commands that Isaac be unbound. The Akedah is not primarily about sacrifice—it is about God's rejection of child sacrifice. Along the way, the conversation explores: Why Kierkegaard's interpretation has dominated modern readings of Genesis 22.Why ancient Israelites may not have regarded child sacrifice as an unimaginable practice.Archaeological and textual evidence for child sacrifice among Israel's Phoenician neighbors.Why the command to sacrifice Isaac would have sounded plausible in its ancient context.Why the angel's command, "Do not lay your hand on the boy," is the decisive turning point of the narrative.How Genesis 22 reshapes Israel's understanding of devotion to God.One of the most provocative moments in the conversation comes when Koller insists that we cannot understand Genesis 22 unless we first understand why child sacrifice could have appeared religiously compelling in the ancient world. He argues that: Child sacrifice was not irrational or barbaric to its practitioners but formed part of a coherent religious worldview.From the standpoint of total devotion, offering one's own child could seem an even greater sacrifice than offering an animal.Simply dismissing the practice as monstrous misses the theological force of Genesis 22.The biblical narrative invites readers to inhabit, however briefly, the logic that made child sacrifice attractive before revealing God's rejection of it.In Koller's words, "It's not as simple as just saying, child sacrifice is bad... there are good philosophical reasons why your neighbors do it... and despite that, I reject it."The conversation centers around ideas found in Dr. Koller's monograph, Unbinding Isaac: The Significance of the Akedah for Modern Jewish Thought (Jewish Publication Society, 2020).

  3. Jul 6

    Gen 21 : Hagar's Legal Victory

    Guest: Dr. Yael Landman. In Genesis 21, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away from Abraham's household—a story often remembered simply as an expulsion. But what if the text is telling a very different story? In this episode, we explore the legal and cultural background of the ancient Near East to uncover why Sarah's demand and Abraham's reluctant decision may have been about far more than family conflict. When viewed through the lens of ancient inheritance and family law, Hagar emerges with legal independence, full custody of Ishmael, and God's assurance that her son will become the father of a great nation. Along the way, we examine: Why Sarah insisted that Ishmael could not share Isaac's inheritance.How ancient legal customs illuminate Abraham's actions.Why God's command to "listen to Sarah" changes the way we read the story.The significance of Hagar finding a wife for Ishmael in the wilderness.What this narrative teaches about God's faithfulness to those living on the margins.The discussion is based on Dr. Landman's study, "A Mother Gets Custody: The Legal Background to Genesis 21: 14-21." Biblical Interpretation 32.4 (2024): 341-356.

  4. Jun 29

    Gen 20: Who's the Righteous One Here—Abraham or Abimelech?

    Guest: Dr. Shawn Zelig Aster - Genesis 20 presents one of the Bible's most surprising reversals. Abraham, the man of faith, once again claims that Sarah is his sister, while Abimelech, a pagan king, emerges as a model of integrity. God confronts Abimelech in a dream, yet declares him innocent, while Abraham's actions leave readers asking uncomfortable questions about fear, faith, and moral responsibility. In this episode, we explore why Abraham repeats the same deception from Genesis 12, whether his explanation justifies his actions, and what this narrative teaches about ethics, righteousness, and God's faithfulness to imperfect people. We also discuss the significance of Abraham's role as a prophet, God's protection of Sarah, and why Scripture is willing to portray even its greatest heroes with striking honesty. In this episode, we discuss: Why Abraham repeats the "she is my sister" strategy.Was Abraham acting wisely—or simply out of fear?The surprising moral integrity of Abimelech.Why God warns Abimelech despite his innocence.Abraham as the Bible's first prophet.Divine sovereignty alongside human responsibility.What Genesis 20 teaches about truth, half-truths, and ethical decision-making.Why God remains faithful even when His covenant people fail.

  5. Jun 22

    Gen 19: Lot’s Daughters: Trauma, Revenge, and an Inverted World

    Guest: Dr. Kirsi Cobb. The story of Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:30–38) is often read as a tale about incest and the origins of Moab and Ammon. But what if that is not the story's primary concern? In this episode, we explore a provocative alternative reading. Drawing on trauma studies, Dr. Cobb argues that the daughters' actions in the cave may be best understood as the response of deeply traumatized women who have witnessed the collapse of their entire world. We examine how the events earlier in Genesis 19—Lot's willingness to hand over his daughters to a violent mob, the destruction of Sodom, the loss of their mother, and the annihilation of everything familiar—reshape our understanding of what happens in the cave. The conversation raises difficult questions about victimhood, agency, patriarchal power, trauma repetition, and the unsettling ways victims can sometimes become perpetrators. Topics Discussed Traditional interpretations of Lot's daughtersThe connection between Genesis 19 and the origins of Moab and AmmonWhy the biblical text offers so little moral commentaryLot's shocking offer of his daughters to the men of SodomTrauma theory and biblical interpretationThe loss of safety, trust, and family in Genesis 19Trauma repetition and reenactmentPatriarchal pressures surrounding lineage and offspringWhether Lot's daughters should be viewed as villains, victims, or something more complicatedHow biblical narratives portray the long-term effects of violenceThe conversation centers around Dr. Cobb's study, "Did Lot Get His Just Desserts? Trauma, Revenge, and Re-enactment in Genesis 19.30-38." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 47.2 (2022): 189-205.

  6. Jun 15

    Gen 18 : Praying Through Questions

    Guest: Dr. Steven Mann. In Genesis 18, Abraham stands before God and does something remarkable: he prays not by making requests, but by asking questions. As God reveals His intention to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham responds with a series of probing questions about justice, mercy, and the fate of the innocent. Is this the Bible’s first prayer of intercession? Is Abraham praying, arguing, or seeking justice? And what does this extraordinary encounter teach us about the role of questions in our own prayer lives? In this episode: Why questions play such a central role in Genesis 18God’s opening question: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”How questions invite reflection and deepen relationshipsWhether Abraham is praying, bargaining, arguing, or intercedingThe connection between prayer and the pursuit of justiceWhat Abraham’s boldness reveals about his relationship with GodWhy questioning God can be an expression of faith rather than doubtThe surprising rarity of intercessory prayer in the Hebrew BibleWhat Genesis 18 teaches us about praying for others todayThe episode centers around Dr. Mann's study, "Ask and You Shall Intercede: The Peculiar Perlocutionary Power of Asking God Questions." Bulletin for Biblical Research 29.2 (2019): 208-224.

  7. Jun 8

    Gen 17: Why Circumcision? From Laughter to Faith

    Guest: Jonathan Inman. What is circumcision really about in Genesis 17? Drawing on biblical scholarship, anthropology, and close textual reading, we examine why circumcision became the covenantal sign given to Abraham and how it relates to the central drama of Genesis 17: Abraham's struggle to believe that God's promise of a son could still come true. The conversation moves beyond sociological explanations of circumcision and uncovers a profound theological message. The covenantal mark on Abraham's body is not simply about identity or membership—it is a sign of faith in God's ability to bring life, descendants, and a future where human possibility seems exhausted. Along the way, they revisit Abraham's laughter, the birth promise of Isaac, and the recurring tension in Abraham's life between trust and doubt. In This Episode Why scholars have proposed so many different explanations for circumcisionCircumcision in ancient Egypt and the broader ancient Near EastThe strengths and limits of anthropological approaches to biblical ritualsThe structure of Genesis 17 and the covenant of circumcisionAbraham's laughter: skepticism, amazement, or something in between?The significance of God's promise that Sarah will bear IsaacHow circumcision functions as a sign of faith in God's future promisesThe relationship between the covenant sign and fertility, descendants, and continuityAbraham as a model of both faith and doubtWhat Genesis 17 teaches about trusting God when fulfillment seems impossibleThe discussion is based on, Jonathan D. Inman “Abraham’s Circumcision: An Ironic Mnemonic Device,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament49, no. 4 (2025): 507–520

  8. Jun 1

    Genesis 16: Hagar and the Pattern Behind Biblical Heroes

    Guest: Prof. Edward Greenstein. Genesis 16 is often read as the story of Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham—a difficult episode marked by surrogacy, jealousy, and exile. But a closer look reveals something more. Hagar's story follows a literary pattern that appears throughout the Bible in the lives of some of Israel's greatest heroes. In this episode, we explore how Hagar's flight into the wilderness anticipates stories later told about Moses, David, Elijah, and others. Far from being a marginal figure, Hagar becomes the first character in Scripture to embody a recurring biblical pattern: the fugitive who flees into the wilderness, encounters God, receives a promise, and emerges transformed. What happens when we read Genesis 16 not only as family drama, but as the prototype of a larger biblical story type? And what does this reveal about the way the Bible invites us to understand Hagar's significance? In this episode: Why biblical narratives often work through recurring story patternsThe sequence of motifs that define the "fugitive hero" type-sceneHow Hagar's experience anticipates Moses, David, Elijah, and othersWhat literary parallels can teach us about characterizationWhy Genesis 16 elevates Hagar's status in surprising waysHow recognizing these patterns enriches our reading of biblical narrative

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About

The Bible Bar – The Podcast of the Bible Department of Bar-Ilan University. Hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman, The Bible Bar offers a guided journey through the Bible, one chapter at a time, in conversation with leading scholars from Bar-Ilan University and across the globe. Drawing on the full spectrum of biblical studies, the podcast translates cutting-edge research into thoughtful, engaging discussions, helping listeners discover new depth and meaning in the text

Information

  • Creator
    Department of Bible, Bar-Ilan University
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Department of Bible, Bar-Ilan University
  • Show Website
    The Bible Bar

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