S8 Ep245: INVESTIGATING THE NAME PANTERA Colleague James Tabor. Tabor explores the name "Pantera," found in rabbinic texts and on a Roman soldier's tombstone. He suggests this might be a family nam...
S8 Ep245: SEPPHORIS AND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF MARY'S LIFE Colleague James Tabor. Tabor identifies Sepphoris, a Roman capital near Nazareth, as Mary's birthplace. He reimagines Jesus and Joseph ...
S8 Ep244: PREVIEW Guests: Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. Rice University classicists McGill and Wright discuss their new translation of Virgil's Aeneid, a "Hollywood worthy" epic detailing the or...
S8 Ep243: PREVIEW Guest: Douglas Boin. This discussion centers on Boin's new book regarding Clodia, who was the wealthiest woman in Rome during the tumultuous era of Julius Caesar. The narrative ex...
S8 Ep242: Professor Matthew Longo. Reflecting on the site thirty years later, Longo discusses the philosophical implications of freedom using Isaiah Berlin and Hannah Arendt. He contrasts Western "...
S8 Ep242: Professor Matthew Longo. Longo describes the tension at the campsite where East German refugees, monitored by Stasi agents, gathered. He recounts the chaotic border breakthrough, highligh...
S8 Ep242: Professor Matthew Longo. Longo shifts focus to "radical nobodies," specifically activists Ferenc and Maria, who conceived the Pan-European Picnic. He describes their audacious, naive plan...
S8 Ep242: Professor Matthew Longo. Longo details the geopolitical backdrop of 1989, focusing on Hungarian Prime Minister Miklós Németh. He explains Németh's clash with Romania's Ceaușescu and a piv...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Following the Gallus revolt in 351 AD, Rome eventually renamed Judea to Syria Palaestina to erase Jewish connection to the land. Control shifted to the Byzantines...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. In 132 AD, Simon Bar Kokhba led a major rebellion, utilizing underground tunnels and guerrilla warfare to ambush Roman forces. Viewed by many, including Rabbi Aki...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina, dedicating it to Jupiter and banning the Jewish Temple to crush rebellious spirits. While Rome viewed Jewish monoth...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. During Trajan's campaign against Parthia, a coordinated Jewish revolt erupted across Libya, Egypt, and Cyprus. This massive insurgency threatened Rome's grain sup...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 AD, leaving the city in ruins and enslaving survivors. Rome established a permanent legion to ensure securit...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Three Jewish factions fought for control of Jerusalem, destroying their own grain supplies and exacerbating the famine. While rebels used guerrilla tactics agains...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Following Nero's suicide and the chaotic Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian claimed the throne while his son Titus moved to besiege Jerusalem. The rebels believ...
S8 Ep241: Professor Barry Strauss. Josephus commanded the defense of Jotapata against Vespasian in 67 AD. After the city fell, he survived a mass suicide pact in a cave through luck or manipulation...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. After their defeat, Antony died in Cleopatra's arms. Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid Roman humiliation, ending the Ptolemaic dynasty. Octavian annexed Egypt...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. Cleopatra seduced Mark Antony with a theatrical entrance as Aphrodite, securing a romantic and political partner. Antony relied on Egyptian wealth for his campai...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. Cleopatra VII aligned with Julius Caesar to secure her throne, using her intellect and charisma to win his support. During Caesar's defense against Egyptian forc...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. The Ptolemies practiced sibling marriage, creating complex family rivalries. Powerful queens like Cleopatra I and III emerged as capable rulers who navigated civ...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. Egypt's wealth allowed the Ptolemies to hire mercenaries and engage in arms races involving African war elephants against Seleucid Indian elephants. Despite earl...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. The Ptolemies leveraged Egypt's grain and gold to build a prosperous economy. They constructed the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Museum, which attracted schol...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. Ptolemy I Soter, a scholar and general under Alexander, founded a dynasty by integrating Greek and Egyptian traditions. He appointed Egyptian advisors and create...
S8 Ep241: Professor Toby Wilkinson. Alexander the Great besieged Gaza, dragging its governor to death to mimic Achilles and signal his dominance. Seeking divine validation, he trekked to the Siwa O...
S8 Ep240: PREVIEW THE PTOLEMAIC ARMS RACE: WAR ELEPHANTS AS ANCIENT BATTLE TANKS Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson. Professor Wilkinson details the military "arms race" between the Ptolemies and S...
S8 Ep240: PREVIEW CLEOPATRA III: A FORCE OF NATURE WITHIN THE PTOLEMAIC DYNASTY Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson, Cambridge University. Wilkinson identifies Cleopatra III as a "force of nature" w...
S8 Ep240: PREVIEW PTOLEMY I: THE GENIUS WHO UNIFIED GREEK AND EGYPTIAN CULTURES Colleague Professor Toby Wilkinson. Wilkinson characterizes Ptolemy I as a genius who unified Greek and Egyptian cult...
S8 Ep239: PREVIEW; In this interview, historian James Tabor discusses his research into the historical identity of Jesus's biological father, as explored in his book The Lost Mary. He examines the ...
S8 Ep238: PREVIEW: This audio excerpt features an interview with Professor Barry Strauss regarding his book, which chronicles the Jewish rebellion against Roman authority during the first century....
S8 Ep237: SHOW 12-23-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS F THE EU... EU STRUGGLES WITH RUSSIAN ASSETS AND AID Colleague Judy Dempsey. Judy Dempsey discusses the EU's difficulty in utilizing frozen Russ...
S8 Ep236: THE ACCIDENTAL COLONIZATION OF AUSTRALIA Colleague Professor Richard Bell. Professor Richard Bell concludes, recounting the story of convict William Murray and the accidental selection of...
S8 Ep236: BENEDICT ARNOLD AND PEGGY SHIPPEN Colleague Professor Richard Bell. Professor Richard Bell continues, discussing Peggy Shippen's influence on Benedict Arnold's defection and their subsequ...
S8 Ep236: FRANCE'S GLOBAL STRATEGY IN THE REVOLUTION Colleague Professor Richard Bell. Professor Richard Bell continues, highlighting the role of Foreign Minister Vergennes and how French involveme...
S8 Ep236: THE LEGEND OF THE HESSIANS Colleague Professor Richard Bell. Professor Richard Bell discusses the American fear of Hessian soldiers and Washington's strategic victory at Trenton. NUMBER 13
S8 Ep236: KING CHARLES III AND UK POLITICAL TURMOIL Colleague Gregory Copley. Gregory Copley continues, analyzing the challenges King Charles III faces under the Keir Starmer government, which Copl...
S8 Ep235: THE DECLINE OF LITERACY AND CONTEXT Colleague Gregory Copley. Gregory Copley continues, discussing the decline of literacy and context since the mid-20th century, comparing modern society...
S8 Ep235: THE MONROE DOCTRINE AND NAVAL POWER Colleague Gregory Copley. Gregory Copley continues, debating whether the US is a naval or continental power in the context of enforcing the Monroe Doct...
S8 Ep235: US EXPANSIONISM AND DIPLOMATIC RIFTS Colleague Gregory Copley. Gregory Copley analyzes US foreign policy moves regarding Greenland, Panama, and Venezuela, describing them as a return to "...
S8 Ep235: REGULATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Colleague Kevin Frazier. Kevin Frazier continues, warning against a "waterfall of regulation" by states and advocating for "regulatory sandboxes" to all...
S8 Ep235: THE BORING BENEFITS OF AI Colleague Kevin Frazier. Kevin Frazier advocates for the "boring use cases" of AI, such as in healthcare and traffic management, to save costs and improve effici...
S8 Ep235: AUSTRALIA'S DEFENSE AND CHINA Colleague Grant Newsham. Grant Newsham warns about Australia's lack of defense capabilities and the erosion of its influence in the Pacific islands due to Ch...
S8 Ep235: STATE DEPARTMENT RECALLS AND STRATEGY Colleague Mary Kissel. Mary Kissel discusses the recall of career ambassadors by the Trump administration and challenges in Panama and Greenland. NUM...
S8 Ep235: EU REGULATION VS. US GROWTH Colleague Michael Toth. Michael Toth critiques the European Union's "regulatory imperialism" and contrasts it with the economic growth of the US. NUMBER 4
S8 Ep235: STALEMATES IN GAZA AND LEBANON Colleague Jonathan Schanzer. Jonathan Schanzer discusses the stalemate regarding the last hostage in Gaza, the fragmented control of the territory, and thre...
S8 Ep235: THE RISE OF THE AFD IN GERMANY Colleague Judy Dempsey. Judy Dempsey continues, focusing on the rise of the AfD party in Germany and its connections to elements of the US Republican party....
S8 Ep235: EU STRUGGLES WITH RUSSIAN ASSETS AND AID Colleague Judy Dempsey. Judy Dempsey discusses the EU's difficulty in utilizing frozen Russian assets and the "defeat" for Chancellor Merz regardi...
S8 Ep234: PREVIEW AFD PARTY RISING IN GERMANY WITH TIES TO TRUMP-VANCE FACTION Colleague Judy Dempsey. Judy Dempsey reports from Berlin on the rising popularity of the AfD party, which is nearly ti...
S8 Ep234: PREVIEW STATE DEPARTMENT CHALLENGES WITH PANAMA AND CCP INTERFERENCE Colleague Mary Kissel. Mary Kissel evaluates the State Department under Secretary Rubio, noting fewer negative leaks b...
S8 Ep234: REVIEW AUSTRALIA CRITICIZED FOR KOWTOWING TO CHINA DESPITE DISDAIN Colleague Grant Newsham. Grant Newsham criticizes the Australian government for "kowtowing" to China due to a dependence...
S8 Ep233: PREVIEW PEGGY SHIPPEN'S CUNNING DECEPTION DURING THE ARNOLD CONSPIRACY Colleague Richard Bell. Historian Richard Bell discusses his book on the American Revolution, focusing on the cunnin...
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