The Bible Bar

Gen 29: Love in the Hebrew Bible

Guest: Dr. Suzie Park. Genesis 29 tells us that Jacob loved Rachel—and that Leah was “hated.” But what does the Hebrew Bible actually mean when it speaks of love? Dr. Su

Gen 28: Bethel not Babel

Guest: Dr. Zvi Shimon Why does Jacob receive his vision of a stairway reaching to heaven precisely as he is leaving Canaan and heading east toward Haran? Dr. Zvi Shimon

Gen 27: Was Jacob Lying?

Guest: Dr. Shira Weiss. In Genesis 27, Jacob deceives his blind father, Isaac, and receives the blessing intended for Esau. But was Jacob actually lying? And does the dis

Gen 26: Biblical Scenes at the Window

Guest: Dr. Don Seeman. Why does Genesis bother to tell us that Abimelech was looking through a window when he saw Isaac and Rebecca together? It seems like an incidental

Gen 25 - Rebecca's Oracle: The Jacob and Esau Seesaw

Guest: Prof. Raanan Eichler. Genesis 25 records Rebecca's oracle concerning Jacob and Esau, yet one crucial line has resisted a settled interpretation for centuries. In t

Gen 24: Why Does Abraham's Servant Choose Isaac's Wife?

Guest: Prof. Elie Assis. Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, yet it is often reduced to a simple love story. In this episode, we discover that Isaac's marriage

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 ligh

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,

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

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, wh

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 n

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 H

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 circumci

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 clo

Gen 15: Why the Borders of the Land Keep Changing

Guest: Dr. Aubrey McClain - In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham a land stretching “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” But elsewhere in the Torah,

Gen 14: Why Does Melchizedek Matter?

Guest: Dr. Josh Mathews. Genesis 14 is the first war recorded in Scripture — but the chapter turns on a mysterious priest-king who appears out of nowhere. Why does Melchi

Gen 13: What Lot Reveals About Abraham

Guest Dr. Dan Rickett. In Genesis 13, Lot's presence helps reveal Abraham’s faith, priorities, and character. As conflict grows between their households, Abraham chooses

Gen 12: Two Journeys to Canaan and the Choosing of Abram

Guest: Dr. Zvi Shimon. Genesis 12 does not begin in isolation. Abram’s call is set within an earlier, incomplete journey led by Terah. This episode explores the relations

Gen 11: The Tower of Babel and the Scattering of the World

Guest: Prof. John Day. In this episode, we explore one of the most intriguing and often misunderstood stories in the Bible: the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). What was so w

Gen 10 : The Table of Nations: Why the Genealogies Matter

Guest: Dr. Yigal Levin.  Genesis 10, often called the “Table of Nations,” traces the descendants of Noah’s sons and presents a structured account of humanity’s post-flood