Loading...As some of you know, I do a weekly podcast (unrelated to the blog) called “Misquoting Jesus.” My co-host is Megan Lewis, a terrific interlocutor who is an expert on ancient history (she’s actually an Assyriologist! And trained in classics), who asks terrific questions. Basically, she interviews me on a different topic each week, the sorts of issues we deal with here on the blog, but in a recorded interview style. You can get it on Youtube (to my surprise, that’s where by far most people get it) or on any podcast app.
This coming Tuesday, October 17, will be our one-year anniversary of doing the podcast, and I thought you might be interested in knowing about it. This time rather than a back-and-forth with Megan it will be a live Q&A, with previously submitted questions by listeners. Megan will MC it, but the questions we have selected will actually be asked by the person who proposed them.
If you’re interested, check it out live or catch it later, either on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts.
How old does a New Testament manuscript have to be to be considered “ancient”?
Ah, kinda like asking how old we have to be before people call us ancient. I’m starting to think I qualify. But there isn’t really a clear-cut answer. I supposeI could put mss in the first six centuries in the category, and after that I’d start talking about “medieval” mss — but I’m not sure I’ve ever thought carefully about it.
I was familiar with Megan’s work with her husband Joshua Bowen on their site Digital Hammarabi because of a long standing interest in the ANE. Apologies if you’ve told the story before but how did you meet Megan?
Actually I met her because she interviewed me a few times for her podcast in order to promote some of my courses, and when it came time to find a host for the podcast, she’s the one I had been most impressed by in all my years of doing podcast interviews.
May I submit a question for the podcast? Here it goes:
As a text critic, I would really like to hear your thoughts on Elizabeth Schrader Polczer’s theory that Martha wasn’t originally in the story of Lazarus in John 11–12. But instead, all mentions of “Martha” or “Mary” in that story could have been mentions of “Mary” in the earliest text of John. I’ve heard Polczer interviewed about her work and this theory on a couple liberal Christian podcasts that I listen to. I would be fascinated to hear your take on it. Thanks!
I’m afraid the deadline is past for the podcast. I will say that I’m not convinced by her argument, but she’s certainly energetic in advancing it!
Are we able to submit questions now or has that time frame passed? My question is……Do you think the Synoptic Gospel Authors were waiting for Paul to die before publishing their works? Not sure if that question makes sense, but the Gospels and Paul are a bit at odds, and I wonder why Mark for instance, didn’t go head to head with Paul during his lifetime. Was there any concern that Paul would squash the Gospel account if he got a hold of it? And thus we see the Gospel of Mark come out 5 years or so after Paul dies when these ideas will perhaps be better received? Or is it more likely that gospels are put to paper because Peter and Paul have passed, the world is still here, and a written authority was more important in the absence of those giant leaders?
I”m afraid the time has passed (we were announcing it for a few weeks in advance on the podcast itself).
“Paul would squash the Gospel account if he got a hold of it” St Paul didn’t walk the walk the 11 or 12 still living chosen disciples walked.
I love the weekly podcast with Megan.
I have one question, if I can.
Most Christians I know, think of god to be spirit. What did Jesus think. Did he understand god to have a body that you can sea, or was god spirit?
Thanks🤗
My sense is that most ancient Jews did not have the conception of a disembodied “spirit” of any kind, though they didn’t speculate much on what the body of God might have been (though in descriptions it is always humanoid but super-humanoid)
Dr.Bart,
the YT “MJ” is excellent.
i prefer YT so i can watch facial expressions (and see Megan’s new hairstyles :–)
Would you be kind enough to post the link where questions can be submitted to Megan?
much obliged, elkojohn
(a former christian – currently a practitioner of buddhism and native american spirituality)
I”m afraid the time has passed for the questions (we were announcing it for a few weeks in advance on the podcast itself).
Yes, most people prefer the Youtube version — ten to one, to my great surprise.
Dr. Ehrman, Congratulations on the 1 year anniversary of your awesome podcast! Please keep up the great work with that, along with this blog!
Speaking of this blog, I have a suggestion that I hope you may consider, or if you have already covered it previously, please send me the link because I couldn’t find anything related in the archive. In Mark 10:17 Jesus seems to clearly indicate that he is not god by saying something like “why do you call me good? Only God is good.” There is a similar passage in Mathew 19:17, and that makes 2 out of 3 of the synoptic gospels, but it seems that Luke has left this part out.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Yup, I”ve probably addressed tha ton the blog before. Mark’s verse CAN be read that way (or as Jesus denying he is good) and some scholars DO read it that way — and that’s almost certainly why Matthew changed it. When he changed it, he created a problem, becuase now the passage doesn’t make much sense when it comes to Jesus’ reply (Why do you ask me about what is good? Only One is good…)
Great podcast sir and happy birthday to you.
A very happy birthday to Bart indeed!
So looking forward to it! 🙂
Thanks for answering my question! I’m sorry that I didn’t get my question submitted in time for the podcast.
The q and a on the podcast reminds me of the Gold q and a sessions! 🙂
Like and unlike! It was great fun. (And so are they)
Dr. Ehrman,
In your view, which areas of research will be the most intriguing/relevant avenues for new scholars to pursue in this field? I am in the early stages of my academic journey and I have a broad range of interests related to Jesus, Paul, the gospels, Christology, Apocalypticism, etc. I guess what I’m asking is: are there certain areas of research you recommend your students consider over other areas as they endeavor to become bona fide scholars? How does a student decide whether to become an expert on Paul versus trying to become an expert on the Gospel of John? Obviously we can’t become leading authorities on EVERYTHING, no matter our academic ambitions. Am I making sense?
As it turns out, in my 35 year of teaching graduate students I have never recommended an area for them to study. One major part of becoming a scholar is figuring out what you are *intensely* interested in, and pursuing *that*. Some of us are interested in tons of things. In that case, we choose the thing we are most interested in at the time. When I started I was interested in comparing and contrasting various Greek manuscripts. Now I don’t ever do that sort of thing. But I was passionate about it at the time.