Best Shaiel Ben Ephraim Podcasts (2025)

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54 – Josiah and the Book of Deuteronomy 40:50

13d ago40:50

40:50

Send us a text A lost scroll. A boy king. And a revolution that remade a nation. But was Deuteronomy really ancient law—or a bold new manifesto, crafted to legitimize power? In this episode, we look beyond the legend to ask: Was Josiah’s great reform inspired by divine revelation, or was it a brilliant act of political theater? Join us as we questi…

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53 - The Story of Manasseh: The Evil King Who Saved Judah 40:39

2M ago40:39

40:39

Send us a text History remembers King Manasseh as Judah's most wicked ruler, but archaeological evidence tells a different story. For 55 years, he kept his tiny kingdom alive through shrewd diplomacy and careful governance, transforming defeat into survival. While his father Hezekiah's rebellion against Assyria had devastated the kingdom, Manasseh …

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52 - Hezekiah's Last Stand 32:24

3M ago32:24

32:24

Send us a text In 701 BCE, a small kingdom faced the most powerful empire in the world. One king, against all odds, prepared Jerusalem for an impossible defense. Fortified walls, secret water tunnels, and an unexpected divine intervention—this is the gripping true story of how Hezekiah survived Sennacherib's brutal invasion. Support the show…

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51 - The Reforms of Hezekiah 41:00

3M ago41:00

41:00

Send us a text At just 25, Hezekiah inherited a kingdom under massive pressure from the mighty Assyrian Empire. But instead of cowering, he launched a bold religious and political revolution that would alter the course of Jewish history. How did he navigate treacherous geopolitical waters while transforming temple worship? What made him both a stra…

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50 – Judah Before the Reforms of Hezekiah 30:11

4M ago30:11

30:11

Send us a text The reforms of Hezekiah would revolutionize the Israelite religion and make it genuinely monotheistic for the first time. They also made the Temple in Jerusalem truly central for the first time. What led to that and what did the religion of Judah look like before those far reaching reforms started? Support the show…

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49 - The Destruction of Israel 28:23

4M ago28:23

28:23

Send us a text The kingdom of Israel was destroyed and its elites exiled throughout the Assyrian empire. The prophets Hosea and Amos had warned that the sins and inequality of Israel would lead to its downfall. But was that the real reason? We also look at what happened to the Israelites after they were expelled and what happened to those who were …

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48 - The Assyrian Threat to Israel 32:51

6M ago32:51

32:51

Send us a text Assyria assembled the most fearsome military machine ever seen. And it now was ready to turn its might on Israel, after defeating Damascus. It appears that Judah asked it to set sights on the kingdom of Israel, which now faced a threat unlike any it had seen before. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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47 - The Kingdom of Israel At Its Peak 26:18

7M ago26:18

26:18

Send us a text We look at the evidence outside the bible to see what life in the Kingdom of Israel was like at the peak of its power. Who were its enemies and allies? What kind of culture and religion did it have? How did the poor and regular people live? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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46 - The Fall of the House of Omri 33:02

7M ago33:02

33:02

Send us a text The last ruler in the name of the house of the Omrides was Queen Athaliah. She was utterly demonized in the Book of Kings. But a lot of that appears to be an attempt to cover up for Jehu, a psychopath who killed all the heirs to Omri and King David as part of a military coup. We have the real story of an event that broke the alliance…

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45 - Was Ahab A Hero Or A Villain? 34:46

9M ago34:46

34:46

Send us a text The House of Omri, especially Ahab, are among the most reviled characters in the book of Kings and the Tanach as a whole. The story of what he, and his horrific wife, did to Navot is legendary. But is it true? And does that scandal represent his entire legacy? We investigate. Support the show…

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44 - How Israel and Judah Split 36:01

9M ago36:01

36:01

Send us a text The Book of Kings tells us how Israel tragically split after Solomon's death. But what is the reason? The stories of Jeroboam the first king of a separate Israel, and Rehoboam, the first king of Judah are instructive and fascinating. We analyze the narrative in the book and find the motivation behind the scribes who wrote it. We also…

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43 - The Splendor of Solomon and His Temple 48:34

11M ago48:34

48:34

Send us a text The days of Solomon are described as a golden age for a powerful and united Israel. However, some archaeologists doubt that and believe the stories are completely made up. We look at the stories of the Queen of Sheba, the splendor of the temple, and Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter for clues. Support the show…

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42 – The Scandalous Court of King David 33:52

12M ago33:52

33:52

Send us a text The stories of decadence and intrigue in David's court are legendary: how he lusted and schemed to win Bathsheba, how his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar. Not to mention the rebellion of the handsome Absalom against his father. But is there any truth to these stories? What were the interests of those who wrote them? Support the sh…

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41- The Real Story of King Saul 38:00

1y ago38:00

38:00

Send us a text Saul is a great her in the bible but is vastly eclipsed by David. However, we delve into the text and the historical evidence to find the real Saul. We find that he was a great hero, possibly betrayed by David. We also look into what we can learn about the relations between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin from this story, and what t…

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40 - How Did Israel Become A Monarchy 38:23

1y ago38:23

38:23

Send us a text The books of Samuel and Kings tell us how a monarchy developed despite the fact that God had serious reservations about it. That led to the institution being ruled over by legendary figures like David and Solomon. But how did the monarchy actually develop? Are these stories historically based? The evidence shows a lot of historically…

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39 - Where Are the Twelve Tribes of Israel Today? 45:47

1y ago45:47

45:47

Send us a text Throughout the world, there are many groups claiming to be descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel. They range from the Samaritans, the modern Jews, to the Mormons, Beta Israel, and others. How accurate are these claims? How have they changed over the years? And why do so many make this claim? Support the show…

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38 - The Role of Religion in Uniting The Twelve Tribes of Israel 31:01

1y ago31:01

31:01

Send us a text The twelve tribes did not have much in common at first. However, as the Philistines emerged as a common enemy, they learned to cooperate and developed common political and religious institutions. We examine how the god of Israel became more important, how the gods Israelites worshipped at home or in tribal altars became less central,…

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37 - The Twelve Tribes Of Israel 39:31

1+ y ago39:31

39:31

Send us a text The twelve tribes of Israel come from the 12 sons of Joseph, at least according to Genesis. But the number of tribes and their names change over time and in different parts of the bible. Were there really twelve tribes? When did they cooperated and when did they fight? What does archaeology tell us about their existence? And why did …

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36 - Were The Israelites Really Ruled By Judges? 52:09

1+ y ago52:09

52:09

Send us a text The books of Judges and Samuel in the Tanakh present an anti-monarchical ideology. But the stories of early Israelite leaders like Gideon, Jepetah, and Abimelech have elements of kingship. How historically factual are these stories, and what can we learn about early Israelite society and politics from them? Support the show…

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35 - The Invasion of The "Sea People" And The Birth Of The Philistines 43:24

1+ y ago43:24

43:24

Send us a text An invasion of mysterious raiders changed the region forever. It destroyed the Hittite empire and nearly brought Egypt to its knees. When the dust settled, a new people, the Philistines, controlled the coast of Canaan. Where did they come from? How did they change world history and how are they linked to the Trojan War? Support the s…

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34- Slavery And Racism 41:59

1+ y ago41:59

41:59

Send us a text The final days of the Egyptian empire in Canaan saw an increase in inter-cultural influence. A lot of that involved exploitation and slavery. But what was slavery like in those days, and how did the races feel about each other? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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33 - Where Did The Israelites Come From? 47:27

1+ y ago47:27

47:27

Send us a text The Merneptah Stele has the first recorded mention of Israel, in 1207 BCE. But the God of the Israelites was already mentioned earlier. What does that mean? Who were the Israelites and where did they come from? We look at the biblical narrative, Egyptian texts, and archaeological evidence. Support the show…

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32 – The Rise Of Jerusalem and Shechem 36:11

1+ y ago36:11

36:11

Send us a text The highlands of the Judean hills were a lawless land, which even the Egyptians preferred to avoid. Instead, the kings of Shechem and Jerusalem battled for domination, using the local nomadic tribes as political tools. It was in this chaos that the Israelites first emerged. Support the show…

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31 – The Kingdom of The Nomads 41:19

1+ y ago41:19

41:19

Send us a text The Land of Israel had long been in contention between Egypt and its great power rivals. But now, a group of nomadic tribes outmaneuvered all the powers to create their own kingdom. How did that happen, and what does a nomadic kingdom look like? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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30 – A War, A Wedding, and a Funeral 35:49

2y ago35:49

35:49

Send us a text The saga of Thutmose III's endless quest to defeat Mitanni and its pesky allies ends in this episode. But who gets the upper hand? We also have a dramatic wedding and tragic death. And an impressive array of war crimes. So much drama! Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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29 - Thutmose Meets His Match 39:54

2y ago39:54

39:54

Send us a text Thutmose III had pacified the city-states of Lebanon and Canaan. But in the process, Egypt threatened the lands of Mitanni, the local power. To secure his power in Lebanon and Syria, Thutmose III would have to cross the Euphrates. The final frontier. Would he succeed? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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28 - The Egyptian Napoleon Enters Lebanon 39:51

2y ago39:51

39:51

Send us a text Thutmose III took his final steps to subdue and humiliate the kings of Canaan. But now, he was ready to move on to the next conquest. Lebanon. But with long supply lines, mountainous terrain, and treacherous enemies, it would prove a far harder nut to crack. In order to triumph there, Thutmose would have to reinvent warfare. Support …

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27 - Between Egyptian And Hittite Domination 34:06

2y ago34:06

34:06

Send us a text Egypt had no sooner established its dominance in Canaan than it faced its first challenge in the form of a new and threatening empire in the north. Who would end up as the dominant force? And what happened to Canaanite culture as it faced imperial subjugation? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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26 - The Empire Strikes Back 35:11

2y ago35:11

35:11

Send us a text Egypt had recovered from years of weakness and was poised to take revenge on Canaan for years of Hyksos conquest. But a plucky Canaanite king organized a spirited defense of the land. Who would triumph? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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25 - The Roots Of Antisemitism And The Egyptian Exodus 38:15

2y ago38:15

38:15

Send us a text We are used to hearing the Jewish version of the Egyptian Exodus story. But there is also an ancient Egyptian one, where the Jews are the villains. That story played a significant role in the development of antisemitism. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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24 - Who Wrote The Exodus Story And Why? 35:05

2y ago35:05

35:05

Send us a text According to Jewish tradition, the Book of Exodus was written by Moses. But scholars believe it was put together by three different authors. Who is right? Why was the story written and how has its interpretation among Jews changed over the years? Support the show

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23 - Did The Israelite Exodus From Egypt Really Happen? 37:18

2y ago37:18

37:18

Send us a text The Exodus from Egypt is one of the most influential in human history. But many archaeologists doubt its veracity. Did it really happen and how did the story become so important? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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22 - How The Canaanites Lost Egypt 33:20

2+ y ago33:20

33:20

Send us a text It looked like Egypt was on its last legs, occupied by Nubians in the south and Canaanites in the north. But they reunited the country and made Egypt great again. How did they do it, and what happened to the Hyksos after their kingdom fell? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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21 - How The Canaanites Came To Rule Egypt 36:01

2+ y ago36:01

36:01

Send us a text Egyptologists tend to look at the Canaanite rule of Egypt through the Hyksos as a chaotic interlude. But in reality, they had great kings and amazing accomplishments. We also look at Egyptian lore and examine how foreign rule scarred the Egyptian psyche. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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20 - The Ten Plagues of Egypt 38:20

2+ y ago38:20

38:20

Send us a text Is there a historical basis for the story of the ten plagues recounted in the Book of Exodus? There are some scientific explanations for these events. And we also have some idea of who may have witnessed them and passed the stories on for posterity. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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19 - Did The Canaanites Sacrifice Their Children? 48:22

2+ y ago48:22

48:22

Send us a text The Tanakh, in several places, mentions a practice of running children through the fire for the god Molech. What does that mean? Did the Canaanites sacrifice their children to a bloodthirsty god? And if so, was that tradition ever practiced by the Israelites? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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18 - The Golden Calf: The Roots of the Israelite Religion Pt. 2 33:14

2+ y ago33:14

33:14

Send us a text Canaanite mythology sheds light on the roots and motives behind much of Israelite theology and law. In this episode we look at the story of the golden calf, as told in Exodus, and see how it relates to Canaanite culture as we continue to delve into the roots of Judaism. Support the show…

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17 - Sons of Anat: The Roots of the Israelite Religion Pt. 1 37:23

2+ y ago37:23

37:23

Send us a text The Ugaritic Texts provide us with the internal world of the Canaanite worshippers of Baal and Asherah. The faith we are often warned against in the Tanakh. But their mythology contains the roots of the Israelite faith, which would eventually become Judaism. In this episode we look at the warrior/seductress Anat, who holds the key to…

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16 - Hammurabi's Code 37:30

2+ y ago37:30

37:30

Send us a text We have all heard of Hammurabi's Code. But how important was it really? Was it just? Did anyone actually follow it? And most importantly, is it really the source of biblical law? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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15 - These Kings, Amorite? 36:16

2+ y ago36:16

36:16

Send us a text The Mari Archives provide us with a glimpse of the Amorite culture. They reveal the close links between that culture and the Israelites. But more than anything else, they allow us into the emotional worlds of real people. Fathers, sons, wives, and daughters, as they navigate the cutthroat world of dynastic politics. Support the show…

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14 - A Bunch of Savages, Amorite? 34:57

2+ y ago34:57

34:57

Send us a text The Amorites are remembered in Deuteronomy as a race of giants. The most notable Amorite there is Og of the Bashan. Og also appears in Phoenician and Islamic mythology. Who was he? Where did the Amorites come from and how did they become the most powerful people in the region? Support the show…

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13 - The King Of Byblos, At A Loss 48:14

2+ y ago48:14

48:14

Send us a text Byblos was the closest ally of Egypt in the land of Canaan. For generations, they traded and influenced each other. They even shared gods. But their alliance was tested when a group of bandits rebelled against the king. Would Egypt come to the aid of its ally, or would it stand alone? Support the show…

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12- Egyptian Lamentations, Canaanite Celebrations 37:13

2+ y ago37:13

37:13

Send us a text The Egyptian Old Kingdom collapsed, leading to a period of turmoil and instability in the Nile Delta. But in Canaan, the good times rolled. The middle bronze age is known as the "Canaanite golden age," a time of unparalleled freedom and prosperity in the Land of Israel. We recount their incredible achievements. Support the show…

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11- Canaan Days, Canaanites 37:29

2+ y ago37:29

37:29

Send us a text After the unexplained collapse at the end of the copper age, a new culture emerges from the ashes of the Chalcolithic. The Canaanites would dominate the land in the Bronze Age and bring give it a new name and identity. But almost immediately, they faced incursions from imperialist neighbors. Support the show…

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10 - Enter the Egyptian Colossus 36:12

2+ y ago36:12

36:12

Send us a text The Land of Israel was a pioneer in agriculture. However, when Egypt unified it found itself with the most powerful empire the world had ever known on its doorstep. How did Egypt go from a backwater to the powerful land of the pyramids? Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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9 –Limping Shepherds and Hidden Treasures 43:57

3y ago43:57

43:57

Send us a text The Copper Age was one of astounding advances in the Land of Israel. It saw the first kingdoms and hierarchies emerge. It also had organized religions and incredible treasures. In this episode, we focus on two fascinating stories. The life of a pastoral shepherd and an amazing treasure hidden for thousands of years. Support the show…

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8 - The Walls of Jericho 30:10

3y ago30:10

30:10

Send us a text The walls of Jericho are best known from the story of Joshua Ben-Nun's reconquest of the Land of Israel. The Book of Joshua tells a memorable story. But did that really happen? There were indeed ancient walls in Jericho. But the story is not so simple. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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7 - The Natufians 34:30

3y ago34:30

34:30

Send us a text The Natufians were the first genuinely agricultural society in the world. They brought social stratification, religion, and jewelry to the Land of Israel. Some Palestinians even claim Natufian heritage. This is their story. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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6 - Tyranny Over Nature 33:41

3y ago33:41

33:41

Send us a text 20,000 years ago, the Ice Age entered one of its worst periods, the chilling Last Glacial Maximum. The humans in the Land of Israel tried desperately to survive. They pulled together and made it through, and in the process changed the history of humanity forever. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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5- Enter The Homo Sapiens 35:18

3y ago35:18

35:18

Send us a text As the Neanderthals died off, the first modern humans entered the Land of Israel. But the Neanderthals left them a parting gift. Combining local and imported elements, Homo Sapiens create a uniquely Levantine culture. Support the showBy Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

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