We're talking about Kings before No Kings Day - just in time. When all is said and done, we end up talking about the fascinating women in the chapter more than all the kings - because really, Kings are quite predictable. And ya never know what smart resourceful women will do.

Our brilliant victorian feminists shed a light on the nuances buried in the book of Kings. It's another dramatic book in the bible. It is full of, well, kings and all their wives and lovers and concubines and conniving deeds. We are certain George RR Martin was influenced by the succession battles and wifey dramas in the book of Kings. We've got the Queen of Sheba and Jezebel to discuss. Riddles and astrology. King egos. Bad ideas. And the classic parable of king Solomon threatening to cut a baby in half. That's the kind of thing people think makes a good leader? Wha? Let's discuss. Joins us as we venture into into some feminist history, random weirdness, and try out a new phrase we're using: "Self sacrifice is the casting couch of the bible".

More info on topics covered:

Matilda Jocelyn Gage

The Matilda Effect https://www.lostwomenofscience.org/news-events/the-matilda-effect-how-women-are-becoming-invisible-in-science

She has a whole center named after her.

Her book Women, Church, and State

Matilda Good Witch of The North

There’s an opera about Gage! https://vpa.syr.edu/matilda-joslyn-gage/

HISTORY OF THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE WITH THEOLOGY IN CHRISTENDOM
By Andrew Dickson White. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/505/505-h/505-h.htm

Queen of Sheba/Queen Makeda

Myths and legacy: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/legacy-of-queen-of-sheba-1.6836452

We're so interested in the riddles she asked Solomon https://amichailaulavie.substack.com/p/the-riddle-of-the-queen-who-loved

Cool art depicting Sheba asking Solomon some riddles: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/465954

History of Balloons -

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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If we could buy the exclusive film rights to just one book in the bible, it'd be Samuel. What? You'd say Genesis? Well that'd be a fun debate for a listener to start. But first, listen to this episode. We start by extending an invite to Pope Leo to come on the show as our first guest. Then we get into the Woman's Bible chapter on the book of Samuel and boy is it full of danger and dastardly deeds. The victorian feminists tell us how the whole thing is just more dudes breaking the laws they wrote while women sacrifice and suffer. We discuss our doubts that the people in the olden times really wanted a king and bond over the shock of learning that our childhood hero David peaked when he killed that giant. He went on to do all kinds of bad stuff. The victorian ladies point out more proof that the male translators knew nothing about women, childbirth, and a mothers ability to pack outwear for her children. We ponder the repeat appearance of polygamy and are ticked off Saul went to see a witch. We talk about the changes in the sass level of the second part of The Woman’s Bible and recommitt to our own levels. All of that and even more fun in this episode of your favorite multi-generational cultural critique/bookclub show.

More info on other topics mentioned in this episode:

History of the Conclave https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/the-conclave-from-the-middle-ages-to-our-days.html

Beverages in the bible. We know water and wine are the stars of the drink scene in the bible, but vinegar is a supporting character. https://ificouldteachthebible.com/2024/09/16/wine-beer-and-vinegar-in-the-bible/

Turns out mead has been around over 20,000 years https://www.batchmead.com/blogs/batch/mead-a-history

Bechdel test http://nofilmschool.com/bechdel-test

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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Who doesn't love a sturdy woman? We imagine they were beloved before the book of Ruth made them holy, but boy did that bible chapter seal the deal. Greatest PR campaign for the selfless busy lady archetype, rivaled only by, maybe, the Marlboro Man. Join us for this lively episode where we discuss what the victorian feminists discussed about the book of Ruth. Double discussion! Ruth is one of only two books in the whole bible titled with a woman's name (the other one is Esther). You'll see how as long as you're willing to give up your beliefs and entire life, you too can work on a rich guy's farm.

More info on other topics discussed in this episode:

Robert Lewis Stevenson

Fanny Stevenson
https://stevensonmuseum.org/robert-louis-stevenson/the-life/family/fanny-stevenson/
A Marriage That Changed Literary History
Fanny Stevenson forced her husband, Robert Louis Stevenson, to live a bigger life than he had known.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/09/fanny-robert-louis-stevenson-wife-camille-peri-book/679161/
How Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson Defied Victorian Relationship Conventions
https://lithub.com/how-fanny-and-robert-louis-stevenson-defied-victorian-relationship-conventions/

Religion and Walt Whitman
https://whitmanarchive.org/item/encyclopedia_entry628
Walt Whitman on God, America and Life.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/wakeupcall/2017/02/walt-whitman-god-america-life/

Friendships in the Bible! Turns out there's a good amount of em.
https://www.learnreligions.com/examples-of-friendship-in-the-bible-712377

Prince of Wales - Edward
https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/king-edward-vii-king-of-the-united-kingdom-1841-1910

Difference between Victorian and Edwardian fashion https://www.wardrobeshop.com/blogs/vintage-style-fashion/difference-between-victorian-and-edwardian-fashion

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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After a little trip down first communion memory lane with your cradle catholic cohosts, we dive into the book of Judges. Holy moly is it full of female baddies. Unfortunately, they are used much like a mob wives in the picture shows: as a plot points. In the case of the book of Judges, their heroism is even used to humiliate a guy for not believing in gods direction. Stanton and some freethinking victorian babes have some sharp, zippy, and insightful analysis. By the end of this episode you won't wonder where all that fragility comes from.

Extra info about the fascinating topics discussed in this episode:

Communion Dresses

The Victorian Age

The Cuban War of Independence

The use of colony when talking about biblical eras.

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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In this not to be missed episode, SK & JV marvel at the 19th century literary reviews of the the first part of The Woman's Bible before digging into the book of Joshua. It includes remakes of all of Moses greatest feats and tricks! And phrases like, "whinst not whence they were". The Victorian feminists respond with equal eloquence and spice.

FULL SHOW NOTES TO FOLLOW

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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If you take your victorian feminism with a heavy dose of sassy brilliance, this is the episode for you. The laws in the previous Old Testament books were so good, they created a dupe chapter called Deuteronomy. It is full of rules and evidence of a cranky god. We discuss the exasperated, yet fiery wit of Elizabeth Cady Stanton's criticisms. She takes on tithing, commandments, laws, parenting, and more. You won't believe it wasn't written on a Substack yesterday.

Here's more info on some of the topics we discuss:

The Pentateuch - what is it? Watch this video.

How Moab, Utah got its name

Who authored Deuteronomy? Well, Jewish and Christian traditions hold that Moses is the author of Deuteronomy. But authorship is not explicitly stated within the book and it does include Moses dying so he couldn't have written that part.

Julia Evelina Smith
The Julie E Smith Parker Bible - She utilized her knowledge of Greek and Hebrew to produce a concordant Bible translation, “endeavoring to put the same English word for the same Greek or Hebrew word, everywhere.” Published at her own expense in 1876, Smith’s edition was the first complete translation of the Bible by a woman. The whole text is online here: https://www.textusreceptusbibles.com/JuliaSmith/1/1
She also wrote Abby Smith and Her Cows, which told the story of her and her sister's tax resistance struggle in the suffrage cause while the two were living at Kimberly Mansion in Connecticut. More on her translation

Ursula Newell Gestefeld founder of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, also established the Science of Being, a New Thought religious system that gained her national prominence.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B Anthony friendship: https://www.historynet.com/lucretia-mott-elizabeth-stanton-susan-b-anthony/

Levite definition: A member of the priestly Hebrew tribe of Levi; specifically : a Levite of non-Aaronic descent assigned to lesser ceremonial offices.

Dogma movie

Bishop Colenso

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

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Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

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The hosts of this episode are using organic performance enhancement: recording way later in the evening than usual. Side effects include increased cusses. Makes sense for an episode that covers the chapter of the Woman's Bible about Numbers. The book that covers the no-nonsense directives of the big guy in the sky on hot topics like inheritance, concubines, and taxes. Of course our Victorian thought leaders want us to know that when it comes to Numbers, there isn't much sense to it at all.

Other stuff we mention:

Hostile Government Takeover EDM Remix - song by AGiftFromTodd & Vinny Marchi

Return To Oz and Princess Mombi

Trippin on the 1800s

• The Immigration Act of 1882
• Neptune was last in Aries from 1861 to 1875, Neptune entered Aries in March of 2025 and will be there until 1939. Kinda interesting.
• The Comstock Act 1873
• Tariff of 1828

Michigan candidate Sheriff Mike Murphy, known for hosting T***p & ignoring state red flag laws for domestic abusers.

"Swimming a Witch"

Louisa Southworth - Her mansion. Her memorial. Her portrait.

Phebe A Hanaford - book about her cousin Lucretia Mott: Lucretia, the Quakeress, or, Principle triumphant.

Bishop JW Colenso & the literal truth of the Bible. His correspondence.

How Moab, Utah got its name.

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

Leave us a voice mail

Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

Website

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In this episode we don our finest (rented) Victorian frocks (that you can see if you check out our TikTok) and dive into the 19th century feminist analysis of Leviticus. It's pretty much the how to live rules & regulations section of the bible and you will be amazed and depressed at how these thousand(s) of years old ideas are still running the show. These Woman's Bible gals tried to tell us 130 years ago. We shall finish their work!

Here's more info on some of the topics we discuss:

Witch Trials

https://www.nesl.edu/blog/detail/a-true-legal-horror-story-the-laws-leading-to-the-salem-witch-trials

Lecky’s History of Rationalism

https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/lecky-history-of-the-rise-and-influence-of-the-spirit-of-rationalism-in-europe-vol-1

Pregnancy on TV

I Love Lucy - first pregnancy on TV 1952 - but they couldn’t say pregnant - episode was titled “Lucy Is Enceinte,” using the French word for “pregnant”.

https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/8631/i-love-lucy-first-tv-pregnancy-lucy-is-enceinte-1952/

and

https://www.avclub.com/more-than-60-years-ago-a-pregnant-lucille-ball-couldn-1798239435

The word "pregnant" is believed to be used first on The Dick Van Dyke Show. In "Never Name a Duck," written by Carl Reiner (who also created the series), an eccentric character says of her cat, "She thinks she's pregnant." The episode first aired on September 26, 1962. https://startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com/2017/01/was-star-trek-first-show-to-say.html

Climate change has been around y’all

How 19th Century Scientists Predicted Global Warming

https://daily.jstor.org/how-19th-century-scientists-predicted-global-warming/

And

Oct. 15, 1902: Chemist Warns Burning Coal May Lead to Boiling Earth

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/article-warns-of-burning-coal/

Philadelphia Bible Riots of 1844

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Credits

Recorded at Troubadour Studios in Lansing, MI

Audio Engineer Corey DeRushia

Edited by Rie Daisies at Nighttime Girlfriend Studio

Music: ‘Shifting pt. 2 (instrumental)’ by Rie Daisies

Leave us a voice mail

Have some feedback? Praise? General thoughts? Know how to pronounce something? Are you a religious scholar? We'd love to hear from you. Leave a message right from your phone or computer by clicking here. Recordings may be used in future episodes.

Website

https://bitingalltheapples.buzzsprout.com

Find us on TikTok and YouTube