Episode Description: In this first episode of our series on the book of Jeremiah, Dr Claire Carroll introduces listeners to one of the Bible’s most complex and fascinating prophetic texts. This episode offers a scholarly, critical exploration of Jeremiah, examining its diverse literary forms, historical context, and the life of the prophet himself. From poetic oracles to biographical narratives and Deuteronomistic editorial material, we break down the book’s structure and explore its historical and archaeological background, helping listeners engage with Jeremiah as both a literary and historical work.

Claire Carroll is one of Ireland's foremost experts in the field of Jeremiah Studies. She lectures in Biblical Studies at Trinity College, Dublin.

In this episode

• Introduction to the book of Jeremiah and its significance as a prophetic text.

• Explanation of the scholarly approach: critical and historical rather than faith-based.

• Discussion of the variety within Jeremiah: poetry, prose, oracles, biographies, and visions.

• Overview of Bernhard Duhm’s 1901 framework and Sigmund Mowinckel’s A, B, C classification:

  • A: Prophetic oracles

  • B: Biographical material about Jeremiah

  • C: Supplementary Deuteronomistic additions

• Key examples from each category, including:

  • A: Jeremiah 1:5–7 and the prophet’s call

  • B: Jeremiah 38 and the cistern episode

  • C: Jeremiah 44 and condemnation of the Judeans in Egypt

• Examination of the B-type material: historical details, events, and interactions with kings.

• Historical and geopolitical context: Judah, Neo-Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians.

• Key figures and events: Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh Necho II, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, Zedekiah.

• Discussion of archaeological evidence supporting the text, including the Weidner ration tablets.

• Conclusion: the challenges and rewards of engaging with Jeremiah as a multi-faceted literary and historical work.

Episode Description: In this third episode of The Scholar’s Bible series on Exodus, we turn to one of the most evocative and symbolically rich stories in the Hebrew Bible — the birth and rescue of Moses (Exodus 2:1–10). Moving on from the defiance of Shiphrah and Puah, this episode explores how five women — each in their own way — act against Pharaoh’s decree to preserve life, and how this narrative intertwines ancient Hebrew and Egyptian worlds. Drawing from historical, linguistic, and literary criticism, the discussion traces the Elohist’s hand in the text, uncovers the Egyptian roots of the Levites, and situates Moses’ story within the broader ancient Near Eastern tradition of “threatened infant saviours.” From the papyrus basket and the sacred Nile to the temple rites of Pharaoh’s daughter, we uncover the cosmic and creation motifs embedded in this remarkable story of deliverance.

In this episode:

• The Elohist (E) source and how it differs from the Priestly (P) and Yahwist (J) traditions

• The composite structure of Exodus and the role of 1:15–2:10 as a single narrative unit

• The Nile as the setting — Egypt’s “Black Land” and “Red Land” — and its religious symbolism

• Moses’ Levite heritage and the Egyptian connections of Levite names

• The meaning of “Levite” as “one who is attached,” and what that suggests about cultic origins

• The folktale form of the Moses birth story and its oral-traditional character

• The significance of the papyrus tēvāh — the “ark” — and its parallels with Noah’s flood narrative

• Egyptian ritual washing, priestly purification, and the identity of Pharaoh’s daughter as a royal priestess

• Adoption, nursing, and social inversion in Egyptian culture — how Moses’ mother subverts Pharaoh’s decree

• The name “Moses” as a truncated Egyptian theophoric name, likely related to Rameses

• Parallels with the ancient legends of Sargon of Akkad and Cyrus the Great

• How this passage functions as a creation story — the birth of Moses as the mythic-historical creation of Israel

Episode Description: In this episode of The Scholar’s Bible, we turn to Exodus 1:8–22, where a new king arises over Egypt who 'did not know Joseph.' This moment marks the turning of Israel’s fortunes — from prosperity to persecution — and the beginning of the Exodus story proper. Drawing from archaeology, Egyptian history, and the literary and theological texture of the biblical text, we explore the historical imagination of the Judean scribes who composed Exodus, situating their narrative within the imperial memory of the Ramesside golden age. From the bureaucracy of oppression to the courage of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, this episode examines the psychology of tyranny, the resilience of faith, and the subversive wisdom of those who resist evil.

In This Episode

• Explore the historical setting of Exodus in the age of Rameses II — and why this matters for understanding the narrative’s meaning.

• Discover how Egypt’s long domination of Canaan shaped Israelite and Judean memory and inspired the Exodus story.

• Learn why the 'new king who did not know Joseph' signals a seismic shift in Israel’s narrative history.

• Unpack the structure of Exodus 1, from the king’s private plotting to his public decree — and how evil escalates when wisdom fails.

• Examine the Egyptian concept of Maʿat (truth, justice, order) and how Pharaoh’s cruelty represents a collapse of this divine ideal.

• Consider the difference between forced labour and slavery in the ancient Near East, and how the Israelites’ corvée becomes a symbol of oppression.

• Meet Shiphrah and Puah, the midwives whose fear of God and act of righteous deception frustrate Pharaoh’s genocidal scheme.

• Explore how translation nuances — such as 'dealing wisely' vs. 'dealing shrewdly' — change the moral and theological tone of the story.

• Reflect on how ancient injustice and modern xenophobia echo each other in the king’s fear of “the other within.”

• See how Exodus sets the stage for the great contest between the wisdom of power and the power of God.