Skeptics said synagogues didn't exist in Galilee during Jesus' lifetime. They were wrong. They said crucified victims were never buried. They were wrong. They said the Gospel writers invented details about first-century Palestine. Wrong again.

Dr. Craig Evans, one of the world's leading scholars on the historical Jesus and New Testament archaeology, has spent decades connecting physical discoveries to the Gospel narratives. He's authored over 70 books, founded the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute, lectured at Cambridge, Oxford, and Yale, and appeared on BBC, the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. In this episode, he walks us through the discoveries that secular Israeli archaeologists rely on the Gospels as their primary sources, why skeptical theories collapse under the weight of evidence, and how the skeletal remains of a crucified man confirm that Jesus would have been buried exactly as the Gospels describe. This conversation will transform how you read the New Testament.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why Israeli archaeologists, even non-believing ones, use Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts as their most reliable sources
• The discovery of first-century synagogues at Magdala and what they reveal about Jesus' ministry
• What the Theodotus Inscription proves about synagogues existing in Jerusalem before 70 AD
• How the Pilate Stone and Caiaphas Ossuary confirm key figures from the Passion narratives
• Why the Gospel writers showed remarkable restraint and integrity in recording only what Jesus actually said
• The archaeological evidence that crucified victims in Jewish Palestine were in fact buried
• How the skeletal remains of Yehohanan, a crucified man with a nail still in his heel, validates Gospel burial accounts
• Why Joseph of Arimathea's burial of Jesus is historically plausible and fits Jewish law perfectly
• The stunning continuity of village memory that preserved the location of Jesus' tomb for centuries

Check out Dr. Craig Evans' work:

• Website: https://www.craigaevans.com
• Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence
• Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels
• The Bible Seminary: https://www.thebibleseminary.edu

Stay Connected with Johnny Ova and The Dig In Podcast:

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Grab Johnny's book, The Revelation Reset: https://a.co/d/hiUkW8H

What if the women of the early church weren't silent observers but powerful leaders, patrons, and apostles whose stories have been hidden for 2,000 years? In this groundbreaking episode, Dr. Lynn Cohick, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Houston Christian University and author of "Women in the World of the Earliest Christians," reveals how archaeological evidence, ancient inscriptions, and business documents completely transform our understanding of women's roles in early Christianity. From Lydia's influential house church to Phoebe's role as Paul's patron, from Mary Magdalene's true identity as a businesswoman to Junia's recognition as an apostle, Dr. Cohick exposes how prescriptive ideals from ancient philosophers masked the descriptive reality of women's actual lives and leadership.

Dr. Cohick's decades of research illuminate how women navigated complex social structures through informal power networks, benefaction systems, and household authority. She explains how the house church model created unexpected leadership opportunities, how women maintained financial independence through dowries and personal property, and why understanding the actual social context of the first century radically changes how we interpret Paul's controversial passages about women. This conversation reveals how recovering these hidden stories isn't just about correcting history - it's about unleashing gospel transformation in our churches today.

In this episode you will learn:

• How women served as patrons and benefactors who financially supported Paul's ministry and the early church
• Why Mary Magdalene was likely a successful businesswoman, not a prostitute, and how this misidentification happened
• How the house church model gave women authority and leadership roles we often overlook
• What archaeological evidence like tombstones and inscriptions reveal about women serving as deacons and synagogue leaders
• How understanding patronage and reciprocity systems explains Phoebe's powerful role as Paul's prostatis
• Why Paul's "women be silent" passages make sense when understood in their specific chaotic contexts
• How Jewish women and God-fearers navigated between synagogue and church in joining the Jesus movement
• What Junia's story tells us about women being recognized as apostles in the early church
• How women's financial independence through dowries and property ownership gave them unexpected agency
• Why recognizing women's informal influence patterns transforms how we read the New Testament today

Connect with Dr. Lynn Cohick:

• Center for Women in Leadership: leadershipwithoutapology.org
• Houston Christian University: hc.edu
• Book: "Women in the World of the Earliest Christians: Illuminating Ancient Ways of Life"

Stay Connected with Johnny Ova & The Dig In Podcast:

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyova
• Follow Johnny: https://linktr.ee/johnnyova
• Get Johnny's Book "The Revelation Reset": https://a.co/d/hiUkW8H

What happens when a biblical scholar with degrees from Oxford and Exeter decides to take on misinformation where it lives... on TikTok? Dr. Dan McClellan has built a following of nearly one million people by doing something radical: telling the truth about what the Bible actually says. In this conversation, Dr. McClellan takes us on his journey from serving as an LDS missionary in Uruguay, to getting kicked out of college, to earning his PhD and becoming one of the most recognized voices in public biblical scholarship. His motto is "data over dogma," and he's not afraid to challenge the assumptions that have shaped how Christians read Scripture for centuries.

This episode goes deep. We explore Dr. McClellan's argument that "the Bible doesn't say anything" on its own, and why that statement isn't an attack on faith but an invitation to read more honestly. We dig into what the Bible actually says about same-sex relationships (hint: the ancient world had no concept of sexual orientation), and we unpack what Scripture really teaches about hell and eternal punishment. If you've ever been told "the Bible clearly says" something and felt like there had to be more to the story, this conversation is for you.

In this episode you will learn:

- Why Dr. McClellan says "the Bible doesn't say anything" and what that means for how we interpret Scripture
- The difference between how scholars study the Bible and how it's taught in most churches
- What the concept of "univocality" is and why it's the foundation of most biblical misinformation
- What Leviticus and the New Testament actually say about same-sex intercourse in their ancient context
- Why the ancient world had no concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation
- The three different views of hell found in the New Testament (annihilation, temporary punishment, eternal torment)
- Why eternal conscious torment became the dominant view and what the Bible actually indicates
- How Dr. McClellan balances scholarship and faith without needing to "deconstruct"

Connect with Dr. Dan McClellan:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maklelan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maklelan
Podcast: Data Over Dogma- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/data-over-dogma/id1681418502
Book: The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues — https://a.co/d/fJuNxi0
Website and Online Classes: maklelan.org
Patreon: patreon.com/maklelan

Subscribe to The Dig In Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyova

Follow Johnny Ova and stay connected: https://linktr.ee/johnnyova

Grab Johnny's book, The Revelation Reset: https://a.co/d/hiUkW8H