Who wrote the Hebrew Bible, when, and why? Why does it contain so many competing perspectives and why do scholars sometimes disagree about what its words originally meant? In Misquoting Moses, Yale professor Joel Baden and co-host Megan Kraege explore the surprising history, authorship, translation, and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. Each week, they bring the questions and evidence scholars have debated for centuries out of the university and into lively, accessible conversations for anyone curious about the Bible.
Curated by: Bart D. Ehrman (15 videos)
Links Mentioned in this Episode: - https://www.bartehrman.com/pentateuch – Joel’s upcoming course, The Bible by Committee – How the Pentateuch Was Really Written will be recording live over 3 days: October 30th - November 1st. Explore the texts’ inconsistencies and potential origins – Where do these stories come from? Who wrote them? How do we know? – over 10 lectures and 5 Q&A sessions. *Episode Outline:* 0:00 Why were biblical prophets so strange, and what was their actual role in ancient Israel? 2:06 Was prophecy unique to Israel, or did other ancient civilizations have prophets too? 4:51 What made someone a prophet? Samuel, Moses, and speaking on God's behalf 7:22 Why kings employed prophets as political and religious advisers 10:18 Elijah, Elisha, and the role of miracles in ancient Israelite religion 12:58 Did biblical prophets actually predict the future or try to change the present? 16:55 New course: The Bible By Committee: How the Pentateuch Was Really Written 20:36 Why Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Jeremiah performed bizarre prophetic signs 24:51 Were prophetic performances real events or literary inventions? 28:00 Magic versus miracles: why ancient Israel did not distinguish them the way we do 31:46 The Witch of Endor and how Saul summoned the dead prophet Samuel 35:30 Hot Take: Why Joel strongly dislikes the prophet Jeremiah 40:24 How spoken prophecies became written books through scribes like Baruch 42:28 Why the Book of Jeremiah contains different versions, additions, and editorial changes *Episode Description* When we hear the word “prophet,” we often imagine someone predicting the distant future. But in the Hebrew Bible, prophets were far more complex figures, serving as political advisors, miracle-workers, social critics, and performers. In this episode of *Misquoting Moses*, Dr. Joel Baden explores prophecy in its ancient context. Far from being unique to Israel, prophecy was common throughout the ancient world, from Greek oracles to Mesopotamian royal courts. Biblical prophets participated in and reshaped these established traditions. The discussion examines the different roles prophets played in Israelite society. *Court Prophets:* Figures like Isaiah advised kings, sometimes supporting royal decisions and sometimes challenging them. Some rulers employed hundreds of prophets, raising questions about whether they served as loyal supporters or critics of authority. *Itinerant Miracle-Workers:* Elijah and Elisha traveled the land performing extraordinary acts, from calling down fire to raising the dead. These miracles demonstrated Yahweh’s power over nature, life, and death in a world where religion and everyday life were inseparable. *Performance Artists:* Prophets also delivered messages through shocking symbolic acts. Isaiah walked naked, Jeremiah wore an ox yoke, and Ezekiel performed unusual rituals. These dramatic gestures made divine warnings impossible to ignore. Dr. Baden also explores the distinction between “magic” and “miracles.” While the Bible condemns practices like divination, sorcery, and necromancy, the difference was often whether supernatural acts were authorized by God rather than whether they were considered effective. In the “Hot Take” segment, Dr. Baden offers a provocative interpretation of Jeremiah, describing his calls for submission to Babylon as collaborationist. The episode also examines how spoken prophecies became written books through scribes like Baruch, later editing, and competing textual traditions. Ultimately, biblical prophets emerge not as simple fortune-tellers but as complex religious and political figures who used words, miracles, and dramatic performances to shape ancient Israelite society. *Three Key Takeaways:* 1. *Prophecy Was Not Primarily About Predicting the Future:* Biblical prophets focused on present problems, using warnings of future disasters to inspire change. Their goal was to bring people back (shuv) to God’s ways and potentially prevent judgment. 2. *"Magic" and "Miracles" Were Two Sides of the Same Coin:* Both were seen as effective supernatural acts. The difference was divine authorization: miracles were sanctioned by God, while magic operated outside approved religious practices. 3. *Biblical Prophets Were Performers, Not Just Preachers:* Prophets used dramatic symbolic acts, from Isaiah’s nudity to Ezekiel’s unusual diet, to communicate God’s message. These performances made their warnings vivid and memorable.