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)
*Episode Outline:* 0:00 Genesis begins differently than most English Bibles suggest, and it contains two conflicting creation stories 0:57 Bart introduces Misquoting Moses and explains why the Hebrew Bible deserves its own scholarly podcast 3:55 What is the Hebrew Bible, and why scholars avoid calling it simply the Old Testament? 6:20 The Torah, the Pentateuch, and why Genesis was not originally a separate book 8:38 Does Genesis really begin, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”? 14:44 Chapters, verse numbers, headings, and other features that were not part of the original biblical text 19:55 What ancient creation stories were designed to explain about God, humanity, and the structure of the world 22:16 Creation as separation: how God organizes and categorizes the cosmos in Genesis 1 24:48 Elohim, Yahweh, and the identity of the God creating the world 27:12 Where the first creation account ends and the second one begins 31:32 The conflicting orders of creation in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 38:24 Do contradictions make Genesis meaningless, or reveal how the Pentateuch was composed? 41:10 The importance of the two creation stories 43:23 Getting to know Joel Baden *Episode Description* Welcome to *Misquoting Moses*, a new podcast series from the Bart Ehrman team exploring the Hebrew Bible, its history, formation, and the ancient Israelite world that produced it. In this inaugural episode, host Megan Kraege is joined by Dr. Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University, to begin with the first chapter of Genesis. The episode opens with Dr. Bart Ehrman explaining the vision for *Misquoting Moses*. Building on the success of *Misquoting Jesus*, the new podcast brings the fascinating and often surprising world of Hebrew Bible scholarship to a general audience. Dr. Ehrman introduces Dr. Baden as an ideal guide: a knowledgeable scholar, prolific author, and engaging communicator. Joel and Megan begin by defining their terms. What is the “Hebrew Bible,” and how does it differ from the Christian “Old Testament” or Jewish “Tanakh”? Dr. Baden explains that “Hebrew Bible” is a neutral scholarly term for ancient Israelite literature that eventually became scripture. They also challenge the idea of Genesis as a standalone book, explaining that the Torah, or Pentateuch, was conceived as a single five-volume work. The discussion then turns to the famous opening line, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Dr. Baden explains that this is only one possible translation of the complex Hebrew phrase *Bereshit*, which may also mean, “When God began to create.” The difference carries major theological implications. The traditional translation supports the later Christian doctrine of *creatio ex nihilo*, creation from nothing, while the alternative allows for pre-existing chaotic matter that God organizes. This demonstrates how theological assumptions have shaped English translations for centuries. The episode’s central focus is the scholarly recognition that Genesis contains not one creation story, but two placed back-to-back. *The First Creation Story (Genesis 1:1–2:4a):* This familiar seven-day account begins with dark, watery chaos. Creation unfolds through separation and order: light from darkness, waters above from waters below, and sea from dry land. The process is systematic and grand, culminating in humanity, male and female created together, on the sixth day. God is transcendent and majestic and is called “Elohim.” *The Second Creation Story (Genesis 2:4b onward):* This account begins with a dry, barren world and presents a different order of creation. A single man, Adam, is formed from dust, a garden is planted for him, animals are created as possible companions, and finally Eve is formed from his rib. Here, God is personal and immanent, called “Yahweh Elohim,” and walks in the garden with his creations. Recognizing these two distinct accounts gives us a richer understanding of the Hebrew Bible, not as a single, uniform text, but as a layered anthology of ancient Israelite traditions, beliefs, and narratives. *Three Key Takeaways:* 1. Translation is Always Interpretation: The very first sentence of the Bible is a powerful example of how translation choices are shaped by theological beliefs. “In the beginning” reflects creation from nothing, while the Hebrew may also suggest God began creating from pre-existing matter. 2. Genesis Has Two Contradictory Creation Stories: The Bible begins not with one, but two distinct and conflicting accounts of creation. They differ in the world’s initial state, the order of creation, the name for God, and how God is portrayed. 3. Modern Biblical Scholarship Reveals a Composite Text: Rather than trying to force these two stories to agree, modern scholarship recognizes them as evidence of different sources. Genesis and the Torah were compiled from earlier traditions whose differing perspectives were preserved by later editors.