The Inquisitive Bible Reader

At the start of this new year, I’d like to thank all my subscribers for their contributions to this channel and its future success. It’s encouraging to know that so many people are eager to understand the Bible and the origins of Judaism and Christianity at a deeper level than what is taught in typical religious services and Bible studies.


My long-term goal is to leave my translation job and work on this channel full-time. Every subscription, comment, share, and like gets me closer to that goal. I also have inexpensive channel memberships that help me pay for the pricey books and software that I need for research and video production. Please consider joining, but *only* if you can easily spare the money. It's a tough economy out there for all of us.

I released six videos in 2025, the same number as in 2024. Hopefully I can improve on that in 2026. Some of the topics I plan to cover include the first Jerusalem temple (requested by @ADEpoch) and the trees of Eden (requested by @arjanstoel), as well as more entries on the Synoptic Problem. My videos on historical peoples of the Bible (Canaanites, Philistines, and Amalekites so far) tend to bring in the most new viewers, so I’ll do one or two of those as well. As always, I want this channel to be interesting and informative for both believers and non-believers.

In 2025, the channel gained 4,750 new subscribers, a slight improvement over 2024 (4,380 subscribers). Videos were viewed 280,000 times, a significant improvement over 2024 (175,000 views). Some new members also joined up this month, so you’ll see their names in the credits of my next video.

As always, I am open to requests and suggestions. I can’t guarantee when (or if) I will get to them, but I keep every request recorded in a long list on my computer.

6 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 80

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

I haven't finished reading this yet, but I'll have to cover it at some point. Dr. Gad Barnea, a scholar of ancient Judaism who specializes in topics related to Persia, believes that the burning bush theophany in Exodus is derived from Zoroastrian fire rituals. Here's his latest paper on it:

www.academia.edu/145350937/_Ahyh_As_r_Ahyh_The_Ach…

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 53

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

Religion for Breakfast has a new video out on the apocryphal Gospel of Philip — the one that says Jesus often used to kiss Mary Magdalene on her [there is literally a hole in the manuscript right here]. Check it out for a deep dive into Valentinian theology, which is actually pretty interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5uA1...

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 14

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

Assyriologist Joshua Bowen makes an appearance on the excellent Bible & Archaeology channel to talk about Mesopotamian myths.

1 month ago | [YT] | 11

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

I've been studying the fascinating Gospel of Philip for an unrelated project. In one passage, it presents an interesting argument challenging the orthodox interpretation of the virgin birth:

“Some say that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. They are wrong. They do not know what they are saying. When did a female ever conceive by a female? Mary is the virgin whom no power defiled.” (Gos. Phil. 55.23-28)

The Gospel of Philip isn't the only Christian text in which the Holy Spirit is female, but in this case it's an essential element of the sect's theology.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 60

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

If you're interested in the prehistory of the Levant, Ancient Architects has a video on what the region was like during the Younger Dryas period, 13,000 years ago, according to geology, climate, and archaeology data.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zve8k...

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 10

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

Coming soon(ish)! This will be more of a deep dive into the biblical texts, since there is essentially no archaeological evidence directly linked to the Amalekites.

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 55

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

My friend Chris has an interesting video on the complex web of interdependence between early Gospel texts. The Synoptic Problem really only scratches the surface.

https://youtu.be/_Xyz0dX_wFY?si=b-IfG...

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 18

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

Years ago, I wrote a short article about the origins of Lilith, a malevolent demoness in Babylonian and Jewish folklore, and why she is mentioned in the book of Isaiah.

isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/lilith-i…

If you're interested in this topic, Esoterica has a new video about Aramaic incantation bowls that were used to protect homes against Lilith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1769W...

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 11

The Inquisitive Bible Reader

My next video will be out in a few days. In the meantime, I'm interested in hearing what kind of early Christian texts my viewers are interested in. YouTube only allows four poll options, so leave a comment to suggest something else.

4 months ago | [YT] | 36