It’s the season 3 finale! Niko and Lauren discuss a variety of underworlds, Dante’s Inferno, The Good Place, and why everything you thought you knew about heaven and hell is wrong. Plus: medieval hellmouths, and ancient Coltons Burpo!Learn mor

Hanukkah

Dec 29th, 2019 1h 5m

Lauren, Niko, and special guest Sarah Michael (Niko's mom) discuss the Maccabees, dreidel disasters, all nine candles including the shamash, and everything else in the story of Hanukkah. Plus: growing up Jewish in 1960s Flint, Michigan, and Nik

Masada

Oct 20th, 2019 1h 5m

Niko and Lauren discuss the Zealots, the Sicarii, Flavius Josephus and the destruction of the second temple, and everything else in the story of the siege of Masada. Plus: 20th century Israeli poetry, and Niko wants a taste of those ancient dat

The Life of Flavius Josephus

Sep 22nd, 2019 1h 10m

Lauren and Niko discuss the siege of Jotapata, the destruction of the second temple at Jerusalem, Essene internships, and everything else in The Life of Flavius Josephus. Plus: John and Jesus! But not that John and Jesus!Learn more about your

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 18th, 2019 1h 5m

Niko and Lauren discuss Bedouin goatherds, John the Baptist, a mysterious sect of Judaism called the Essenes, and everything else about the Dead Sea Scrolls. Plus: life in an ancient commune, and why archaeologists shouldn’t use Scotch tape.Le

3 Baruch

Jul 21st, 2019 50m 21s

Lauren and Niko discuss the phoenix, the angel Phamael, a heavenly ascent, and everything else in the apocryphal book of 3 Baruch. Plus: the thickness of doors is discussed, and what's the poop situation?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Beasts of the Bible

Jul 7th, 2019 57m 31s

Lauren and Niko discuss the leviathan, behemoth, ziz, and other mythological beasts of the Bible. Plus: pagan sports, and r u being served at the messianic banquet?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Noah

Jun 23rd, 2019 1h 11m

Niko and Lauren discuss gopher wood, Mesopotamian flood myths, the curse of Ham, and everything else about Noah and his ark. Plus: a giant named Og hitches a ride, and oh yeah, this is our 100th episode!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Apocalypse of Abraham

Jun 9th, 2019 56m 42s

Niko and Lauren discuss Terah's idols, Jahoel, Abraham's revelation, a possible Jesus sighting, and everything else in the apocryphal Apocalypse of Abraham. Plus: Bogomil and friends!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a

Philippians: Anthology Edition

May 26th, 2019 1h 9m

Hey! Lauren coedited an anthology called Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church! You can read an excerpt and get a preorder discount at bit.ly/EmptyThePews. To celebrate we’re rerunning our episode with her coeditor, Dr. Chris Stroop.Or

Archangels

May 12th, 2019 54m 53s

Niko and Lauren discuss the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael; the humans-turned-angels Metatron and Sandalphon; and a bunch of other angels who were important enough to get names. Plus: angels are weird, and angels are Ninja Turtles.Learn

Angels

Apr 21st, 2019 1h 11m

Lauren and Niko discuss cherubim, seraphim, grotesque eye monsters, and everything else about angels. Plus: Whose angel rankings are authoritative: Maimonides, Dionysisus, or Niko?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch

Shekhinah

Apr 7th, 2019 1h 15m

Comedian/playwright Rebecca Bulnes (@almondmilkhotel) joins Lauren and Niko to discuss Kabbalah, the sacred feminine, the bride of God, and everything else about the Shekhinah. Plus: Maya Angelou, and Niko gets locked out of the Etymology Corne

Acts of Andrew

Mar 24th, 2019 52m 16s

Niko and Lauren discuss miracle inflation, marriage between cousins, X-shaped crosses, and everything else in the apocryphal Acts of Andrew. Plus: a rat king of demons, and we question Gregory of Tours’ editorial instincts!Learn more about you

Nimrod

Mar 10th, 2019 1h 1m

Writer Nate Waggoner (@nathanielwagg) joins Lauren and Niko to talk about Gilgamesh, the White Stag, the Huns vs. the Magyars, and everything else tangentially related to the story of Nimrod. Plus: Looney Tunes theology, and a classic Sunday Sc

Lilith

Feb 24th, 2019 1h 1m

Comedian and writer Ryan Houlihan (@ryanhoulihan) joins Lauren and Niko to talk about killing babies, magic amulets, seducing rabbis, and everything else about Adam's first wife Lilith! Plus: Talkin' 'bout Britney!Learn more about your ad choi

The Fall of Satan

Feb 10th, 2019 55m 21s

In the inaugural episode of season 3, Niko and Lauren discuss the serpent, Adam and Eve, John Milton's Paradise Lost, and everything else about the fall of Satan. Plus: the return of everyone's favorite sexy angels!Learn more about your ad cho

Testament Part 4

Sep 23rd, 2018 1h 5m

Join Lauren and Niko for the thrilling conclusion of our playthrough of the Bible-based role-playing game Testament. Our guests for this miniseason are Maggie Tokuda-Hall (@emteehall) and Greg (@leducviolet). WILL the adventurers finally root

Testament Part 3

Sep 16th, 2018 1h 29m

Lauren and Niko continue playing the Bible-based role-playing game Testament along with their guests Greg (@leducviolet) and Maggie Tokuda-Hall (@emteehall). Tune in this week as our heroes continue their investigation into the bizarre heresie

Testament Part 2

Sep 9th, 2018 1h 24m

Join Lauren, Niko, Greg (@leducviolet), and Maggie (@emteehall) as miniseason 2.5 continues with another session of the Bible-based RPG Testament. This week we’ve got Hittite leprechauns, mouse sexts, and blasphemous comedy within blasphemous c

Testament Part 1

Sep 2nd, 2018 1h 22m

Lauren and Niko are back in the premiere of our brief miniseason 2.5! Join us and our guests Greg (@leducviolet) and Maggie Tokuda-Hall (@emteehall) as we begin a game of Testament, the Biblically based tabletop roleplaying game. Come for the B

Revelation

Mar 18th, 2018 1h 32m

In a fat, juicy, 90-minute season finale, Niko and Lauren discuss Patmos, Armageddon, the true meaning of the word “apocalypse,” the number of the beast, seven lampstands/seals/trumpets/bowls of wrath, and everything else in the Book of Revelat

Jude

Mar 11th, 2018 41m 26s

Lauren and Niko discuss plagiarism in the Bible, Balaam's error, the Book of Enoch, the Assumption of Moses, and everything else in the Epistle of Jude. Plus: Lauren gets her wish, and the entire show is now Fast Facts!Learn more about your ad

Apocalypse of Paul

Mar 4th, 2018 57m 37s

Lauren and Niko discuss Dante’s Inferno, milk lakes, celeb cameos, and everything else in the apocryphal Apocalypse of Paul. Plus: Paul asks too many questions, and we’ll be gnawing our tongues in hell!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p

Gospel of Judas

Feb 18th, 2018 58m 54s

Niko and Lauren discuss Long Island strip malls, the realm of Barbelo, a new and exciting Demiurge, and everything else in the apocryphal Gospel of Judas. Plus: bewildered disciples, and Gnosticism is simply weird. Further reading: The Lost Gos