Tyndale House Podcast

Welcome back to the Tyndale House podcast series on Genesis 1–9. 

In episode 1, we opened the series by exploring the full depth of Genesis 1:1 in which God created the heavens and the earth, and how it stands apart from ancient Near Eastern creation myths. In this second episode, we move deeper into the creation story as the silence of the primordial world is broken by a divine command: 'Let there be Light.' 

Episode 2 examines what it means for God to create by speaking, why Genesis presents light as appearing rather than being explicitly ‘created’, and how this moment shapes the chapter. 

Along the way, we continue comparing the biblical creation account with Mesopotamian creation myths, exploring how Genesis has a distinctive view of divine power, cosmic order, and the notion of ‘image’. In a world where only kings were considered images of gods, Genesis claims that all humans bear God’s image is nothing short of remarkable.

Perfect for listeners searching for:

Genesis commentary 
Bible study podcasts
Creation story vs ancient myths 
Old Testament background 
Hebrew word studies 

Hosted by Dr Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge, with Dr J Caleb Howard and Dr James Bejon who are both in the Old Testament research team at Tyndale House. 
Edited by Tyndale House 

00:00 Introduction
0:22 Day 1 and the creation of light
5:45 God’s delegation through as he creates
7:00 Day four
10:30 How Genesis 1 conceives of the world around it
17:52 Day six, Genesis 1:27
26:45 Day 7 – God rests
31:00 reflections
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Edited by Tyndale House

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Step into the very first verse of the Bible with a new podcast series from Tyndale House, Cambridge, on Genesis (The Creation Story). 
Episode 1 explores the full depth of Genesis 1:1 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'. This single verse has shaped centuries of belief, debate, and scholarship, and we unpack why it still matters today.
In this episode, we take a research‑rich, accessible journey through some of the most searched questions about the creation narrative:
How does Genesis 1:1 compare to ancient Mesopotamian creation myths such as the Enuma Elish and other Near Eastern texts?
Can we trust the historical reliability of this ancient narrative?
What numerical patterns and structural features appear in the Hebrew text, and how might they highlight the intentional design of God’s Word?
Perfect for listeners searching for Genesis commentary, Bible Study podcasts, creation vs ancient myths, Old Testament background, and biblical numerology explained. 
Whether you’re exploring Scripture for the first time or diving deeper into familiar passages, this episode offers a thoughtful, engaging look at the verse that starts it all.
This episode is hosted by Dr. Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge and author of 'Can We Trust the Gospels?' And 'The Surprising Genius of Jesus'. He is joined by Dr. J Caleb Howard and Dr. James Bejon, who both work on the Old Testament names project at Tyndale house. 
Edited by Tyndale House

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Timestamps 
00:00 Introduction 
00:35 Genesis 1:1
1:30 Is Genesis like Enūma eliš?
1:50 What is the link between Genesis 1&2
4:41 Genesis 1:1-5
6:30 Mesopotamian texts and the links to Genesis
8:54 Is Enūma Eliš well known in the Ancient Near East? (+ Star Wars)
10:10 Back to links between Mesopotamian texts and Genesis
12:30 Are there connections between Genesis 1:2 and Tiamat?
15:00 Is Genesis 1 poetry?
17:08 The descriptions of God in Genesis 1 in light of the canon of scripture
22:15 James’ love for biblical numerology
27:15 Caleb’s response

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Step into the ancient world with our deep dive into Genesis, our most ambitious series yet.
Travel from the text of Genesis to the tablets of Assyria with expert Dr Caleb Howard. Explore what the original Hebrew reveals beneath the surface and discover how even data can become a tool for helping us grow in understanding with analyst Dr James Bejon – and this is just episode one!
Led by Tyndale House Principal, Dr Peter Williams, this extended series takes you deep into Genesis chapters 1–9 with clarity, curiosity, and visual richness. This is a series meant to be seen. Join us on YouTube, subscribe, and experience it for yourself.
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This week we have one of our occasional Meet the Scholar episodes. Dr Tony Watkins, the Fellow for Public Engagement, talks to Dr Rebecca Idestrom about her work researching the presentation of God's glory in the Bible. Dr Idestrom currently teaches at the Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and is the author of Show Me Your Glory : The Glory of God in the Old Testament (Pickwick Publications, 2023).
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In this 'Meet the Scholar' episode, Dr Thomas Schmidt, author of the book, Josephus and Jesus, talks to Dr Tony Watkins about the many connections Josephus had to various members of the 1st century Jewish-elite who were likely to have been at Jesus's trial.
Dr Thomas Schmidt is Associate Professor at Fairfield University and a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University. He is the author of Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ (Oxford University Press).
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Edited by Tyndale House

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