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. 
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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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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. 

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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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This week we have one of our occasional ‘Meet the Scholar’ episodes, featuring Dr Jill Firth, Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College, Melbourne, in conversation with Dr Tony Watkins. In this episode, Jill talks about her research into the presentation of David in the Psalms and the logic for the order they were compiled in.

00:00 - 01:04 - Intro

01:04 - 03:14 - Background

03:15 - 04:30 - Jill’s study of the Psalms

04:31 - 09:45 - The last Psalms

09:46 - 12:32 - The Descendant

12:33 - 15:49 - Traps, Nets and Snares

15:50 - 20:17 - Looking Forward - a call to praise

20:18 - 29:15 - Changes in Thinking over 20 years

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This episode brings to a close part one of our series exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation and legacy. In this third episode, we explore the continuing legacy of William Tyndale’s work of Bible translation with the help of experts in the sixteenth century and the history of Christianity.

We’re very grateful for contributions from:

• Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History (Basic Books, 2024)

• Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham, and the author of The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, to be published in 2026)

• Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology (Davenant Press, 2025)

• Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

• Harry Spillane, Bye-Fellow in History at Downing College, Cambridge. He is currently completing his Munby Fellowship research project entitled ‘Collecting and Correcting: Histories of the English Bible and the Bible Society Collections’

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In this series we are exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation and legacy, including interviews experts in the sixteenth century. In this third episode, we explore William Tyndale’s life after his publication of his translation of the New Testament into English in 1526.

We’re very grateful for contributions from:

• Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History (Basic Books, 2024)
• Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham, and the author of The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, to be published in 2026)
• Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology (Davenant Press, 2025)
• Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

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This is the second episode in our series exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation, and legacy. In this episode, Tony Watkins interviews experts in the sixteenth century and the history of the Bible to explore William Tyndale’s life leading up to the publication of his New Testament in 1526. This was the first to be translated directly from Greek into English, and the first New Testament to be printed in English.

We’re very grateful for contributions from:

• Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History (Basic Books, 2024)
• Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham, and the author of The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, to be published in 2026)
• Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology (Davenant Press, 2025)
• Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

Listen to our Principal, Peter J. Williams, talking about Robert Barnes' sermon at St Edward King and Martyr Church in Cambridge. https://youtube.com/shorts/zdCvIdDhlZ0?feature=share

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This week we have one of our occasional ‘Meet the Scholar’ episodes. Dr Tony Watkins interviews Dr Petra Ratkovics (yes, she did indeed pass her viva!) about her PhD on the influences of Jeremiah in Paul’s theology as well as her plans for the future.

Time stamps:

00:00 Petra is about to submit her thesis!

1:15 Petra’s background

3:10 Why Petra became interested in Theology

4:20 Petra’s PhD topic

7:30 How Petra came to see the links between Jeremiah and Paul’s theology

13:05 Idea of the new covenant and how we can only boast in the Lord

16:25 The Lords presence in the covenant community

19:40 Other shared themes between the Jeremiah and Paul’s letters biblical books authored by Paul

20:45 Differences between the Greek and Hebrew texts of Jeremiah

22:35 How might this work help the church?

24:45 Petra’s plans for the future, particularly with Hungarian language resources

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This is the first episode in our new series exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation, and legacy. Tony Watkins interviews experts in the sixteenth century and the history of the Bible. In this first episode, they explore the history of Bible translation prior to William Tyndale and the cultural context in which he lived and worked.

We’re very grateful for contributions from:

• Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History
• Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham
• Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh
• Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida

Link to Season 5 of the Tyndale House Podcast on New Testament manuscripts: https://tyndalehouse.com/2025/01/16/s5e1-what-is-a-manuscript-and-why-should-we-study-them/

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