In this sweeping synthesis episode, Carey zooms out from Mesopotamian exorcism texts to contrast ancient magic/technique with the Bible’s holiness/presence frame. We explore how Scripture attributes sickness and calamity to God’s covenant governance (not a sprawling demonology), why ritual ≠ incantation, and how protection language (Psalm 91) differs when it’s…
Concluding the mini-series reading from Udug-hul (Udug-hul) Tablet 12, a Mesopotamian exorcism/purification text, and tracing how a single goat in this ritual ends up doing several jobs—substitute, container of breath, apotropaic object, and finally the thing that carries evil away. From there, Carey compares the logic of the text with…
This episode continues last week’s deep dive (Ep. 149) into Udug-hul Tablet 12, exploring how ancient Mesopotamians understood purity, sacred space, demons, and ritual—and how that compares (and collides) with the Bible’s worldview. Carey walks through Ea (Enki), Marduk, Belet-ili, Eridu, decreed destinies, and a striking black-goat “scapegoat” rite tied…
Today we step before Leviticus into Sumerian and Akkadian worlds to see how ancient people thought about purity, danger, and the sacred—and how Israel both echoes and upends that world. We sample Udug-hul exorcism tablets (incl. Tablet 12), meet storm-like demons, and trace common ancient ritual media (living water, flour…
Carey sits down with Mike Chu to talk through the new Unseen Realm - Expanded Edition, how Heiser clarified his stance on creeds, why frame semantics and ancient contexts matter, and why a Christotelic reading (aimed at the eschaton) can keep Scripture’s big story intact. Along the way: pastoral cautions…
Continuing the water series by framing purification and holiness through an ancient Near Eastern lens and a Christotelic (telos-aimed) reading of Scripture. We contrast Christocentric “reading back” with Christotelic “reading forward,” explore holy/common vs clean/unclean as two distinct axes, and ask whether Leviticus was ever meant to be a sin-management…
This episode of Genesis Marks the Spot explores the meaning and function of ritual with a special focus on baptism. From Jewish mikvahs and Qumran practices to Greco-Roman mystery rites and John the Baptist’s wilderness call, baptism emerges as more than a symbol—it’s participation in a story of death, resurrection,…
This episode continues our deep dive into the biblical theme of water. From Genesis to the prophets, from Eden’s rivers to Israel’s covenant rain, water frames the story of God’s presence, judgment, and renewal. Along the way we’ll explore: - How waters above (rain) and waters below (springs, rivers) carry…
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey sits down with Phil Bray—author of Leviticus on the Butcher’s Block and creator of the YouTube channel Leviticus is Fun—for a wide-ranging conversation on sacrifice, atonement, and the surprising beauty of Leviticus. They explore: - How Leviticus reframes atonement away from…
Water flows through Scripture as far more than a backdrop — it carries covenant, hospitality, conflict, and even divine judgment. This episode of Genesis Marks the Spot traces how the Bible uses water as a sign of both intimacy and power. We begin at the wells of Genesis, where stories…
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey Griffel sits down with Dr. Matthew Bates—New Testament scholar and author of Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Gospel Allegiance, and Beyond the Salvation Wars. Together, they explore what it really means to proclaim Jesus as King, how allegiance reframes faith, and why…
In this follow-up to the discussion of J. Harvey Walton’s dissertation, let’s look closer into his reframing of Eden—not as a perfect paradise but as fragile divine order. Carey pushes back on Walton’s rejection of covenant in Genesis 2–3 and explores how his ideas intersect with Paul’s Adam–Christ typology in…
Was Eden ever the perfect paradise we imagine? Exploring J. Harvey Walton’s groundbreaking dissertation on Genesis 2–4. Walton challenges the familiar Eden–Fall–Redemption narrative, arguing that the text’s original audience didn’t see a perfect paradise shattered by sin, but a fragile, unfinished order constantly threatened by chaos and evil. We unpack:…
In this special episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey shares the heart and vision behind her new online community—On This Rock—a distraction-free space for deep Bible study, discipleship, and ministry growth. From the biblical inspiration in Matthew 16 to the practical ways members can connect, learn, and serve together,…
Did female Nephilim exist? It's a fascinating question—and one that seems straightforward from a modern lens. But this episode takes you deep into the symbolic, theological, and cultural frameworks of the ancient world to explore why the biblical narrative omits female Nephilim entirely. Unpack the logic of Genesis 6 through…
What if the Bible talks about things it doesn’t actually affirm? That’s the question John and J. Harvey Walton explore in their referent/affirmation hermeneutic—a method that seeks to distinguish between what Scripture uses culturally and what it teaches theologically. In this content-heavy episode, we dig deep into the Waltons' approach,…
Venturing deep into the world of biblical interpretation—exploring the methods that shape how we read Scripture, how we understand righteousness, holiness, and obedience, and why John Walton's work continues to spark both admiration and controversy. We’ll survey key interpretive methodologies: literalist, historical-grammatical, canonical, literary-narrative, historical-critical, and the socio-cultural ancient Near…
This episode of Genesis Marks the Spot centers on an example of biblical theology, reframing how we understand law—not as rigid legislation, but as wisdom anchored in covenant relationship. Drawing from The Lost World of the Torah by John Walton and J. Harvey Walton, Carey challenges modern assumptions about law,…
This illuminating episode of Genesis Marks the Spot dives deep into the nature of biblical law—just in time for the Fourth of July. What is law, really? Is the Torah a legislative code or a curated teaching tool for ethical formation? Drawing from Michael LeFebvre’s scholarly work Collections, Codes, and…
Walk through the ancient Near Eastern background of biblical covenants to arrive at the archetypal Sinai covenant. Picking up where Episode 132 left off, Carey explores the formal elements of Late Bronze Age treaties and how they echo within the biblical text—especially in the Ten Commandments. Through historical, grammatical, and…
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey takes listeners beyond prooftexts and into the deep structure of biblical meaning by asking: What kind of thing is a covenant? Drawing from ancient Near Eastern treaty forms, the episode explores how covenantal frames shape not only Genesis but also our…
What connects wine, wrath, baptism, and the flood? This powerful bridge episode toes out into the deep waters of systematic theology that will lead to biblical theology in order to explore how God's covenantal signs—from the cup to the flood—shape a story of transformation. The conversation sets up how creation,…
What does it mean that Jesus drank the cup—and said he would not drink again until the kingdom came? What is that mysterious cup that Jesus didn't want to drink? In this final episode on alcohol in Scripture and with the help of Mark Scarlata's book, Wine, Soil, and Salvation,…
In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey uncorks the surprising biblical connection between wine and wisdom. What begins as a reflection on the interconnection of John Walton’s [New Explorations](https://www.amazon.com/New-Explorations-Lost-World-Genesis/dp/1514004917/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2O971X960JN3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QLNoMfIIKIx5uULmReIS8_pMtsIPkF4QDDHJwXl-FoA1LKxWJbL0jwBmuTcqcBjqs3a3ezG9wdnu3nGzHQRNkD_OFQcPEPWVkdGlEYc59CJJM0iCw621eMMmCviaVqFNSeJ2Iw09GLQ1a7Eih74iBodi4U-URiJbbeVfWFVLBNc-awz1jNqHQCjWx1zdx2Tg-nzB8-tixIBmJqp6bwwJ3uRR97Snct0RHYvGVGWdVRQ.mt8SlKuRIDFNiOQxcCDlc9TgHQ-pBPxqIeGSG9mqFTA&dib_tag=se&keywords=walton&qid=1748492518&sprefix=wa%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-2) and a survey of wisdom literature in Mark Scarlata's [Wine, Soil, and Salvation](https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Salvation-Hebrew-Bible-Testament/dp/1009551116/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XLSOJVJ0OOJA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PyZ2WlaLehD9ZyAMW2CyvA.POBV2Jpim05kFoLs-kEIsaJaEpwsEvar_jY24ZDtSYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=scarlata+wine+soil+salvation&qid=1748492543&sprefix=scarlata+wine+soil+salvation%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1) blooms into a deeply interwoven meditation…