About this episode

This episode explores ancient beliefs about life after death across various cultures.

How did people in biblical times imagine life after death? On this episode, Lloyd is joined in the time machine by Robert Garland for ancient tour of the afterlife. Drawing on a panoply of cultures – from Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia to Greece, Rome, and early Christianity – Robert charts a map of what ancient people believed about death and the world beyond. Robert Garland is a British historian, philologist and Emeritus Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at...

People in this episode

Host: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Guest: Robert Garland

Topics covered

• afterlife
• ancient beliefs
• death
• cultural perspectives
• history
• Christianity

Keywords

• afterlife
• ancient cultures
• death beliefs
• Mesopotamia
• Egypt
• Greece
• Christianity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British historian, Emeritus Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics

Places: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, early Christianity

More episodes of Biblical Time Machine

• Signs in the Gospel of John · April 27, 2026 · 37 min
• Who is the Suffering Servant? · April 13, 2026 · 29 min
• Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? · April 6, 2026 · 51 min
• Did Jesus go to Hell? · March 30, 2026 · 41 min
• The Garden of Eden · March 16, 2026 · 39 min
• Child Sacrifice in Ancient Religion · March 9, 2026 · 42 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Biblical Time Machine podcast page.