Unravelling The DEAD SEA SCROLLS

About this episode

Tony Robinson discusses the Dead Sea Scrolls with biblical scholars John Barton and Francesca Stavrakopoulou, revealing insights into the origins of the Bible and early Christianity.

In this bonus episode of Cunningcast, Tony Robinson is joined by biblical scholars John Barton and Francesca Stavrakopoulou to explore the Dead Sea Scrolls and what they reveal about the origins of the Bible and early Christianity. From their dramatic discovery in the late 1940s and recent AI-led re-dating, to the startling variety of ancient Jewish and Christian texts—including lost gospels and strange infancy stories of Jesus—they uncover a world of belief far more diverse and surprising than the Bible alone suggests. As Francesca says, “these texts show the sheer variety of early Christian belief and stories about Jesus that were in circulation.” Hosted by Sir Tony Robinson | Instagram @sirtonyrobinson Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | X @melissafitzg With Professor John Barton | theology.ox.ac.uk/people/john-barton John is a British Anglican priest and biblical scholar. From 1991 to 2014, he was the Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Oriel College. In addition to his academic career, he has been an ordained and serving priest in the Church of England since 1973. His research interests and extensive…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Robinson

Guests: John Barton, Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Topics covered

• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Bible origins
• early Christianity
• biblical scholarship
• ancient texts

Keywords

• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Bible
• Christianity
• ancient texts
• biblical scholars

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Oxford, Church of England

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