logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
44m 51s

When was Jesus actually born? Chapter On...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

It's December 25th, 2024. Across this wide world, people commemorate one of the most famous birthdays in all of history: the birth of Jesus Christ. Then as now, adherents of Christianity celebrate the coming of the Messiah -- yet why does this holiday occur on a specific date in, of all things, the Gregorian calendar? As the guys discover in this special two-part episode, there may be a conspiracy at play.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Listener Mail: Big Tobacco, Kaikōura LightsTheories, Post-Snuff Messages and More
The Chef calls in with a fascinating theory on the Kaikōura lights. Nemesis shares an inside look at Big Tobacco, answering Ben's earlier question about smoking inside (and much more). In the wake of the infamous Snuff episode, multiple Conspiracy Realists reach out with jokes, p ... Show More
55m 39s
Oct 8
What Comes After Humans? Chapter One: A Brief, Brightly Burning Light
Humans! Seems like they're everywhere these days. They've also been great for our show, so thanks! Anyhow, the Age of the Anthropocene has fundamentally altered the natural world -- and, no matter what happens, the legacy of the human will remain long after the actual species is ... Show More
49m 37s
Oct 7
CLASSIC: Operation Infektion: Russia's AIDS Conspiracy
HIV and AIDS, the syndrome the infection causes, have become the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Over the decades people have proposed the infection was purposely designed to kill certain segments of the public, or that it was a lab experiment gone wrong, or that it didn ... Show More
51m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
The First Recorded Christmas Was The Latest Birthday Party Ever
Whether or not you yourself celebrate Christmas, there's no denying it's one of the world's most well'known holidays -- in fact, this commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ may be the most famous birthday in the Western world. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in this holida ... Show More
36m 9s
Dec 2013
108 – The Christmas Special
Ever since I was a kid in Catholic school, I’ve been somewhat fascinated by the date of Christmas. I often wondered where it came from, given that it doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, and (as the feast is celebrating the birth of Jesus) it seemed rather odd to set the date so ... Show More
17m 7s
Dec 2024
One BC: The World Jesus Entered
What was the world like just before Jesus was born? In this special Christmas Eve episode, we explore the political, cultural, and religious climate of 1st-century Palestine with world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Jodi Magness. From Roman rule and Jewish life to messianic expectati ... Show More
53m 13s
Aug 5
The Ridiculous Origin of the Modern Calendar
The calendar is... ridiculous. Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has tried to measure the passage of time on Earth through any number of systems. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover how millennia of trial and error led to the modern Gregorian calendar, ... Show More
39m 30s
Aug 7
The World of Non-Gregorian Calendars: What Day Is It, Really?
Human civilization is far from perfect. Still, it's pretty cool humanity overall agreed on how to measure time (for now). In today's follow-up to an earlier exploration of the Gregorian calendar, Ben, Noel and Max admire the many alternative, non-Gregorian calendars with their ow ... Show More
39m 29s
Dec 2019
Christmas: Truth Stranger Than Fiction?
READ: MATTHEW 1:18–2:6 What a fairy tale! Angels, a virgin birth, a manger, shepherds, magi…it’s a great story to make us all fuzzy and warm at Christmas. But can we seriously believe the story of Jesus’ birth is true? God knew the Christmas story was going to be wildly unique. I ... Show More
3m 50s
Dec 2024
A Prayer of Celebration for Jesus' Birth
Jesus’ birth is a time for great celebration. Although born hidden away in an obscure stable, His appearing brought the most spectacular baby announcement on Earth, with angels breaking forth from Heaven to bring the Good News of His birth. Talk about presentation! The Bible reco ... Show More
6m 46s
Dec 2024
Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem?
Most of us know the story: Jesus was born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth. Both Matthew and Luke agree on this, but key details raise questions for scholars. Join Bart Ehrman and Megan Lewis as they dive into why the Gospel writers placed Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Was it hi ... Show More
45m 6s
Sep 18
Part Six: How Heinrich Himmler Went From Nerdy Boy To Master of the SS
Ever wondered how the SS celebrated Christmas? This, and Heinrich Himmler's war on Christmas in our conclusion to Heinrich Himmler's life from birth up to the start of WW2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
1h 23m