Women of the Bible in Context: Her God, Her Story, Her Voice
Rediscovering women of the Bible at the intersection of trauma, ancient historical context, and Biblical languages with Jessica LM Jenkins of We Who Thirst. ................................................ For a complete bibliography for each episode visit: https://rb.gy/xx0no6 If you'd like to support research into women of the Bible in their historical context, join my Patreon: www.patreon.com/wewhothirst
Episodes
Five women approach Israel’s highest leaders with a simple question that turns into a nation-shaping legal reform: what happens to a household when a father dies with no sons? We walk through the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 and watch them bring a clear, courageous case to Moses, Eleazar, and the assembly. Then we slow down and read what God actually does with their request, because the ruling is bigger tha...
What do you do when someone’s theology has walls built around it, especially on women preaching and women in church leadership? I’m trying a looser “coffee chat” format and taking your real questions from Instagram DMs and my weekly AMA, answering candidly with the research background I already have and pointing you to better sources when I can.
We start by naming the spectrum of complementarianism (hard, ...
Forget the legend. Meet the woman the Gospels actually introduce: Mary Magdalene, a named disciple from Magdala who funds the mission, follows Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, stands at the cross, and becomes the first herald of the resurrection. With Rev. Dr. Jennifer McNutt, we unravel centuries of conflation and let Scripture lead the way back to clarity.
We start by dismantling the most persistent myth:...
A simple question from a five-year-old—“Why didn’t Jesus have female disciples?”—opened a door we couldn’t close. We follow the text, not the artwork, and uncover a larger circle of disciples that includes women who learned at Jesus’ feet, funded His ministry, and stood fast when fear scattered others. The aim isn’t to add something modern to the Bible; it’s to remove what tradition and illustration have taken away....
(TW: Frank discussions of exploitation, sexual abuse, rape, and assault)
The news feels like a gut punch, and yet the patterns are old: powerful people exploit the vulnerable, and too many institutions fall silent. We sit down with sexual health educator and Sex Ed Reclaimed founder Kristen to process the latest Epstein files and the wider sexual abuse crisis in churches and culture. Together we trace how objectifica...
The room is cold, the kingdom colder. David can’t keep warm, and the palace drafts Abishag the Shunammite to lie beside him—an ancient remedy that exposes a deeper crisis: a fading king, a fragile succession, and a court willing to spend a woman’s future to buy a few degrees of heat. From that stark image, we follow the threads of 1 Kings 1–2 as Bathsheba steps back into view, not as a pawn but as a strategist and m...
What if the Bible’s turning points hinge on women we were taught to ignore? We sit down with Dr. Ingrid Faro to follow a bright thread through Scripture—Eve’s resilient hope, Rahab’s audacious confession, Tamar’s righteous risk, Hannah’s prayerful courage, Bathsheba’s hard-won voice, and Jehosheba’s daring rescue—that together advances the story of salvation. Far from side characters, these women act as God’s agents...
Advent isn’t a glossy postcard here; it’s a story told under the stare of a fortress and the echo of marching boots. We open the Nativity in the time of Herod and Rome, where fear, taxes, and crushed revolts shape daily life—and where lament becomes a holy practice of agreeing with God that the world is not as it should be. From Zechariah’s once‑in‑a‑lifetime temple moment to Mary’s dangerous “yes” in Galilee, we fo...
Bathsheba’s story has been trimmed into a tidy cautionary tale for far too long. We open the text back up with hospital chaplain and theologian Liz Day to confront the real dynamics at work: power, consent, silence, and the cost borne by survivors when churches protect kings and blame women. Starting with how Bathsheba is framed from pulpits and commentaries, we unpack the myths—like “lust made him do it”—and trace ...
(TW: Rape, sexual assault, abuse of power, murder)
Start with the text, and the story starts to sound very different. We walk through 2 Samuel 11–12 line by line and confront the hard truth: Bathsheba was not a seductress or a co-conspirator; she was a woman overpowered by a king who chose to abuse his authority. From ancient bathing practices to royal protocol, we dismantle common myths and show how the power gap ma...
What if Ruth isn’t a romance but a masterclass in covenant, courage, and community? We step into the city gate of Bethlehem and watch Boaz work redemption in public view—gathering elders, citing law, and taking a costly stand for Naomi and Ruth. From Leviticus 25 to leverite marriage, we break down how land, lineage, and law intertwine to protect the vulnerable, restore a household, and honor a lost name. The detail...
Sexual tension crackles through the midnight air as Ruth uncovers Boaz's feet at the threshing floor. This pivotal chapter marks the moment when human agency takes center stage in what has thus far been a story of divine providence working mysteriously behind the scenes.
After watching from the sidelines, Naomi awakens to her responsibility. The formerly bitter widow crafts a bold, risky plan that send...
When life collapses around us, where is God? The Book of Ruth offers a profound answer where divine providence operates not through dramatic miracles but through ordinary people reflecting God's character.
Ruth's gleaning "coincidentally" brings her to Boaz's field – a moment that reveals how God orchestrates circumstances we might dismiss as chance. As Ruth demonstrates remarkable ...
Grief can blind us to hope, pushing us to stumble forward without clear direction. In Ruth chapter 1, we witness the raw aftermath of devastating loss as Naomi returns to Bethlehem from Moab with nothing but bitterness and her foreign daughter-in-law by her side.
This moving episode explores the heart-wrenching journey of two widows navigating an uncertain future together. Naomi, whose name means "Plea...
What if everything you thought you knew about the book of Ruth was missing the heart of the story?
Forget the Hallmark-style romance narrative—Ruth's story plunges us into a world of devastating loss, social vulnerability, and unexpected redemption. The true power of this ancient text lies in how it showcases God's compassion for the marginalized through ordinary people acting justly within divine...
Genesis 38 introduces us to Tamar, a woman whose story has been tragically misrepresented throughout church history. Often labeled as "deceptive" and "sexually dubious," she's rarely given the dignity her narrative deserves. But what if everything we thought we knew about Tamar is wrong?
Diving deep into ancient Near Eastern cultural context reveals a stunning truth: Tamar wasn&apos...
In this episode Jessica answers listener questions about ancient law and household dynamics.
Delve into the fascinating world of ancient biblical marriage and family structures that challenge our modern assumptions. In this eye-opening episode, we explore how the concept of household—not the individual—formed the foundation of Old Testament society and shaped everything from inheritance laws to marriage practices.
Have you ever stumbled over the passage where Jesus seemingly insults a desperate mother by calling her a "dog"? This moment in Matthew 15 has troubled readers for centuries—but what if everything we thought about this encounter is completely wrong?
In this eye-opening exploration of the Canaanite/Syrophoenician woman, we unpack the rich cultural context that completely transforms our understandin...
What happened when a child from the line of David grew up watching cities burn under Roman occupation? Joan Taylor, Professor Emerita of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King's College London, transports us back to the traumatic world of Jesus' childhood that shaped his revolutionary message.
Most of us picture Jesus growing up in peaceful Nazareth, but historical evidence reveals a ...
The Proverbs 31 woman isn't following a checklist but building a lifetime resume that encompasses community service, wisdom, and beauty that deepens with age.
• Proverbs 31 shows a cumulative picture of a woman's life accomplishments, not daily expectations
• God delights in all types of women—both gentle homemakers and driven entrepreneurs
• The Woman of Valor has a community mindset, per...
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