Meet the Scholar: Rebecca Idestrom

This week we step into the Garden of Eden as we continue our first video series from Tyndale House, Cambridge, exploring Genesis (The Creation Story).Though this series is also available on podcast platforms, it is designed to be watched, with visual explanations that complement the text well. Episode 4 examines the dramatic opening verses of Genesis 3:1–8 — the moment the serpent speaks, Eve responds, and humanity steps across a threshold that changes everything. These verses have shaped centuries of theology, interpretation, and debate, and we explore why they remain so significant today. In this episode, we take a research‑rich, accessible journey through some of the most searched issues surrounding the fall narrative:How does the serpent subtly twist God’s generosity, and what does the Hebrew reveal about his strategyHow do Genesis 1, 2, and 3 interlock linguistically and structurally, despite claims of multiple authorsWhat exactly, if anything, did Eve hear in Genesis chapter 2, and how does that shape her response in Genesis chapter 3?What does it mean to “be like God, knowing good and evil,” and how does this relate to the innocence of Genesis 2Where do we see both judgement and grace woven through God’s words in Genesis 3:14–19What hidden numerical patterns in the Hebrew text reveal the psychological and literary brilliance of the chapterPerfect for viewers searching for Genesis commentary, Bible study videos, the Fall of humanity explained, Old Testament background, Hebrew narrative analysis, and how Genesis 1–3 fits together.Whether you’re exploring scripture for the first time or diving deeper into familiar passages, this episode offers a thoughtful, engaging look at one of the most pivotal moments in the biblical story — a narrative that explains the world we live in today while displaying remarkable literary depth.This episode is hosted by Dr Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge, and author of Can We Trust the Gospels? and The Surprising Genius of Jesus. He is joined by Dr J Caleb Howard and Dr James Bejon, who both work on the Old Testament Names Project at Tyndale House.Come back in two weeks as we continue our deep dive into Genesis chapter 4.Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Welcome back to the Tyndale House podcast series on Genesis 1 – 9.In episodes 1 and 2, we opened the series by exploring the full depth of Genesis chapter 1 in which God created the heavens and the earth, and how it stands apart from ancient Near Eastern creation myths. In this third episode, we look specifically at chapter 2; the creation of mankind in the image of God, the location of Eden, and explore how Genesis chapters 1 and 2 fit together.Hosted by Dr Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge, with Dr J Caleb Howard and Dr James Bejon who are both in the Old Testament research team at Tyndale House.Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Welcome back to the Tyndale House podcast series on Genesis 1–9. In episode 1, we opened the series by exploring the full depth of Genesis 1:1 in which God created the heavens and the earth, and how it stands apart from ancient Near Eastern creation myths. In this second episode, we move deeper into the creation story as the silence of the primordial world is broken by a divine command: 'Let there be Light.' Episode 2 examines what it means for God to create by speaking, why Genesis presents light as appearing rather than being explicitly ‘created’, and how this moment shapes the chapter. Along the way, we continue comparing the biblical creation account with Mesopotamian creation myths, exploring how Genesis has a distinctive view of divine power, cosmic order, and the notion of ‘image’. In a world where only kings were considered images of gods, Genesis claims that all humans bear God’s image is nothing short of remarkable.Perfect for listeners searching for:Genesis commentary Bible study podcastsCreation story vs ancient myths Old Testament background Hebrew word studies Hosted by Dr Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge, with Dr J Caleb Howard and Dr James Bejon who are both in the Old Testament research team at Tyndale House. Edited by Tyndale House 00:00 Introduction0:22 Day 1 and the creation of light5:45 God’s delegation through as he creates7:00 Day four10:30 How Genesis 1 conceives of the world around it17:52 Day six, Genesis 1:2726:45 Day 7 – God rests31:00 reflectionsSupport the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Step into the very first verse of the Bible with a new podcast series from Tyndale House, Cambridge, on Genesis (The Creation Story). Episode 1 explores the full depth of Genesis 1:1 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'. This single verse has shaped centuries of belief, debate, and scholarship, and we unpack why it still matters today.In this episode, we take a research‑rich, accessible journey through some of the most searched questions about the creation narrative:How does Genesis 1:1 compare to ancient Mesopotamian creation myths such as the Enuma Elish and other Near Eastern texts?Can we trust the historical reliability of this ancient narrative?What numerical patterns and structural features appear in the Hebrew text, and how might they highlight the intentional design of God’s Word?Perfect for listeners searching for Genesis commentary, Bible Study podcasts, creation vs ancient myths, Old Testament background, and biblical numerology explained. Whether you’re exploring Scripture for the first time or diving deeper into familiar passages, this episode offers a thoughtful, engaging look at the verse that starts it all.This episode is hosted by Dr. Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, Cambridge and author of 'Can We Trust the Gospels?' And 'The Surprising Genius of Jesus'. He is joined by Dr. J Caleb Howard and Dr. James Bejon, who both work on the Old Testament names project at Tyndale house. Edited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeTimestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Genesis 1:11:30 Is Genesis like Enūma eliš?1:50 What is the link between Genesis 1&24:41 Genesis 1:1-56:30 Mesopotamian texts and the links to Genesis8:54 Is Enūma Eliš well known in the Ancient Near East? (+ Star Wars)10:10 Back to links between Mesopotamian texts and Genesis12:30 Are there connections between Genesis 1:2 and Tiamat?15:00 Is Genesis 1 poetry?17:08 The descriptions of God in Genesis 1 in light of the canon of scripture22:15 James’ love for biblical numerology27:15 Caleb’s responseSupport the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Step into the ancient world with our deep dive into Genesis, our most ambitious series yet.Travel from the text of Genesis to the tablets of Assyria with expert Dr Caleb Howard. Explore what the original Hebrew reveals beneath the surface and discover how even data can become a tool for helping us grow in understanding with analyst Dr James Bejon – and this is just episode one!Led by Tyndale House Principal, Dr Peter Williams, this extended series takes you deep into Genesis chapters 1–9 with clarity, curiosity, and visual richness. This is a series meant to be seen. Join us on YouTube, subscribe, and experience it for yourself.Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

This week we have one of our occasional Meet the Scholar episodes. Dr Tony Watkins, the Fellow for Public Engagement, talks to Dr Rebecca Idestrom about her work researching the presentation of God's glory in the Bible. Dr Idestrom currently teaches at the Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and is the author of Show Me Your Glory : The Glory of God in the Old Testament (Pickwick Publications, 2023).Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

In this 'Meet the Scholar' episode, Dr Thomas Schmidt, author of the book, Josephus and Jesus, talks to Dr Tony Watkins about the many connections Josephus had to various members of the 1st century Jewish-elite who were likely to have been at Jesus's trial.Dr Thomas Schmidt is Associate Professor at Fairfield University and a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University. He is the author of Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ (Oxford University Press).Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

This week we have one of our occasional ‘Meet the Scholar’ episodes, featuring Dr Jill Firth, Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College, Melbourne, in conversation with Dr Tony Watkins. In this episode, Jill talks about her research into the presentation of David in the Psalms and the logic for the order they were compiled in.00:00 - 01:04 - Intro01:04 - 03:14 - Background03:15 - 04:30 - Jill’s study of the Psalms04:31 - 09:45 - The last Psalms09:46 - 12:32 - The Descendant12:33 - 15:49 - Traps, Nets and Snares15:50 - 20:17 - Looking Forward - a call to praise20:18 - 29:15 - Changes in Thinking over 20 yearsSupport the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

This episode brings to a close part one of our series exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation and legacy. In this third episode, we explore the continuing legacy of William Tyndale’s work of Bible translation with the help of experts in the sixteenth century and the history of Christianity.We’re very grateful for contributions from:• Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History (Basic Books, 2024)• Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham, and the author of The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, to be published in 2026)• Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology (Davenant Press, 2025)• Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)• Harry Spillane, Bye-Fellow in History at Downing College, Cambridge. He is currently completing his Munby Fellowship research project entitled ‘Collecting and Correcting: Histories of the English Bible and the Bible Society Collections’Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

In this series we are exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation and legacy, including interviews experts in the sixteenth century. In this third episode, we explore William Tyndale’s life after his publication of his translation of the New Testament into English in 1526.We’re very grateful for contributions from:Bruce Gordon, the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School, and author of The Bible a Global History (Basic Books, 2024)Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Durham, and the author of The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion (Yale University Press, to be published in 2026)Simon Burton, John Laing Senior Lecturer in Reformation History at the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology (Davenant Press, 2025)Karl Gunther, historian of the Reformation from the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education in the University of Florida, and author of ‌ Participation & Covenant in Puritan Theology Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525–1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014)Support the showEdited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock.Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube