Naked Bible Podcast Episode 104 – How We Got the Old Testament

The episode is live.

Naked Bible Podcast Episode 104 offers a clear and myth-busting exploration of how the Old Testament—or Hebrew Bible—came to be recognized as authoritative Scripture. Dr. Michael Heiser carefully walks through the Jewish historical context, drawing distinctions between inspiration and canonicity, while dismantling modern misconceptions about councils or conspiracies defining the canon.

Heiser explains how the Jewish Scriptures were divided into Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and shows that Jesus Himself (Luke 24:44) affirmed this three-part structure. The episode emphasizes that canon formation was not a late or political process but an organic development tied to how Jewish communities received, used, and preserved certain texts as sacred.

Topics include:

• The false notion of a Council of Jamnia closing the canon

• The roles of figures like Baruch and Jeremiah in biblical transmission

• How the Septuagint (Greek OT) fits into early Jewish and Christian usage

• Why Josephus’s testimony matters for dating the OT canon

• Differences between the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish canons

If you’ve ever wondered how the Old Testament was formed—or heard speculative claims about lost books or suppressed texts—this episode offers scholarly clarity without academic jargon.