The Historical Evidence for Jesus’ Crucifixion | The Unbound Podcast

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Mar 31, 2026

Dr. Scott Stripling, archaeologist and biblical scholar who directs Shiloh excavations, joins to connect material finds with Scripture. He discusses how digs work and the slow, careful methods that reveal ancient life. He explores new crucifixion research, Roman execution practices, and discoveries like the Shiloh and Mount Ebal finds that challenge assumptions.

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INSIGHT

Dig Layered Like Draining A Bathtub

Excavation proceeds like draining a bathtub: level-by-level to preserve chronological strata and context.
Stripling emphasizes avoiding holes, sampling and sifting, then applying hard sciences to properly reconstruct past layers.

ANECDOTE

How Shiloh Was Rediscovered Using Judges

Stripling used the Bible as a geographical guide to locate Shiloh following Edward Robinson's 1838 method.
Robinson followed Judges' three specific markers to find Khirbet Siloam, identified as biblical Shiloh.

ANECDOTE

Mount Ebal Lead Tablet Found In Dump Piles

Stripling wet-sifted old dump piles on Mount Ebal and recovered a folded lead tablet with proto-Hebrew containing the name Yahweh.
The Mount Ebal inscription provided direct early-literacy evidence linked to Joshua's altar.

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Do we have a reliable Bible—or just a collection of stories shaped over time?

What happens when faith meets evidence?

In this episode of The Unbound Podcast, Dr. Tony Evans sits down with archaeologist and scholar Dr. Scott Stripling for a conversation that brings the ancient world into sharp, modern focus. Drawing from decades of excavation and research, Stripling explores how archaeology doesn’t replace faith, but it can illuminate it in ways many have never considered.

From uncovering artifacts at biblical sites like Shiloh to reexamining what we thought we knew about crucifixion, this conversation challenges assumptions and deepens understanding. Dr. Stripling explains how material evidence can serve as a bridge for those wrestling with belief—helping connect historical reality with spiritual truth.

But this isn’t just about digs and discoveries. It’s about what happens when Scripture becomes more than words on a page—when history, culture and evidence bring it to life. Together, Dr. Evans and Dr. Stripling wrestle with questions that matter today:

How do faith and evidence work together without competing?

What can archaeology reveal about the reliability of Scripture?

And how does a deeper understanding of the past transform the way we worship, believe and live?

Some of what you’ll hear may surprise you. Some of it may challenge what you’ve always assumed. But all of it points to a bigger reality: God has been at work in real places, through real events, across real history.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the Bible can stand up to scrutiny or how to engage people who don’t yet believe it, this conversation offers both clarity and conviction.

Because seeing the evidence doesn’t replace faith.

It strengthens it.

Learn more about Dr. Scott Stripling and his work:

The Bible Seminary – www.thebibleseminary.edu

Associates for Biblical Research – www.digshiloh.org

Scott Stripling – www.scottstripling.net

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The Unbound Podcast is a weekly space for conversations that don’t rush to conclusions. Each episode explores what it means to live free from what binds us—pressure, fear, reputation and the need to have it all figured out—through thoughtful dialogue and lived experience.

Senior Producer & Creative Director: Heather Hair

Technical Director, Audio & Lead Editor: Lee Sherman

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