Sacrilegious Discourse - Bible Study for Atheists · Husband & Wife

1 Maccabees Chapter 16: Bible Study by Atheists

January 6, 2026·28 min·2 clips

Why do you need prophets if you can justify any behavior like the God of the Bible?

The cold open is pure accusation. The hosts frame the biblical God as less empathetic than ordinary people, then swing into a fundraiser with saints-and-sinners flair and a plain ask for cleaner audio. Then Ptolemy shows up, and the names start fighting back. The reading opens with a stumble over Abubus, which quickly becomes Abacus, and the bit sticks because nobody can quite keep the family chart steady. That confusion is part of the fun, but it also matters. Another Ptolemy arrives with money, status, and a marriage link to the high priest. The hosts build the family tree in real time: Ptolemy has silver and gold, his wife's father is the high priest, and his own father gets renamed because the actual name will not sit still. One host remembers other Ptolemys, the other compares the mess to the run of Antiochuses, and suddenly scripture sounds like a group chat trying to solve a dynasty problem. Then the betrayal starts to move. Ptolemy's heart gets lifted up, a phrase the hosts treat as instantly creepy, and he starts plotting against Simple Simon and his sons. Simon had supposedly retired, but instead he is out visiting cities, getting cast as a country mouse, and drifting through what might be a goodbye tour or a bye-bye era. The jokes do not bury the story. They keep the weirdness in view while the chapter lines up deceit, ambition, and family-positioned treachery around Jericho. The close returns to the practical ask, with Patreon, Apple reviews, likes, subscriptions, Twitter, and thanks piling up until even the hosts admit the instructions are a lot.

As heard by us

A fast, funny Bible study that turns betrayal into skeptical banter.

This episode turns palace intrigue into something almost comic: Ptolemy, son of Abubus, has the money, the family tie, and the plan, while Simon is away touring the cities and walking into the trap.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Simon's goodbye tour gets hijacked by a betrayal plot.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Sacrilegious Discourse - Bible Study for Atheists