Do demons have bodies? And if they do, what do they look like? This week, Dr. Travis Proctor joins us to explore how ancient Jews and Christians understood demons, possession, and the world of spiritual beings.

From their origins as the spirits of the Nephilim, to possession and exorcism stories in the Bible, we’ll unpack how early writers imagined the complicated role of demons in the Bible and how this shaped their portrayals of demonic bodies, evil spirits, and human vulnerability to possession.

👉 We’ll discuss:

– Where people thought demons came from

– How different biblical authors used demons as an explanation

– Why the biblical authors believed humans could be possessed

– How ideas about demon bodies shaped ideas of exorcism

📖 Check out Demonic Bodies and the Dark Ecologies of Early Christian Culture

🔗 Resources & Links

– You can join Dr. Proctor for a class on demons and ghosts in the Bible through the Biblical Studies Academy

– You can join Dr. Proctor for a class on the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity through the Religion Department

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✉️ Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu

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🎙️ Credits

Guest: Dr. Travis Proctor

Hosts: Dr. Jordan Jones

Produced and Edited by Jordan Jones

Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty

The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone