The B-Side Bible: The Hidden Tracks of the ancient world.
The B-Side Bible is a sharp, entertaining, and completely unvarnished dive into the hidden tracks, raw context, and overlooked history of the ancient world. The title is a nod to the mechanics of old vinyl records: while the A-sides are the polished, well-known mainstream hits that everyone recognises, the B-sides are the raw, experimental, and politically messy tracks that shaped the landscape of antiquity.
This podcast is a strict, objective post-mortem of ancient literature and cultural anthropology. We leave modern theology and moralising at the door to explore the original socio-historical context of the scriptures—examining why these texts were engineered, who they were actually written for, and what they meant to the people living under the shadows of the Babylonian and Roman empires. From bizarre prophetic performance art and fringe characters to strategic political propaganda and ancient text-editing battles, The B-Side Bible pulls back the curtain on the deep cuts of history.
### About the Host
Mark Kerrigan holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies. With over twenty years of experience as an educator, Mark excels at breaking down complex, rigorous academic research into engaging, accessible, and fascinating narratives. He is a multi-disciplinary creator under the Narranimate Studios banner, hosting both The B-Side Bible and the Forgotten Urban Histories podcast. Mark is also a versatile author, having written two speculative fiction novels as well as two children's novels. Across all his projects, he combines his background in education, narrative world-building, and historical criticism to strip the varnish off the past—delivering it exactly as it was: loud, accurate, and completely off the record.
The B-Side Bible: The Hidden Tracks of the ancient world.
The Gospel of Judas
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For nearly two thousand years, Judas Iscariot has stood as Christianity’s ultimate betrayer. But one ancient text — discovered in Egypt and finally brought to light in the early 21st century — tells a different story.
In this episode, we explore The Gospel of Judas, an early Gnostic text that repositions Judas not as the villain, but as the one disciple who understood Jesus’ true mission. We examine where this gospel came from, who wrote it, why it emerged in the theological battleground of the 2nd century, and what it reveals about the diversity of belief in the early Christian world.
This is not a rehabilitation of Judas for shock value. It is a window into a time when Christian identity was still fluid, disputed, and contested — and when new interpretations were created to challenge the rising orthodoxy.
Join us as we step inside the world of Gnostic Christianity and encounter one of the most controversial alternative tellings of the Jesus story — the Gospel of Judas.
