麻豆约拍

Professor Francesca Stavrakopolou examines how the western idea of God developed, exploring the ancient religions and societies of the biblical world.

This second episode begins in the ancient temple of Ain Dara, in Northern Syria. Professor Stavrakopoulou visited Ain Dara before the war in Syria began, and the temple was devastated in an air strike. Its historical significance lies in the fact that its structure maps precisely the biblical description of Solomon鈥檚 temple, and what鈥檚 striking is that pressed into the rock, across the limestone threshold, are a set of giant footprints going into the temple - the bare footprints of a God.

This is the starting point for a fascinating exploration of the imprint of the feet of ancient Gods, and of the God of the Bible.

鈥淪uch is the power of divine or holy footprints that they often become sites of competing religious claims. Most famous is the depression in rock akin to an enormous footprint on Sri Pada, a high peak in Sri Lanka. For Tamil Hindus, it is the print of Shiva, left as he danced creation into existence; for Buddhists the footprint belongs to Gautama Buddha, who pressed his foot into a sapphire beneath the rock; for Muslims, it is the print left by Adam as he trod on the mountain following his expulsion from Eden; for Christians, it is the footprint of Saint Thomas, who, it is claimed, brought Christianity to the region.鈥�

Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou studied theology at Oxford and is currently Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at the University of Exeter. The author of a number of academic works, she also presented the 麻豆约拍2 documentary series The Bible鈥檚 Buried Secrets. She regularly appears on 麻豆约拍1鈥檚 The Big Questions and Sunday Morning Live, and writes for the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday and the Times Literary Supplement.

Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke.
A Loftus Media Ltd production for 麻豆约拍 Radio 4