123. Hezbollah: The Party of God

Was monotheism passed down from Pharaoh Akhenaten of Ancient Egypt? Who was the ancient goddess Asherah? How did exposure to other empires shape the Hebrew Bible? William is joined by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, author of God: An Anatomy, to explore the evolution of the deity Yahwe ...  Show more

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at ⁠empirepoduk.com⁠** Why did the world go crazy for all things Ancient Egypt after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922? How were his treasures used in Cold War Diplomacy? And why did t ...  Show more

Some four decades ago, out of the chaos of the Lebanese civil war, a Shia militant group was born who would grow into one of the most dominant and malign forces in Lebanese politics. A proxy for Iran, staunchly opposed to Israel and aggressive in their aims, they have now effecti ...  Show more

Hezbollah buys grassroots support in Lebanon where and when it can, but the group turns to intimidation and even murder when a vocal opponent can’t be bought. Hezbollah’s elite, highly-secretive Unit 121 is the group’s death squad, which carries out assassinations of Lebanese pol ...  Show more

On today's episode we discuss the origins of Hezbollah, focusing on three key factors in its creation: Iran and Khomeini, The tenuous relationship between Palestinians in south Lebanon and the native Shia communities, as well as Israeli occupation and influence in southern Lebano ...  Show more

Discussion on Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and political impunity in Lebanon begins at 16:45. Nizar and Timour are joined this week by political researcher and commentator Ziad Majed to discuss the lack of accountability over political assassinations in Lebanon, the differences b ...  Show more