The Eucharist is such a common part of Christian worship that it's easy to overlook how strange it is — drinking wine that represents Jesus's blood, eating bread that represents His flesh. The ritual would have been even more shocking to Jesus's Jewish followers, for whom consuming blood (even metaphorically) was absolutely forbidden. The New Testament says that Jesus himself instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but earlier writers like Paul describe something more like a communal meal with ritual components. So our question is: where did the Eucharist originate and what did it mean to the earliest Christians? Helen and Dave are excited to have Katie Turner back on the podcast. In addition to being a top-notch biblical scholar, Katie is the cohost of Gods and Moviemakers. For more on the Eucharist, check out this excellent article on Bible Odyssey, our content partner. SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE!If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a $5/month subscription. (Think of it as $1.25 an episode!) GET YOUR BIBLICAL TIME MACHINE MUGThe Biblical Time Machine Store  is open! Check out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." Or get yourself a handsome Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle. Support the Show.Join the Time Travelers Club!Join our Patreon to support the podcast and get special perks like bonus content and direct messaging with the hosts. Learn more and subscribe at the Time Travelers Club. Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos