Dan McClellan on Joe Rogan Believes in Many Gods

Overview

The video is a Christian polemic responding to biblical scholar Dan McClellan’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. The narrator contrasts McClellan’s identification as a practicing Latter-day Saint and Christian with his stated view that some biblical claims are untrue or harmful.

Ancient Israelite Temples

In the interview excerpt, McClellan describes an Israelite temple at Arad, including its rooms, an upright stone, an altar, and incense altars. He says archaeological evidence—including another temple site at Tel Motza—shows that ancient Israel had functioning temples beyond Jerusalem.

The narrator does not dispute the existence of those sites. Instead, he argues that the Bible prescribed worship and sacrifice at the place God chose, which he identifies as Jerusalem’s temple. He interprets Israelite high places as disobedient imitations of pagan worship and notes that biblical accounts criticize kings who failed to remove them.

The Kuntillet Ajrud Artifact

The narrator also discusses a replica of the Kuntillet Ajrud artifact that McClellan gave to Rogan. McClellan describes an inscription referring to “Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah,” which he says may reflect a belief in the God of Israel alongside a female deity.

The narrator connects this interpretation to Latter-day Saint teachings about Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, rejecting it as incompatible with biblical monotheism. He contrasts McClellan’s gift with Christian scholar Wes Huff’s gift to Rogan: a replica of an early Gospel of John fragment.

Central Theological Argument

The video’s central argument is that the Bible teaches there is one God and one way to God through Jesus Christ. The narrator cites biblical passages against other gods and presents Jesus’ death and resurrection as the sole path to salvation.

Presenters and Contributors

• Narrator/presenter: Not named in the subtitles
• Dan McClellan
• Joe Rogan
• Wes Huff (mentioned for comparison)