Jesus and the Remains of His Day: Studies in Jesus and the Evidence of Material Culture
by Craig A. Evans |
Retail: $44.95 Size: 6 x 9 inches Binding: Jackets Hardcover Pages: 360 Pub Date: December 2015 ISBN: 9781619707054 ISBN-13: 9781619707054 Item Number: 707054 Categories: Archaeology and Biblical History; Biblical Studies and Interpretation Specifications | |
Product Description
“Archaeologists, myself included, have been lobbying scholars of the New Testament and of Jewish writings for many years to pay attention to the results of archaeological research with the hope of advancing ‘understanding.’ Jesus and the Remains of His Day is an indispensable work by a mainstream New Testament scholar who walks into the study with his sleeves rolled up to do exactly that.
This book is a collection of thirteen articles on various aspects of
how archaeological evidence enlightens our understanding of
the life and death of Jesus and the culture in which he lived. Nine
of the book’s thirteen essays were published previously, though
several of these have been revised or augmented for inclusion in
the present book; four of the book’s essays are new. Several of the
essays deal with the death of Jesus and the burial practices of his
day. Articles in the book include: The book’s introduction explains the value of material culture (i.e., archaeological evidence) for interpreting Jesus and the Gospels and discusses the limits of such evidence. Also, the author is including several of his own photos in this book. | |
Reviews
“Craig Evans offers here an exciting collection of essays written over the last twenty years. He integrates at a deep level his maturing reflections about the history of Jesus and the findings of recent archaeology. The thorough scholarship in each chapter is truly impressive. For anyone interested in the interchange between biblical scholars and archaeologists, this is a must read. Evans has produced a real gem, truly a book that will benefit all students of Jesus in his first-century world.”
“This is a splendid collection of state-of-the-question essays. On topic after topic having to do with archaeology and the historical Jesus, Evans shows himself to be not only exceedingly well informed but also judicious. This book has much to teach all of us.”
“Practice, artifacts, texts, and beliefs coalesce into a single picture of first-century Judaism. In personal matters such as eating, purity, and Torah-observance, Jesus and his followers shared much in common with fellow Jews, for Galilean communities shaped his words and actions. Features of his life—his death and burial, for example—require an understanding of his immediate context. Craig Evans explores subtly and convincingly how analyses of archaeological and material remains work hand in hand with textual interpretation.”
“In this book, Craig Evans exposes the misuse of archaeology involved in some sensational claims about Jesus and early Christianity. Even more importantly, he shows that archaeology properly used has much to contribute to a realistic understanding of Jesus and his movement. Evans demonstrates a rare mastery of the primary sources, and his judgments even on very controversial issues are fair and balanced. He convincingly shows that the canonical Gospels, although confessing Jesus as the Son of God, nevertheless depict him as a down-to-earth first-century Jew.” | |
Author Bio | |
Craig A. Evans, PhD, DHabil, is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas. He is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals and the author or editor of over eighty books, including Jesus and His Contemporaries. |